Mass Effect: Friend of a Hero
by LeroyZanzibar
Summary: Mark Sears and John Shepard met under grim circumstances but became friends. Sears survived the tragedies on Mindoir and Akuze. Despite no longer serving in the Alliance, he must now assist his best friend and fight the greatest threat in the galaxy. OC
1. Prologue

_Author's note: Hey everyone! This is my first ever fan fic so please: "Be gentle on the rookie." Any suggestions would be great. Oh and I'd like to send a shout out to LuxDragon for his fic: Fight For the Lost which is this biggest inspiration for my story. Enjoy!_

_**ALSO THIS IS NOT A SHEP/MIRI PAIRING, THEY ARE FEATURED/MAIN CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC.**_

-Born 12/07/2157

-Survived Mindoir attack in 2170

-Joined Alliance Military at 13 (lied about age) in 2170

-Only survivor from Akuze in 2177

-Admitted to Alliance VA hospital in 2177, released 2179

-Neurotoxemia: A rare, terminal disease from Thresher Maw venom found only on its tentacles. Can only be treated. Without treatment, the infected person will die in 10 hours. Once inside the bloodstream, the venom attaches itself to arterial system causing the veins to turn black. After that, it centralizes itself on the spinal cord and brain stem. Positive side effects: High resistance to pain, better vision in low lighting, regeneration of bodily organs and skeletal structure after injury.

Negative side effects: Flare ups every 4 hours, constant strain on nerves keeping the body in constant state of pain, sensitivity to light, blackening of veins and arteries, insomnia.

* * *

**2170 CE**

For a colony, Mindoir wasn't really exceptional. We were just a small farming colony out in the Attican Traverse, a couple of mass relay jumps from Earth, Elysium, and Eden Prime. But the convenient location didn't mean that we were safe. Batarian space was only a few relays away as well. I was born here. My parents came from Earth and did everything they could to make it still feel like home to them. We grew human crops-corn, soy beans, and whatnot. Most of the local flora and fauna was still being researched to make sure it wasn't dangerous. Which is why crops and animals were being brought in from Earth and other colonies. Our home was the typical modular-crate-thing that everyone else had, a simple pre-fab unit, but Mom put up flower wall paper and brought along some wooden furniture. Maybe it was her love for the "old life" on Earth that gave me my interest in it, including some other amenities. Dad brought several 'relics' from our family's history, dating back almost two hundred years; most of it coming from my great-great grandfather.

The morning was crisp and cool-perfect harvesting weather. Our fields weren't very large so we only need a small amount of machinery. Today, dad and I would be pulling ears of corn by hand. He said it was an experience I needed to have. I didn't-and still don't-believe him. What the heck am I going to do with corn-harvesting skills, anyway? Even at my age, I was considered a prodigy; having a masters degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT and a masters in 20th Century History from Oxford University. My parents told me this was caused by a genetic mutation that occurred before I was born. I was given an in-utero treatment for nearsightedness. I guess even with all of our technology, the field of genetics is still a wild card.

Even with that, I was still just a foolish kid.

We were carrying in a heaping basket of corn when we first heard the engines. It wasn't the regular hum of harvesting machines or transports, but instead a combination of the high-pitched shriek of a ship entering the atmosphere and the deep growl of a massive cruiser rumbling towards us. I was too young to know what was happening. Dad, though... He knew. The basket slid from his fingers, the still-husked corn rolling around at his feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked tentatively. "Need some help, dad?"

He shook his head. "Get your mother. Now."

"Uh..."

"Go get her, Mark. Quickly." he said in a hurried tone. He had been a soldier during the First Contact War. He talked about it once, how he was in an elite special forces unit. I'd never seen him so... authoritative before. "We're leaving."

I nodded and sprinted towards the house. Mom was standing in front of the kitchen sink, frilly apron on and washing dishes like she'd walked out of an old movie. She frowned a little when she saw me without the corn. "What is it, Mark?"

"Dad... Something's happening," I gasped. "We need to leave."

A dark shadow drifted across the house. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open. She backed away from the sink. "What do we do?"

I shook my head. "I dunno, mom."

She pursed her lips, thinking quickly before rummaging in her pockets and holding out a small key. "You know how you've always wanted to shoot Dad's guns?"

My eyes sparkled with anticipation. Dad had an amazing collection of weapons that I had used once before. He said that my aim was as good as his, but he told me not to use these weapons again. "Yeah..."

"Go get one for yourself and one for me. Run, sweetie."

I ran off, still not sure what was happening. The worried look in her eyes gnawed at the back of my mind like a poison. Had I missed something?

I rushed to my parents room, and opened up one of the closets. Inside was a weapons safe, containing some weapons my dad had acquired from some old family friends. Apparently, these friends used to serve with my dad. I put the key inside and turned it.

"Woah." I said, my eyes widening. There was an assortment of pistols, assault rifles, and one sniper rifle.

"I take it your mother gave you the key?" said Dad who just walked in.

"Yes." I said, still staring in amazement. "Why do you have so many?"

Dad let out a short chuckle. "Don't worry about it." He pulled two pistols, giving me both of them. "Give one to your mother."

I nodded quickly as mom came down the hall. "Here mom." I said, giving her the pistol.

Dad turned to both of us. "Mark…" He held his arms out, drawing me into a hug. I returned it. "I love you son."

"Dad?" I asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

Explosions began to rock the neighborhood. The sounds of gunfire and screaming echoed.

"What's going on?" I asked worriedly.

"Damn it." My dad muttered. "There's only one group that would attack us here…batarian slavers."

"Slavers?" I shouted.

Dad nodded he then turned to my mother and kissed her. "Linda, take Mark and hide in the basement."

"Okay. Let's go Mark." She said, leading me out of the room.

"Dad, what are you doing?" I yelled.

"It's okay son. Just stay with your mother." He said. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"Come on, sweetie." Mom said, gently pulling me away. I could see tears forming in her eyes too. The two of us went into the basement and hid.

"Why is dad doing this?" I asked.

"To keep us safe, honey." Mom replied. "Now, shush."

Several minutes later, the gunfire and explosions grew closer. I could hear the sounds of rifle fire coming from upstairs. Then, I heard muffled screams coming from the rest of the neighborhood. I was scared out of my mind.

It felt like an eternity as mom and I sat in the basement, listening to the chaos erupting around us.

It only got worse from there. The gunshots and chaos came closer. We could hear them outside of the house. I heard dad screaming at them as he fired. A loud explosion rocked the house; mom covered my head.

"Dad?" I asked quietly, tears falling out of my eyes. Mom tightened her grip on me. I could feel her tears splashing onto my shoulder. Then, we heard footsteps upstairs. Multiple footsteps and the batarian language echoing through the house. Both of us got up quietly as the footsteps came closer…they were at the basement door.

"Mark, do you remember that Prothean cave nearby?" Mom asked.

I nodded.

"I want you to go there, as fast as you can and don't come back."

Tears were flowing down my cheeks, "No, Mom—"

"Whatever happens honey, your father and I will always love you." She said, giving me a big hug and kiss. I saw her pick up the pistol and nodded to me.

I bolted out from the other basement entrance and ran through our corn field, never turning back. When I was halfway through, I heard several gunshots go off, followed by screaming and then a single gunshot. I was too busy focusing on the cave to realize what had happened, but once I made it.

I began to cry for what felt like hours. I had always come to this old Prothean cave to find solace or just hang out and try to solve the mystery of what was in here, but this was not one of those times. I looked at this old Prothean antenna of sorts, seeing a bright light emerging from it. I did not know what to expect; they had said that it was inactive.

I remember seeing various visions that I could not understand and then everything went dark. When I came to the next morning, I had emerged from the cave and ran into the house. My worst fears had come true. Dad was killed by a blast from a rocket launcher, which hit the house. The shrapnel killed him. Mom was lying dead in the basement, a single shot through her head along with multiple gunshot wounds to her chest. Along with the bodies of two batarians. All across my neighborhood was nothing but dead bodies and fires. I wasn't even sure if the Reynolds, who lived next door, were alive. But I didn't want to chance it.

It was as if I had just survived armageddon and was the only person left alive. Finding my parents dead was bad enough, but finding friends and neighbors executed and mutilated was just as bad. The wave of emotions was so great that I went numb. All I did was go back home and gather whatever belongings I had and a family holo.

An Alliance ground team arrived about half an hour later, finding the same thing I did. I sat on the front porch with tears in my eyes, staring at the family photo. "Hey! I found one! Over here!" the voice said, and a squad of 8 marines came running up to the house.

"Hey kid are you alright?" one of the marines asked softly. I didn't say anything, but looked up from the photo with tears in my eyes and looked back down again.

"Come on kid. Let's get you out of here." said the marine, "Zabaleta here. We've got a survivor."

They were all in shock of what they had seen, finding an entire colony of dead bodies and burning buildings, with only one survivor near their landing zone. They didn't ask who did it, for they already knew who was responsible.

The marines took me onto their transport and said that I was going to SSV Einstein, an Alliance carrier. I was taken to sickbay for observation and was asked several questions. They tried to be as gentle as possible considering the situation. When the doctor left to do some paperwork, I sat in a chair staring morosely at the floor. There was an older woman, wearing a uniform bearing several stripes on her shoulders. Next to her, was a kid with bright blue eyes who looked a little older than were standing outside of sickbay staring into the room with somber eyes. The both of them walked into sickbay and I stared up briefly.

"Hello there." said the woman in a gentle voice, "I'm Commander Hannah Shepard. What's your name?"

"Sears. Mark Sears."

"Its nice to meet you, Mark." She said with a small smile.

"Same here, ma'am." I said.

"This is my son, John." Hannah said, gesturing to the boy with the blue eyes.

"Hi John." I said nervously.

"Hi Mark." he said, as the Commander turned to her son and asked him to leave for a second.

"Mark. Can you tell me what happened down there?" I looked down at the floor again, recalling everything I had experienced.

"I was working out in the fields when they came. Several ships started landing and firing down at the neighborhoods and the center of town. Once they landed, they started wiping out the neighborhoods, killing and capturing anyone they saw."

"That's horrible!" said the commander, "How did you manage to survive?"

"There was a small cave near the house; I hid there."

"What happened to your parents?" All I thought about was vision of seeing my mother and father's bodies in the house.

I started sobbing, "They...They're dead. The batarians killed my dad first while he protected me and my mother. We went to the basement and hid until they found us. She told me to hide in the cave before they broke in. I ran...and...all I heard was a scream and a gunshot. When it was over, I found their bodies..." I put my face into my hands and just let it out. She gave me a gentle hug to comfort me as I sat there crying my eyes out.

"It's alright now. You're safe here. We'll take you to Arcturus and see if you have any other family."

She walked out of the room and spoke to the doctor. I could hear their muffled voices outside the door. "Doctor. What did you find out?"

"Other than some serious mental trauma, he should be fine. But there's another issue."

"What is it?" asked the commander.

"He doesn't have any living relatives."

"That can't be!" she said in disbelief.

"I'm afraid it is ma'am. I looked into his files and did a genetic test, he has no one."

"My god. What can we do?"

"I'm not sure, Commander. But we need to get him to a safe place."

I felt even worse. I had nowhere else to go except an orphanage. My depression turned to anger when I thought about the pirates. I wanted revenge for what they did to my family. I was going to join the Alliance military and hunt them down. Sure I was just a kid, but what the hell else could I do? I couldn't get a regular job. I was too young. I had the academic credentials…but that was it.

On the way to the Arcturus station, I spent some time talking to John Shepard. We spent most of the time playing games on the extranet and talking about sports. We became friends instantly on the trip to Arcturus. I was dropped off at the station and thanked the commander and John for helping me out. I called an old friend of my dad's, a man by the name of Semeyon.

"Hello?" said a voice with a thick Boston accent.

"Hi. I'm looking for a guy named Semeyon. Is he there?"

"No, he's not. Who is this?"

"Mark Sears."

"Woah. You're not related to Joseph Sears are you?"

"He's my dad." I said, and heard some mumbling from the other end of the line. "Hold on, kid." the man said and there was some more muffling sounds. "Semeyon's on the Arcturus station right now, on business."

"Really? I'm on Arcturus too."

"Where are you specifically?"

"Near this news stand called Bauer's." I replied.

"Stay there kiddo. He'll meet you in a minute."

"Thanks, mister." I stood by the news stand and waited until an older, athletic bearded man approached me. "Excuse me. Are you Mark Sears?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"My name is Semeyon Zengin. I was a friend of your father's. Come with me."

I followed him across the station to his shuttle, "So how do you know my father?" I asked him.

"We both served in the Alliance Military for several years, he was our platoon commander. We left after the war, but I got a job working for the Alliance Intelligence Bureau." he said tapping his right leg, "Hit with shrapnel. That's why I've got something of a desk job now." he said with a laugh.

"How did you find me?" asked Semeyon.

"My dad said if something ever happened to look for you or this guy called Murph."

"Yes. You spoke with him on the phone." he replied.

I paused and then continued, "My family was killed on Mindoir."

He turned to me with somber eyes. "You have my deepest condolences, Mark. Your father was a good man and I had the honor of meeting your mother on their wedding day. She was a great woman."

"Thanks Semeyon." The shuttle made its way down to Earth, heading towards Boston.

"I have a favor to ask of you." I said to Semeyon.

"What is it?"

"I need to lie about my age to get into the military."

"What?"

"Please Semeyon. I need to do this." He seemed worried and lost in thought.

"Listen. I'll let you stay with me for awhile. Personally, I'd want to do the same thing in your position. I will teach you the techniques that your father and I knew."

* * *

**2177 CE**

After graduating from the N7 academy and earning a spot among the elite N7, I was stationed on the SSV Eisenhower, one of the newest carriers in the Alliance fleet. After learning some tricks of the trade from Semeyon and Murph, and getting my fake ID from him, I joined the Alliance military. My overall skills and aptitude tests were off the charts and the only other person who edged me out statistically was John Shepard. He was surprised to see me again. John knew that I had lied to get in but never told anyone, we were friends so we covered for each other. So I spent my time on the Eisenhower, performing various tasks with the unit that I was in command of: Task Force 110. We were a small S.F unit embedded with a larger marine force. The larger force was the 10th Expeditionary Unit, which was a company of over 250 marines who were used in suppression, infiltration, and rapid response situations; 10 of which were part of the task force I commanded. We received several commendations for the operations that we participated in.

One day, we received a distress call from a pioneer team located on Akuze, a lush world that was going to become a new colony. However, there was no message, just a distress beacon.

Due to the size of the area, we were deployed along with 40 marines from the carrier. Once we hit the planet, we went to the last known whereabouts of the pioneer team. One of the members of my squad was Corporal Toombs, my second in command who would be getting promoted to Gunnery Chief after this op.

"What do you think happened to these guys, Commander?"

"No idea Toombs. We'll find out when we get there." I replied.

"As long as this place isn't like that op we had on that ice world." he said with a grin.

"Nah it's supposed to be like some kind of lush tropical world."

"About time they send us someplace nice." he said with a smirk.

Upon arrival, we found the camp the pioneer team was stationed at. The problem was, we found no trace of them.

"All teams spread out and search the area." I said into the radio.

I took my team of 10 and headed into one of the buildings. From the looks of things, it was the armory.

"This is odd." I said.

"What's odd, sir?" asked Toombs.

"All of the weapons are here. Not a single rifle is missing, and all grenades are here."

"You're right sir." said Gunny Chief Ferguson, "I mean, you'd think they would have at least used something from this place right?"

"All teams, this is the Commander, report in." I said into the radio.

"Team 2 here, no sign of the pioneer team."

"Team 3 here, we've got nothing."

"Team 4, nothing here."

"Team 5, we found nothing."

"This isn't right." I said.

"Sir!" yelled Private Varlamov, "I found a body sir!" I headed outside and followed the Private and found the dismembered body of a member of the pioneer team. Everything from the waist down was gone.

"Jesus." said one of the guys in my squad. The other teams reported the same thing within seconds of our discovery. They had found limbs, blood, and other body parts strewn about.

"What the hell did this? Pirates maybe?" asked Toombs.

"No, if pirates did this we would have seen more bodies and an empty armory. Whatever did this wasn't human or alien."

"Commander Sears!" radioed one of the rovers, "Picking up seismic activity in the area!"

"What?" Just then the rover's transmission went dead and we heard an almost deafening roar of some beast. All of our rovers were destroyed by these gigantic creatures, which rose up out of the ground.

"All teams fall back now!" I yelled into the radio. Explosions and gunfire went off across the area and the creatures appeared in all directions. I took my squad and led them up to higher ground to safety. "All teams check in now!" I said into the radio.

"Team 2 here, we've taken losses! We're down to 4."

"Team 3 here. Down to 8." Then, silence fell over the radio.

"Teams 4 and 5 check in, over." I said, only to the sound of silence.

"Sir." said the leader of team 3, "They're gone. Those things got to them."

"God damn it. All teams regroup on our position." I said into the radio. Once it was done we headed got far away from the pioneer team's site, about 4 miles away and attempted to establish communication with the Eisenhower.

"I'm sorry, Commander. Comms are dead." said Chief Ferguson.

"What you mean dead? What the hell happened?"

"No idea sir. We're being jammed from an unknown source."

* * *

**SSV Eisenhower**

On board the Eisenhower, Rear Admiral Dwight Goodson was pouring over all sorts of digital maps. "What the hell do you mean, we lost contact?" he asked.

"No idea sir. All comms went dead on the surface about ten minutes ago. Atmospheric data says that its an electrical storm." said Captain Smith, the ship's XO.

"Did we at least scan the surface?"

"We tried sir but with no success. The storm is blocking our progress."

"God damn it." cursed Goodson, "I want a status update in one hour. If they haven't contacted us, alert Fleet HQ."

"Yes sir."

Goodson left the CIC and went down to speak to Staff Commander Henrik Tellqvist, the man in charge of the Marine company stationed on the ship. Tellqvist was troubled by the news but was confident in Sears' command ability.

Rear Admiral Goodson was one of three admirals in charge of the Sixth Fleet, which was based out of Eden Prime and was one of the few Fleet's based outside of Arcturus.

* * *

**Akuze**

We heard the howl of the beasts again, and it got closer and closer. Once again, we all broke out into a run to get far away from these creatures. When they stopped attacking us, our numbers were starting to thin out.

Team 3 was gone, and our squad had lost 4 men.

Of the 50 who had touched down mere hours ago, only 10 of us remained. Out of my task force, only 3 of us were left. The rest were part of the 10th E.U. We found an area on high ground and rested and attempted to establish communications. It failed to work again, but we continued to broadcast until we could find an opening.

* * *

**Two hours later, SSV Eisenhower**

The Rear Admiral had sat at the desk in his quarters, staring blankly at the message he received from Fleet Headquarters. They were ordered to pull out of the area. In his 20 years of service, Goodson had never received orders like this before. He argued with General Hennessy about leaving his men on the surface. Goodson's words fell on deaf ears. This electrical storm hadn't moved out of the area. _Probably nothing to worry about._ he thought. However, he knew Lt. Commander Sears well. He was a young Marine but he was punctual. For him, this should have been routine. Mark had always been quiet to the Rear Admiral, and his past had been something of a mystery. His place of birth was listed as Cygnus City, Mindoir. But the colony was more or less wiped out seven years ago and to his knowledge was being rebuilt. Even more unusual was his resume. He held masters degrees from MIT in electrical engineering and Oxford University in 20th Century History and History of the Council.

_Geniuses don't join the military with that kind of background..._

Goodson never asked, nor did he want to ask. He figured that he lied about his age and joined to get some payback. _That and he has nowhere else to go_. As far as he was concerned, Mark was a damn good soldier.

"Admiral?" radioed Captain Smith.

"Yes. Go ahead."

"We still have no contact from the surface. Orders?"

He looked down at the datapad with their new orders. _Hell with this bullshit._

"I want all the information you can get on this planet and what's going on."

"Yes sir."

* * *

We were woken up the next morning to the sounds of the creatures and they appeared before us. The 10 of us survivors continued to run until the end of the night. Soon, 10 became 7 by nightfall and by the next day the 7 became 2. Despite all of my best efforts, I couldn't keep the team alive. We were exhausted and dehydrated. The radio was out and we couldn't contact the Eisenhower. It felt like the end.

* * *

**Three days later, SSV Eisenhower**

"Sir, you're not gonna believe this." said Cpt. Smith.

"This better be good. Two days and we've got nothing."

"The scope is clear. We can re-establish communications."

"About damn time!" said Goodson.

"Admiral?" asked one of the radio operators, "You're gonna want to hear this."

The Admiral's eyes went wide.

"Crypter, crypter, crypter. This is Lt. Commander Sears. We're under attack! Unknown creatures killed the pioneer team and most of our squad; down to four now! Requesting immediate evac!"

"Son of a bitch! I want alert fighters out now and send the shuttle now!" ordered Goodson.

"LT, when was that transmission sent?"

The VI's voice came over the terminal, "Transmission sent: One day, six hours, twenty three minutes ago."

* * *

**Akuze, Day 4**

On the fourth day, it was just Toombs and myself. We had gotten only 3 hours of sleep in the last four days. This time, we were woken up by the sounds of a garbled transmission from the Eisenhower. They were sending an extraction team and to be ready by 1300 hours today. The familiar sounds started to come back again, so we broke out into a run to get to the highest point we could find on Akuze.

"Come on! We can do this!" I said.

When we were halfway there, a massive sinkhole opened up and swallowed up Toombs.

"No!" I yelled turning around and grabbing him by the hand.

I tried to pull him up, but when I did, 2 of these massive creatures, which looked like giant dragon like worms appeared.

"I'm not leaving you here Frank!" I yelled.

"You have to sir! If you don't let me go we both die."

"God damnit Corporal!"

"It's alright, Mark. Just go!"

I stopped for a second, _No! Not again...I can't do this again._ His hands began to slip away as he let his grip go.

"I'm sorry, kid. You have to live on for us!"

"Frank!" I yelled as he slipped away from me. Choking back the tears, I sprinted as fast as I could.

I ran through the middle of a wall the creatures had set up. More and more of them continued to pop up within mere feet of me. Finally, one appeared out of the ground in front of me. The tentacles near its mouth hitting me square in the face, causing my mask to come off and nearly took out my right eye. I continued to run and run until I made it up to the peak. Off to the horizon, I saw several flashes of light. _They're here..._ I activated my homing beacon and headed up to the tallest point nearby.

* * *

"This is Viper 1. We've got movement down here."

"_Copy that Viper 1. We have a signal from the surface, looks like a homing beacon_." said the flight controller on the Eisenhower.

The fighters and the shuttle had made their way down to the planet. _Please God let them live._ was the collective thought amongst the Eisenhower crew.

"Pegasus 1 to Viper lead, we're going to begin our strafing run. Helios, their all yours."

"Gotcha Pegasus-woah. You guys seeing this?" said the shuttle pilot.

The camera's on board showed a lone soldier bursting through a wall of massive creatures.

"Damn. What the hell are those Viper 5?"

"Do I look like a scientist to you?"

"_All callsigns, you are cleared to engage any hostiles on the planet." _said the flight controller.

"Roger that, Eisenhower." said Viper leader.

"All Pegasus fighters, set up for your attack run. Targets are...whatever the hell those things are."

"Eisenhower, this is Pegasus 1." said Pegasus leader, "Do we have any radio contact with our guys down there?"

"Negative Pegasus. They can hear us but can't speak to us. This is gonna be danger close so watch your shots."

"Copy Eisenhower." said the Pegasus flight lead, "All Pegasus aircraft, pick a target. Danger close. Lets go."

The Pegasus team attacked the creatures with a fierce tenacity. "Pegasus 2, rolling in! Fox 3."

"Damn. These things are pretty durable. You sure we're gonna have enough to take 'em out?"

"Yes Pegasus 6. Empty everything you've got into these bastards." said the flight lead.

"This is Helios, we're approaching the extraction zone."

"_All Viper planes, maintain air superiority until extraction is complete_."

"Copy that Eisenhower."

The fighters sprung into action, unloading their payload on whatever the hell was chasing me. I was amazed that I didn't get launched into the air from the air shock coming from the explosives. They continued to make passes until there was a clear enough area to land. When the shuttle landed, I could barely walk up to it, the ship only mere steps away. 2 other marines jumped out and helped me into the drop ship. They put a bandage over my eye gave me basic medical treatment.

"This is Helios. Package is secure, RTB."

"Where's the rest of your squad, sir?" said the medic who helped me in. I lightly shook my head and slowly drifted off. "Helios to Eisenhower-actual."

"Go ahead Helios. How many did we get?"

The pilot paused for some time. "One sir. Just Lt. Commander Sears."

Another pause, "Roger that, Helios."

* * *

When I woke up, I was on board the Eisenhower, in sickbay. Rear Admiral Dwight Goodson, the CO of the Eisenhower was standing off to the side of the bed I was in while the ship's doctor was checking my vitals. I was still groggy and attempting to open my eyes, but I was hurt everywhere.

"How is he doc?" asked the Admiral.

"Not too good sir. He hasn't slept in nearly 4 days and has a case of dehydration, lacerations and something else I've never seen before."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like it before, there's nothing about it in our databases or any other medical databases."

"Jesus Christ." he said, walking up to me, "Hey Commander. How are you?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, "They're all gone sir." He looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry. We tried to get to you as fast as we could. There was an electrical storm on the surface, according to our scans. We couldn't communicate with you."

I shook my head, "There were no storms, sir."

"What?" he asked surprised.

"We were being-" I coughed, "We were-"

I started coughing up a storm, the doctor trying to calm me down and then I felt myself go into a seizure. After that everything went dark.

* * *

"Excuse me Admiral! Crash cart now!" said the doctor.

"Doctor, he's going into shock!" said one of the nurses. Sears continued to have a seizure on the bed. Goodson stood and watched as the doctors did everything they could to stabilize him. Mark's chest arched upwards, and then fell back to the bed.

"He's stable Doctor." The doctor scratched his chin and checked him. "He's in a coma." the doctor said.

"What?" asked the Admiral.

"I-I can't explain it sir. I've never seen anything like this. We need to get him to a real hospital ASAP." the admiral nodded and walked over to an intercom nearby.

"CIC, Commanding officer. Set a course for Elysium, best possible speed."

Luckily for them, Elysium was through the nearest mass relay.

* * *

**Illyria, Elysium**

Goodson and the ship's doctor headed down to the Alliance military hospital on Elysium with Lt. Commander Sears. The good news was that there was a doctor that knew what he had. She was an asari, Doctor Ria V'los. The Eisenhower's doctor, Dr. Julian Foster, was the first to ask. "What does he have doctor?"

"Neurotoxemia." Foster and Goodson looked at each other confused. "Its a degenerative disease caused by thresher maw venom."

"What's a thresher maw?" asked Goodson.

Dr. V'los raised an eyebrow, "You've never encountered them?"

"First I've ever heard."

"I see." she said, "In that case, Mr. Sears is the first human to have contracted neurotoxemia."

"Can you tell us about them?" asked Foster.

"They're massive worm like creatures. We're not sure how large they are, but we do know that they can live in any sort of environment and live underground. Aside from having tremendous crushing power, they contain a large amount of acid, which is highly corrosive. The tentacles near the mouth contain a highly toxic venom, which has infected Commander Sears."

"I see."

"Which brings me to his current condition." she said, her tone becoming grave. "Neurotoxemia is incurable, but it is treatable. Had you shown up 9 hours after he was infected, he would be dead. The treatment is using medicine from a leaf on Thessia called Lufar. He will have to take it for the rest of his life. His condition is also terminal. If he doesn't take it every 4 hours, he'll die."

They were silent for some time. Rear Admiral Goodson spoke, "Will he be able to serve again?"

V'los shook her head, "No. If he does any sort of physically taxing activity for an extended period of time, it will wash out his medication. I'm sorry Admiral but he can never serve again."

"I understand. Can we see him?"

"He is still in a coma. It will take some time for him to recover from the initial seizure. It has already caused his veins and arteries to turn black. There are several symptoms that come with neurotoxemia." She explained to the admiral and the ship's doctor who were astounded and shocked at the symptoms. Mark's veins would discolor from the venom. It would also keep his body in a constant state of pain. Since the thresher maw hit him near the eye, the venom would affect that area of the body first. The effects were unknown as only a handful of people had ever contracted this illness, only 3 lived with it. The admiral had left a note for Mark to read once he woke up. Goodson and Foster left. It would be the last time they would ever see Mark as he was to be transported to a hospital on Earth.

* * *

**Walter Reed National Medical Center, Earth**

When I awoke, I was no longer on the Eisenhower, but I was told that I was in an Alliance hospital on Earth. I was diagnosed by an asari doctor with a condition known as neurotoxemia, a rare an incurable disease that was almost similar to ALS and being bitten by a venomous snake. The doctor told me this rarely happens when attacked by a thresher maw, the massive creatures we ran from on Akuze. The venom in thresher maws is fatal but only when it leaves the thresher's body, if its still on the tentacles, its different. Once it leaves the body its like a corrosive acid, able to melt anything even tanks. If its on the creature, it acts like venom on a snake, but about 100 times more deadly. Neurotoxemia is treatable, but incurable. I went into mentally induced silent state which continued in the hospital and I was then diagnosed and placed in a psychiatric ward.

Because of my actions and various accolades, I was given an honorable and medical discharge from the Alliance military and placed in a VA hospital. I spent nearly 2 years in silence, never saying a word to anyone. In my time there, I was visited by a General who was on some recruitment kick and thought I was faking or something and tried to force me back in. I attacked him but was restrained. Since that day, I received no visitors and from the beginning I was placed on suicide watch after I attempted to hang myself. I just couldn't stand it anymore; I was tired of being the only one to survive. It wasn't until Captain Anderson visited me that I began to talk again. I told him all about the incident on Akuze and let out the emotion from that mission that I had held in. I was released not too long after that and traveled to Boston to find Semyon and Murph. I became a private detective and through his contacts received my own custom made gear. I would help him until I got back on my feet and decided to travel the galaxy.

* * *

**2183 CE**

I laid wide awake in bed hearing the song "Wherever Thorns May Grow" by Soilwork coming from my omni-tool. The alarm would have woken me up, had I fallen asleep the night before. As I got up, I put on my sunglasses and I walked to the window of my hotel room and looked out, seeing cars and ships flying around. The purple hue from the Serpent Nebula reflecting off of every ward arm of the Citadel. It was quite the sight to see in the morning. I slowly made my way over to the shower after turning off the alarm; I had a meeting in the afternoon with the Council. It was unusual for someone like myself, a former Alliance officer, to be called to a meeting with the Council. However, these were exceptional circumstances. I put on my suit, the only one I had, and gathered my belongings and put them into my bag. The last item I placed was a picture of my parents. I stared at it for some time before zipping up the bag. Once I finished packing, I headed out of my hotel room and checked out. I had no need to stay here any longer and I was feeling a little paranoid after my last job...Besides, I had to get to my meeting.

I took one of the public transportation cars and headed for the Presidium, a level of the Citadel where politicians and soldiers were allowed. Civilians were rarely allowed access unless they had a meeting or were among the "elite" in society. When I arrived at the Citadel Tower, I was checked and cleared. The tower was a sight to be seen. It was the center of the galactic world but no one of my stature was allowed unless they had some issue with the Council. _Or if they were put on trial._ I thought glumly. This meeting was not going to be public, however. What I had found on my previous job was something of great interest to the Council and was considered to be classified. As I approached the meeting room, I was searched again. This time they took my bag and I entered the room along with the 2 Turian C-Sec officers. I could feel the twitch in my hand begin to flare up, it was only a matter of time before I had to take my medicine again.

As I stood at attention, an old Alliance habit, I saw the Council enter. One Turian, one Asari, and one Salarian. "Please, Mr. Sears. Have a seat." said the Asari Councilor. I sat down at the table, my hands folded with my right hand shaking a bit.

"Mr. Sears. We have summoned you here because of an incident that took place on Thessia a week ago." Thessia was the Asari homeworld. Part of me felt that I was going to be grilled by these three for my actions. Even though I was wearing my sunglasses, I felt as though they could see through me.

The Turian councilor continued, "We called you here because we wanted to see the information you discovered at the Vogel Corporation's branch on Thessia. What you discovered could very well be the largest corporate scandal in the history of Citadel space." I sat there feeling somewhat relieved about the situation, but I was still nervous about what could happen to me.

"We're not going to have you charged with anything Mr. Sears." said the Salarian Councilor, "We just want to know how you discovered this."

"Well..." I said clearing my throat, "I'm going to need my bag for a second. That's where the files are." One of the turian C-Sec officers approached with my bag and handed it to me but stood next to me, making sure that I wasn't going to pull out a weapon. Although, I did have 2 in my bag as a safety precaution; they were well hidden. I pulled out several data disks and placed them on the table in front of me.

"These disks contain various transactions between the Vogel Corporation and several other companies in Citadel space. There are also various shell companies where money was deposited and withdrawn by these companies and various criminal organizations, even some politicians." The Council was surprised by this information.

The asari councilor then asked, "How did you come across this information?"

"It was part of an investigation that I was involved in."

"Your record shows that you are no longer part of the Alliance. Who were you working for?" she asked.

"I'm self-employed. I was hired by someone on Thessia to look for a friend of this person. Don't worry." I said pulling out a folder, "Inside this folder is every detail I have of my investigation from start to finish."

"Interesting." said the turian councilor.

"Besides, I cut all ties with the Alliance after my discharge."

"We understand that you had an impressive career with the Alliance. Some would say you're something of a hero." said the asari councilor.

I hated that. It was a label the Alliance tagged me with after the incident. "I'm no hero. Never was one." I said bitterly, "I'm just a man who did his job. Commander Shepard is a hero. The 50 marines who died on Akuze, they're heroes. Surviving a couple of tragedies doesn't make you a hero." The three councilors looked at each other. I just stared at my shaking hands.

I was in the Alliance several years ago as a member of the N7, the Alliance's special forces division. They considered me to be one of the top 3 soliders in my class at the academy; I was second. My friend, Commander Shepard was first. Akuze was a sore spot for me. It had been 6 years and it still hurt. The "parting gift" from a thresher maw has left me with only a few years left to live. I was given a special medication, made from a leaf found on Thessia known as Lufar. It keeps me from dying, but when it flares up it causes my hands to shake and some coughing spells. My hands started to shake, next thing I knew I was coughing, _Ah hell_.

"Are you alright, Mr. Sears?" asked the asari councilor.

I shook my head and said, "I need to take my medication."

"Of course." I pulled out a small cigarette, the medicinal leaf from Thessia which seemed almost similar to tobacco, lit it and inhaled the smoke letting it stay in my lungs until the twitching stopped and then exhaled.

"Thank you, councilor. I hope you don't mind if I smoke."

"Its fine." she said.

"We understand." said the salarian councilor.

"So." continued the asari councilor, "Who contacted you on Thessia?"

"A young woman by the name of Aialla. She wanted me to look for her friend who was missing for several days. I began searching various places they went to and asked around. Eventually, I came across this bar. The owner told me some big guys in suits escorted her outside and took her to some building complex known as "The Nest". I found her...her body anyway. She worked in the upper offices of Vogel as someone on payroll. I put it all together and found out that her figures and the companies figures were completely different. Then I found Vogel's clientele list after doing some searching. The rest is history."

"That's quite the story, Mr. Sears." said the turian councilor, "However, it was very reckless to charge into a corporate office and obtain the information."

"They left me no choice. Vogel's hired thugs found out who my client was and made the mistake of trying to kill me." I retorted.

"How did they find that out?" asked the salarian councilor.

I took another drag, exhaled and answered, "My client worked at the same company, different department. I figured that they caught on to her when she didn't show up to work after I told her about her friend. I told her to calm down and that I was going to see it through to the end. She didn't listen and tried to flee. The thugs found her and I broke her out of the corporate office and obtained the files. You'll be interested to see the names and organizations listed in those files. Some might even surprise you."

The turian councilor thumbed through my case file and noticed one group in particular, "Hm. Cerberus had financial ties to this company."

"You've heard of them, sir?"

"Yes. A pro-human terrorist group. What do you know about them?" asked Valern.

"To be honest councilor, I'm not entirely sure. But their name popped up on several transaction records. The only information I could gather on them was that they were a former Alliance black-ops research team. But other sources say that its a cover. What interest they have in heavy industries is beyond me. Any other information is hard to come by, or incredibly pricey." The councilors looked at each other before the asari councilor spoke, "We appreciate the information you have been able to find. Including your efforts against them."

She continued, "There is another reason we called you here, Mr. Sears."

"There is?"

"Yes. We are considering you as a possible Spectre candidate, should you accept." said the asari councilor.

I raised an eyebrow and took a long drag and exhaled, "Councilors, as honored as I am for being considered for the position, I must respectfully decline."

The salarian and turian councilors seemed surprised, but the asari councilor was calm. "This is because of your medical condition?"

"Yes. Doctors have told me not to get into a job that requires constant physical activity because it can wash out my medication and make my symptoms even worse than before. As I said earlier, I'm no hero. The people you pick are heroes in their own right."

"Your reason is sound, Mr. Sears." said the asari councilor after a brief pause.

"Councilors if I may? I have a suggestion for a human Spectre."

"Who?"

"An old friend of mine, Commander Shepard. He's the best humanity has to offer, saved Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz."

"We will consider your recommendation, Mr. Sears. The councilors then stood up, as did I.

"Mr. Sears we thank you for your time and for helping us. We owe you a great debt."

"Thank you councilors." I left the meeting and decided to head to the Presidium lounge for a big drink.

The three councilors sat in the office and mulled over the evidence given to them by Mark. "All of these people tied to Vogel, and they were right under our noses!" said Sparatus, the turian councilor.

"We had our suspicions but this..." said the salarian councilor, Valern.

"Agent Tervia was right about Mr. Sears. He is quite capable despite his condition." said Councilor Tevos.

"Hmph." snorted Sparatus, "You knew he was going to turn down our offer didn't you?"

Tevos nodded her head, "He deserved to know that we were watching him."

Sparatus shook his head, "Humans...They always seem to destroy anything they touch. The fact that Cerberus is behind this incident with Vogel is troubling."

Both the asari and salarian councilors looked at him, "Mind your tongue, Sparatus." said Tevos.

"They do! This Eden Prime report is proof of that. Now they want a meeting with us."

"Councilor Sparatus, if you say one more derogatory thing about them your resignation will be our next topic of discussion." said the salarian councilor.

Sparatus tapped his chin, "If we ever plan to include the humans into this Council, Cerberus must be dealt with or they'll never make it in."

Tevos rubbed her forehead, clearly tired of listening to Sparatus talk.

"Despite your opinion of the humans Sparatus, Mr. Sears is one of their most decorated soldiers. He hacked into the STG database during the Intramural War Games in under 10 minutes. He's also been highly regarded by his superiors." said Valern.

Tevos nodded, "Agent Tervia was also impressed with his skills and can confirm them."

"I won't argue that." said Sparatus, "His psychological profile is what worries me. He survived the tragedies on Mindoir and Akuze and according to his medical records, attempted suicide."

The collectively nodded silently, Sparatus continued, "From our meeting, he harbors a sort of resentment against the Alliance. That might not play well from a political standpoint, even if we did bring him on as a Spectre."

Valern nodded, and looked back over at Sears' case file, "His investigation was quite detailed." he turned to Tevos, "Should we have told him that we were already watching Shepard?"

"That is classified." said Tevos, "He'll find out soon enough though."

"We should keep our eyes on Mr. Sears for the time being. Despite his illness, he has an impressive set of skills." said the salarian councilor.

"Good idea. Agent Eviana Tervia can do that once her next mission is complete." said Tevos.

"What about the other human Spectre candidate? A Lieutenant Warren Rogers." asked Valern.

"The 'Butcher of Torfan'?" asked Sparatus, "From what Udina has shown us, he wouldn't appear to cooperate with us."

"His career with the Alliance has shown that he has gotten the job done by any means necessary. Rogers is efficient, cold, calculating. A good fit for the Spectres." said the salarian councilor.

"It's his attitude that concerns me." said Tevos, "His personal records show several misconduct violations and disobeying superior officers. Including the incident at Torfan. On top of that, he's currently incarcerated in a military prison on Earth's moon. Having a criminal as a Spectre, no matter the credentials would be bad."

"Then Shepard is the one." concluded Valern.

* * *

_Edit: 9/19/11. Big thanks to stnemele who helped me redo the Mindoir intro. You rule!_


	2. Back in Action

_Author's Note: Once again, I don't own Mass Effect or its characters. BioWare does. I own the OC's._

_With that out of the way, here's Chapter 2. Enjoy!_

* * *

I was sitting at the bar thinking about the meeting I had just finished up and having my drink. "I hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass." I said to myself, staring into my empty pint glass.

"Bartender. Another beer please."

"Sure thing." He went to fill up my glass and I looked around the lounge. It was unusually quiet considering that it was close to lunch time.

"Tough day at the office?" asked the bartender.

"Heh. Not exactly. I just got out of a debriefing with the Council."

"Ah. You a Spectre?"

"Nope. Just a civilian."

"You look like a military man." he said.

"Yeah. I was. Ex-Alliance special forces."

"Impressive. Why did you leave?"

"Medical discharge." I said pointing to the long scar that went from the top of my forehead to the middle of my cheek. "Its a long story." I said.

I continued to drink my new beer, a Mindoir Red.

"Speaking of Alliance." said the bartender. "Here comes an officer now." I turned around and saw a man I had not seen in years: Captain David Anderson.

"Hello Mark."

"Captain." I said, surprised.

"How long has it been?" said Anderson, "Four years?"

"Something like that." I said.

"I heard you've been busy." said Anderson, "Assaulting a corporate building on the asari homeworld and having to explain it to the Council? Not too bad."

I smirked, "At least there are some people who still admire my work. The Council bit was a little surprising though. How did you find out about that?"

"Word travels." He replied, taking a seat next to me.

Anderson's next words surprised me, "I have a proposition for you-"

"I hope you're not trying to recruit me Captain Anderson." I said, cutting him off in a cold manner, "You're not the first one who's tried to in the past few years. Apparently my word and doctor's notices aren't good enough."

"I'm not here to bring you back to the Alliance, Mark. You know that after what happened I would never approach you with official orders from the Alliance. A medical discharge is a medical discharge." Anderson replied giving me a stare that I haven't seen since the N7 Academy.

I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Captain. Every now and then they try to send me messages wanting me to come back. I forgot that you were the only one who was there for me."

There was a brief pause and I asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Its a personal favor."

"Personal favor eh? This is…different."

"I'm sure you've heard about the Eden Prime incident by now."

"I had heard the colony was attacked over the wire. What happened?"

"I-can't say too much. Not here..." said Anderson.

"Okay." I drawled out.

"I'll tell you the rest on the way to the embassy. Come on."

Truth be told, I was interested about the situation there.

I paid for the beers and walked with Anderson as he told me what went down. The Alliance had found a Prothean beacon on Eden Prime and the geth had attacked the colony.

That part caused me to gasp out loud. The geth hadn't been seen beyond the Perseus Veil since the uprising against the quarians 300 years ago.

Shepard was part of a ground team sent in to secure the beacon but several things had happened. He was being evaluated to see if he was going to be a Spectre. The Spectre evaluating him, Nihlus Kryik, was killed on Eden Prime and the beacon was destroyed.

Another Spectre, Saren Arterius, had supposedly masterminded the attack and murdered Nihlus. Right now, Shepard and his team were looking for evidence on the Citadel to implicate Saren.

"That's the situation as of right now." Anderson said, "What do you think?"

"Hell of a story, Captain. I assume you want me to help out in some capacity right?"

"Quick as always, Mark."

I thought about it for a second, "If I do this, I'm doing it for you and Shepard. This isn't some Alliance comeback tour. I made it clear to them after Akuze."

"Of course, Mark. I wouldn't have asked you unless I felt that it was serious enough. Your involvement will be off the record; it'll be my way of keeping the Alliance brass off you. You're one of the best infiltrators and tactical thinkers the Alliance has ever produced. I know that you can figure out a way to help stop Saren and whatever he's planning. If you decline, well I won't stop you. You've always had a choice."

I smirked a bit, "Hey you were there for me all those years ago. I'd hate to leave this world with unpaid debts. Count me in."

"Glad to hear that." said Anderson, grinning.

"So where's Shepard?"

"Following up on some leads about Saren. Shepard and his team should be here within the next hour or so."

"Gotcha. Should be plenty of time to get all the details down anyway."

We had arrived at the ambassador's office where I stood in the back, looking out at the lake and started smoking another cig. _Of the handful of times I've been on the Presidium, I'm still amazed by the lake. Gonna have to go for a swim one day._

Udina and Anderson were busy discussing the current situation. Udina was humanity's ambassador; an older man who had a pessimistic view of things. He was devoted to advancing humanity on the galactic stage but refused to "rock the boat" so it wouldn't affect his standing or humanity's. _How did he get this job anyway?_

Anderson gave me the mission reports from Eden Prime so I decided to read over them while Shepard was out looking for evidence.

* * *

After getting shut down by the Council, Commander John Shepard headed down to the Wards to get a lead on the whereabouts of Garrus Vakarian. He was a turian C-Sec agent who was investigating Saren's possible involvement on Eden Prime. Despite his best efforts, Garrus couldn't access any information regarding Saren's involvement. The reason being: it was classified. Executor Pallin told him to give up the investigation, but Garrus didn't give up.

Of all the places he could have been, it had to be a dingy nightclub called Chora's Den. Udina's lead was a C-Sec officer named Harkin. Despite being the first human in C-Sec, Harkin's record was filled with red marks. Everything from: bribery accusations, to abusing suspects in custody, and finally drinking and drug use on the job.

"A million light years from where humanity began, and we're here in some club watching girls shake their asses in a club. I can't decide whether that's funny or sad." Said Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams.

"What you don't think they're here because of the food?" asked Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko in a sarcastic manner.

Shepard allowed a small chuckle as they wandered through the club…and right into a couple of arguing krogan.

"This is your last warning Wrex." Said the bouncer.

"You should warn Fist. I will kill him." Replied the other krogan.

"Get out of here!"

The threatening krogan in the red armor turned and walked away, "Out of my way humans I have no quarrel with you."

Kaidan looked in surprise, "What was that all about?"

"Let's not get involved." Replied Ashley.

In the corner of the club was a balding man, nursing some kind of hard liquor. He was dressed in a C-Sec uniform.

"You Harkin?" asked Shepard.

"The hell do you want?" asked the buzzed C-Sec officer.

"I'm looking for Garrus Vakarian."

"Garrus?" he asked surprised, "Ohh you must be one a Captain Anderson's crew. He's still trying to go after Saren eh?"

"Just tell us where he is." Said an agitated Ashley.

"Woah. Calm down sweet cheeks. Why don't you come here next to good ol' Harkin."

Ashley nearly grabbed an empty glass from another table and drove it into Harkin's head. Shepard stopped her. "Say one more word. I dare you." She said angrily.

"Ooh I'm so scared." Harkin replied in a low mocking tone while he waved his hands. "I'll tell ya where Garrus is but you gotta answer me one question."

Shepard maintained a neutral façade and nodded.

"Did Anderson let you in on his little secret?"

"What?" Shepard asked, uninterested.

"The Captain used to be a Spectre. He was on a mission with Saren. Yeah, he screwed it up so badly that they kicked him out."

"Uh huh. Just tell us where Garrus is."

Harkin snorted, "He was sniffin around Dr. Michel's clinic. It's a level up."

"Thanks."

"Good go. Let me drink in peace."

The trio walked out of Chora's Den, puzzled at Harkin's little revelation.

"Why didn't the Captain tell us he used to be a Spectre?" asked Ashley.

"Harkin's an ass. I doubt its true anyway." Said Kaidan.

"Who knows. I'll ask Anderson later." Replied Shepard.

They headed up to the clinic but heard strange noises coming from behind the door. It sounded like a struggle.

"Stack up, and get ready." Said Shepard as they pulled out their weapons. "Go!"

The three soldiers went into the room and slowly approached the thugs who were threatening the doctor. Garrus was sneaking around the side with his pistol, jockeying for a clear shot.

"Who are you?" yelled one of the thugs as he grabbed Dr. Michel.

"Let her go now!" replied Shepard.

Garrus darted around the small wall, separating the reception area and the examination area, and fired a single shot at the thug holding the doctor. It struck the thug in the head and he dropped dead to the floor. The others started to back off, out gunned 4 to 3. Shepard and his squad made short order of the thugs and approached Garrus.

"Perfect timing Commander. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard." Said the detective.

"What were you thinking? You could have shot the doctor!" replied Shepard.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have time to think, I just reacted…Dr. Michel are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. Thank you, all of you for helping me."

"What did those thugs want with you?" asked Shepard.

"They worked for Fist. He wanted information about a quarian." Said Dr. Michel.

"What kind of information?"

Dr. Michel took a deep breath and answered, "A few days ago, a quarian came into my clinic. She sustained a bullet wound and was very scared. She said that she had some important information about the geth so I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker."

Garrus shook his head, "Not anymore. Fist sold out the Shadow Broker. He's working for Saren now."

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer." Replied the doctor.

"We have to find that quarian." Said Shepard.

Garrus had a suggestion of his own, "You know the Shadow Broker sent someone after Fist. A krogan bounty hunter named Wrex."

"Yeah we saw him at the bar." Said Ashley.

"A krogan could come in handy." Shepard replied.

"He should be at the C-Sec academy. We brought him in for questioning. This is your show Shepard. But I want to be there when you bring Saren down."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I couldn't find the evidence to bring him down. But I know that he's dirty. He's a disgrace as a Spectre and a disgrace to all turians."

"That works for me." Said Shepard with a smirk. "Come on. Let's go get a krogan bounty hunter."

The three soldiers and C-Sec detective made their way down to the C-Sec academy to get the next member of their team. It didn't take long to find Wrex. The massive krogan was surrounded by 5 C-Sec officers.

"Witnesses said you were making threats in Fist's bar. You better stay away from him."

"You should warn Fist. I will kill him."

The officer talking to Wrex was no agitated, "You want me to arrest you?"

"I want you to try." Wrex replied with a chuckle. He looked over and saw Shepard and his team and walked over.

"Go on. Get out of here!" yelled the officer as he walked off with the others.

"Do I know you human?"

"Name's John Shepard. We heard you're going after Fist."

"Hm…Shepard? Commander John Shepard…I've heard a lot about you." Wrex said.

"We're both warriors Shepard. So out of respect, I'll be the one that kills Fist."

"Alright."

"My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you'll find a friend."

Shepard smirked, "We've got a similar saying. Welcome to the team Wrex."

Both warriors shook the other's hand, "Well then. Let's go. I'd hate to keep Fist waiting."

Outside of Chora's Den, the club was silent.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home." Said Ashley.

"Fist knows we're coming." Replied Wrex.

Once the doors to the club opened up, it was pure chaos. Aside from the krogan bouncers, there were far more security personnel than before. Shepard and his team faced tough resistance by the bouncers but made short work of them.

In the next room, the only two people left were warehouse workers armed with pistols.

"You guys might want to find somewhere else to work." Shepard said to them.

"Uh…yeah you're right."

"Yeah I never liked that bastard anyway." Replied the other one.

"No kidding. He gave us what…200 creds for this?" They both wandered out of the club rambling on about how Fist screwed them over.

The team went into his office and had to fight Fist along with his automated defenses. After a 20 minute firefight, Fist gave up once his defenses were destroyed and after Shepard shot him in the leg.

"Don't kill me. I surrender!" he said, cowering in front of his toppled desk.

Shepard drew his pistol, "Where's the quarian?"

"I don't know where she is but I know where you can find her."

Shepard signaled him up.

"She wouldn't deal with me. She'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself."

"Impossible." Retorted Wrex, "Even I was hired through an agent."

"I told the quarian that he'd be there." Fist continued, "But when she shows up, Saren's men will be there."

Shepard grabbed him by the collar of his Colossus armor, "Tell me where she is…Now."

"The alley behind the lower markets."

Wrex drew his shotgun and executed Fist.

"Hold it right there krogan!" yelled Ashley, who drew her rifle at Wrex.

"The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him. I don't leave jobs half done."

"I might disapprove but…A lot of people died because of him. Come on, we have to go find that quarian!"

The team rushed out of Chora's den to go to the alley. By the time they got there, the quarian had escaped from the assassin's clutches and dove behind a crate.

The team engaged the assassins and easily killed them.

"Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!" yelled the quarian.

"Are you alright?" asked Shepard.

"I can take care of myself. Not that I don't appreciate the help. Who are you?"

"I'm Commander John Shepard. We're looking for evidence involving Saren and the geth. We were told that you have it."

"Then I have a chance to repay for you for saving my life. But its not safe here."

"We can go to the ambassador's office." Said Kaidan, "He'll probably want to see this anyway."

"Let's go." Said Shepard.

Shepard and his team came into the ambassador's office with the quarian, Tali who had just been rescued from Fist's thugs. The first thing he noticed was a man on the balcony of the office. He wore a suit and was smoking a cigarette; a duffel bag sat next to his left foot while he was staring out at the Presidium. Shepard's thoughts were interrupted by Udina, "You're not making my life easy Shepard. Firefights in the Wards, an all out assault on Chora's Den, do you know how many-" Udina stopped mid-rant and noticed Tali, "Who is this, a quarian? What are you doing Shepard?"

"Making your day ambassador. She has evidence involving Saren. I was going to tell you that if you hadn't jumped down my throat." said Shepard.

"I'm sorry Commander. Things have been stressful lately." Udina turned to Tali, "We usually don't see many quarians on the Citadel. Why did you leave the flotilla miss-"

"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood."

"Tell us what you found." said Shepard.

"During my travels, I began hearing reports of geth. Since they drove my people into exile, the geth have never ventured beyond the Perseus Veil. I was curious." Tali continued, "I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit. Then I disabled it and removed its memory core."

Anderson cut in, "I thought the geth fried their memory cores after they died. Some kind of defense mechanism."

"How did you manage to preserve the memory core?" asked Shepard.

"My people created the geth. If you're quick, careful, and lucky small caches of data can sometimes be saved." said Tali, pulling out her omni tool.

"Most of the memory core was wiped clean. But I managed to salvage something from its audio banks."

Saren's voice played over the omni tool, "Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"That's Saren's voice!" exclaimed Anderson, "This proves that he was involved in the attack!"

"Wait, there's more. Saren wasn't alone." said Tali, re-activating the audio file.

It replayed Saren's voice, and then another.

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

After the recording finished up, Udina said what everyone else was thinking, "I don't recognize that other voice, the one talking about Reapers."

"I feel like I've heard that name before." said Shepard.

"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to total extinction, and then they vanished." said Tali almost excitedly, "At least, that's what the geth believe."

"Sounds a little far-fetched." said Udina.

The man by the balcony snorted loudly at Udina, "That's why you're a politician and not a historian." he said in a gravelly voice.

_Why does that voice sound so familiar?_ thought Shepard.

Udina fixed the man a sharp look that he never saw. "The vision-I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers." said Shepard.

"The geth revere the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Saren knows how to bring them back."

"The Council is going to love this!" said Udina.

"The Reapers are a threat to every species in Citadel space. We have to tell them." Shepard said.

"No matter what they think about the rest of this, those files prove Saren's a traitor."

"The captain's right. We need to present this to the Council right away." Udina said, agreeing.

Wrex turned to Shepard, "What about her? The quarian?"

"My name is Tali!" she exclaimed at Wrex.

Tali turned to Shepard, "You saw me in the alley, Commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you."

Shepard nodded, "I'll take all the help I can get."

Tali moved closer to the group, "Thanks. You won't regret this."

"Anderson and I will go ahead and get things ready with the Council. Take a few minutes to collect yourselves and meet us in the tower." said Udina, before leaving the office.

Before Anderson left, he turned around to the man standing at the balcony.

* * *

Hearing the evidence against Saren was nothing short of shocking. I knew who he was by reputation. He did whatever was necessary to get the job done. He was ruthless, calculating, cold. Saren's gripe against humanity was well known, a sentiment shared by most turians since the First Contact War. Even though I wasn't on Eden Prime, I knew the stakes, what Shepard and his team found. I knew about the beacon. Shepard wasn't the only one who had accidentally activated a Prothean artifact.

"I bet I'm next up." I said to myself.

After the ambassador left, Captain Anderson decided to introduce me. "Shepard, before I go there's someone else who would like to assist you."

"Who?" asked Shepard. I turned around and saw Shepard's eyes widen in surprise. "It's been a long time, John."

"Mark? Its good to see you."

"Same here." I said as we did our secret handshake.

"For those of you who don't know." said Anderson, "This is Mark Sears. Former Alliance special forces."

"Hi there." I said to the rest of the crew as we introduced ourselves. The other two humans on Shepard's team were Alliance. Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko was a member of the Eden Prime ground team and stationed on the Normandy. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams was originally stationed on Eden Prime before being assigned to the Normandy recently. Both of them greeted me nervously. I could understand why, I became a famous name after Akuze. As for my friend, Shepard was considered to be humanity's best hero after his actions on Elysium. On that colony, pirates from the Terminus Systems attacked while Shepard single-handedly defended the colony until reinforcements showed up. He was the only one in the Alliance who knew that I lied about my age when I joined the Alliance; I joined when I was 13. We all headed up to the Citadel Tower for the meeting with the Council.

* * *

It was a fairly long walk back to the Citadel Tower but it gave us all a chance to get better acquainted.

"So how have the past few years treated you Mark?" asked Shepard.

"Not too bad. I've been working as a private investigator now. I've seen more of the galaxy doing this than being in the military."

"Helping married couples find out who's being unfaithful?" he asked with a smile.

"Hah! I wish it was that easy. I've gone almost an entire year without having one case like that. Pretty much all of them involve gunfire. Its a shame." I replied.

"Sounds like my job here." said Garrus Vakarian, a former C-Sec agent, "Except when I fire my weapon, I have to write a dozen reports."

"Never really liked paperwork. Too bureaucratic." I said.

"So you used to be in the Alliance military?" he asked.

"Yeah. Served 7 years total, I was a Lieutenant Commander. I was an N7 like Shepard; except I was an infiltrator. Had my own unit called Task Force 110. We handled some of the most top secret missions ever performed by the Alliance."

"Certainly didn't lack for excitement." Garrus replied.

"Yeah." I said, "Something like that."

Shepard looked over at Garrus, an eyebrow raised.

Wrex, who was walking up next to me, said, "Nice scar. If you ever run into a krogan female, she'd probably go nuts."

I laughed, "I haven't but for my sake lets avoid them."

"Shouldn't be a problem. Krogan women never leave Tuchanka." He replied, "Where did you get that anyway?"

"Akuze."

Everyone shut up instantly.

"I guess I'll have to shout that whenever I want to quiet a room." I said with a smirk.

Shepard shook his head, "Come on. Let's go find Anderson."

The elevator ride up to the Tower was silent. I decided to break it.

"So John, first time here on the Citadel?"

"Yeah. I gotta say, I've never seen anything like it. Have you been here before?"

"Yep. This is my…" I said, trying to remember, "5th time. Although, this is my 2nd time going to the Citadel Tower. The first was this morning."

"What were you doing up here this morning?" asked Garrus.

"I had a meeting with the Council. They wanted information about this investigation I did 4 weeks ago."

"Wow. What was it?"

"It's a long story. But it was on Thessia, so that'll narrow it down."

We had arrived at the Tower and were ready to show the Council our evidence.

* * *

"Come on. The hearing's already started." Anderson said to us.

All of us headed up to the top of the staircase where the recording of Saren and the mystery woman was being played.

"You wanted proof, there it is." Udina said making a gesture with his hand.

Councilor Valern shook his head, "This evidence is irrefutable. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status immediately."

Counilor Tevos looked worried, "I recognize the other voice on that recording. Matriarch Benezia."

"Who is she?" asked Shepard.

"Matriarch's are asari who have reached the final stages of their lives. They serve as guides and mentors to my people. Benezia was a powerful biotic and she had many followers."

Next came the explanation about the Reapers. Councilor Valern, was of course, skeptical of this. The others were as well but they weren't as defiant as Valern.

Udina wanted the Council to send the Citadel fleet into the Attican Traverse to secure the entire region and prevent attacks on human colonies. The Council refused, stating that sending the fleet in could trigger a war with the regional governments of the near-lawless Terminus Systems. Shepard had an idea of his own.

"Instead of sending a fleet you could send one man."

The councilors looked at each other.

"No! Its too soon! Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities of joining the Spectres." Said Councilor Valern.

I rolled my eyes.

"The ambassador gets his human Spectre and you don't have to send the fleet. Everybody's happy." Replied Shepard.

Councilor Tevos and the salarian councilor nodded to each other and looked at Valern. His mandibles flared out, but he then conceded.

"Commander Shepard. Step forward."

_Oh here we go._ I thought with a smirk on my face.

The Council gave him the big induction speech and John honorably accepted.

Udina didn't even thank him, instead telling him to meet at the Normandy.

"Well, well. Congrats on the new job John." I said shaking his hand.

"Thanks."

Everyone else gave their congratulations to Shepard. Garrus would meet up with us at the Normandy. He was heading to the Executor's office to 'turn in his badge'. The rest of us went with Shepard to the C-Sec academy.

* * *

We all headed up to the Normandy's private dock where Captain Anderson had stepped down in order for Shepard to have the ship. I didn't like the fact that he was being pushed aside, along with Shepard. But Anderson insisted that if he had to step aside for Shepard, he would do it. He was confident that he could stop Saren. In fact, Anderson was in Shepard's shoes 20 years ago. He was actually considered to be a Spectre and had assisted Saren in a mission to stop a scientist conducting AI research. The mission was supposed to be simple, go in and rescue the scientist and get out. Saren had set explosive charges inside the mining facility where the scientist was held. The explosion severely damaged the facility and had sent clouds of chemical fumes into the air. The fires from the explosion tore through the workers camp near the facility. In the end, over 500 people had died. Saren blamed Anderson; claming that Anderson had botched the insertion which had set off alarms across the facility. The Council denied Anderson, and it ended all talk of humanity being part of the Spectres, until now. Anderson believed that due to Saren's prejudice against humanity, he deliberately set the charges and blamed Anderson. Considering Saren's record and personality, I wouldn't be surprised either. We boarded the Normandy and were set to take off on one of our first assignments. There were 3 assignments that we had so far: Investigate Feros and Noveria, and find Matriarch Benezia's daughter Liara. Shepard decided to head for the Artemis Tau cluster where Liara was supposedly located. He figured that Liara was our best possible lead for information on Benezia; plus, she was an expert on the Protheans so it might help.

I headed down to the cargo area of the ship to put my bag in a storage locker. On the way down the elevator with me was: Urdnot Wrex, one of the few Krogan Battlemasters left, and a guy I wouldn't want to mess with in any situation. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams and Garrus Vakarian, a now former C-Sec officer who wanted to take down Saren. We all got off the elevator and started putting whatever gear we had in the lockers. Before I did, I decided to check my weapons.

I pulled out my custom made multi-purpose rifle and pistol. It garnered a lot of attention from Wrex, "Hmm. Never seen a rifle like that before." He said in his deep, rumbling voice.

"You like it eh? You won't see anything like this on the market. I made it myself." I went through every description of one of my most reliable and deadly weapons. I called it the "Nighthawk", a rifle that was an assault rifle and sniper rifle. A switch on the left side above the trigger guard set each mode. I packed it with some of the best mods on the market.

It had prototype frictionless materials and kinetic coils, which gave the rifle almost no recoil and would rarely overheat, even when firing high explosive rounds. There was also on-board combat optics, capable of detecting enemies within a 200m radius and would show if they were above and below; it also increased accuracy. A scram rail, which allowed the projectile to travel with incredible speed and power. The ammunition I primarily used was a custom sledgehammer/tungsten round, ammunition that could knock enemies off their feet upon impact, delivering maximum damage to the target and was incredibly effective against armored and synthetic targets. As an infiltrator, sniping was my specialty, so the sniper rifle setting had some more unique aspects. A custom made scope, able to designate targets and identify weapons used by the targets. It included several different vision settings and I had built a special feature, which allowed the viewer to be turned; it made it possible to snipe around corners or in cover under heavy fire.

"Impressive." said Wrex, "Think you could build me a weapon like that?"

"I could but I don't think we've got the equipment on board. I built this along with my pistol."

My pistol was called the "Judgement", a hybrid revolver type pistol with an 8 inch barrel that fired high explosive rounds. Although it sounds odd to use that ammo for a close quarters weapon, the HE round doesn't have splash damage. It also contains some of the same mods in my assault rifle. One of the more striking features was the gold trim around various parts of the pistol. I even had my own custom armor. It was similar to something used by 21st century soldiers. The armor was more loose fitting than armor currently on the market, but despite appearances, could handle any hazardous weather and space conditions. By appearances, it could be considered heavy armor, but was actually medium grade tactical armor. I drew it up the designs myself and had it made at Jormangund Technology, one of humanities best manufacturers.

It contained a various amount of features: a medical exoskeleton to maximize healing and minimize recovery time. A combat exoskeleton using element zero microcores and firewall technology to increase strength, resistance to weapons force and resistance to tech and biotic attacks. A shield interface containing VI systems to monitor weapon fire and redirect energy to vulnerable spots. A kinetic exoskeleton to improve shield regeneration and maximize physical abilities and athletic prowess.

All of these upgrades were made by Jormangund, which had an excellent reputation in the field of advanced on-board armor computers; they mostly specialized in advanced optical computers and AI blueboxes. On top of all of that, the entire thing could withstand extreme environmental conditions and could be used in outer space. The helmet was more rounded and looked like a 21st century US Army helmet but extended down to the middle of my neck. It had special goggles which sync'd up with my sunglasses on-board tactical readouts and a full face mask. The goggles could perform quick tactical analysis and had several types of views. I needed them because of my condition, so I wore my helmet in combat all the time. The only part of my equipment that wasn't custom made was a Serrice Council made Savant omni-tool. It used to belong to my father. Being able to get one was difficult, but the rewards were amazing. After packing my things away, I headed up to the mess hall and decided to eat something before we arrived in the Knossos system in the Artemis Tau cluster.

I sat alone in the mess hall, picking away at my meal. It was strange to be back on an Alliance ship. The memories of my old days in the service started to slowly come back. The marines, the serviceman scurrying around doing various tasks, the typical banter about officers and other crewmembers. It was familiar.

"How are we doing, Mark?" I looked up and saw Shepard who was beginning to sit down in front of me.

"Oh hey. Doing alright. Just trying to get used to being on a military ship again."

He nodded, "You going to be fine?"

"I think so. A lot of different memories rolling around."

"It's good to see you again Mark." John said with a smirk.

"You too. Closest thing to seeing you was that Star of Terra ceremony. Caught the live broadcast when I was stationed on the Eisenhower."

"Ah yes. The medal ceremony." He replied with a sigh.

"Those cameras made you look short."

"Probably cause the medal weighed so damn much." I replied with a laugh.

"Still…" John said trailing off, "It wasn't the same. What with you being…you know."

"Yeah. But I got all your messages. Your mother's too. Those kept me going."

"Thanks."

Just then, Joker chimed in over the PA, "Commander. We're 10 minutes from Therum."

"I guess we should get ready." I said. Shepard and I headed down to the cargo area to get ready to drop onto Therum. He decided to take Wrex along as the 3rd member of our squad as we could only fit 4 people in the Mako and needed room for Liara.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_The Nighthawk rifle I wanted to model after the SL-8 and Killzone's StA 14 rifle (but with a ME feel to it, of course)_

_As far as my main character goes, I'm modeling him after my Shepard (the picture's probably on my profile) and me. When I first did this, it was going to be a self insert (but no time travel or anything) but decided against that._

_Thanks for reading!_


	3. The Matriarch's Daughter

_Author's Note: Woo! Another Chapter! Sorry if this one comes out a little slim on conversations between my character and the other members of the squad. I got into a real groove when it came to the story and couldn't think of stuff to add. No worries though, I'll cover it in the next one. Disclaimer time: I don't own Mass Effect, just my OC's, BioWare owns ME. Enjoy!_

* * *

It had been a long time since I had done a Mako drop, so I had to get used to the huge impact we were going to take on landing.

"Just like the old days, eh Mark?" asked Shepard.

"Yeah. Except we never landed on any volcanically active planets." I sat up front and was responsible for navigating. Wrex was on the gun.

Therum was considered to be a human colony with the capital at Nova Yekaterinburg. Part of me was surprised that 34,000 people would live on a planet with a surface temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a former Prothean colony; the ruins of buildings and other structures dot the surface. Several mining corporations were stationed here, as Therum was rich in various heavy metals.

I looked out at the planet as we touched down. There was nothing but a rocky path meandering through large puddles of lava. _At least we have something of a path to go by._

As we began, Joker contacted us, "Hey Commander. I'm picking up some readings from the dig site a lot of 'em like off the damn charts. Watch your backs down there."

"Will do Joker. Thanks for heads up."

"Sounds like we've got some company waiting for us." I said. Shepard nodded and started accelerating and we went down the winding path.

"Heads up! Looks like a dropship!" I said as the large ship flew overhead, dropping a couple of tanks.

"Those are geth armatures. Wrex, light 'em up!" yelled Shepard.

"About damn time." He replied firing the 155mm cannon at the armatures. After unloading on them with the cannon and machine guns, we trekked on down the road.

I checked the route and marked off the 2 choke points, one was a small supply base/checkpoint with 2 gates.

"Hold up right here Commander."

"What's up?"

"Scanners are picking up multiple contacts. Hold on." I said, checking the exterior camera on the main gun. "I count 2 turrets. Distance…approximately 90 meters."

"Have they marked us?" asked Shepard.

"Nah. I think we're too far out for them to pick us up. Let's engage them from here."

"Good enough for me." Said Wrex, firing away at the turrets. "Targets down."

"What's the best way to get in there Mark?"

"Hm. Looks like there's a side route up on the right. They'll probably expect us to go that way. Better than charging in head on."

We drove down the rocky and narrow path and destroyed another turret emplacement. Shepard took it slow and careful as the rocky terrain was jutted up at strange angles. Various types of geth began to move towards the end of the path.

The checkpoint was guarded by shock troopers and a couple of juggernauts. The Mako's cannon made sure work of them and we disembarked to look for a switch to open the gate. "Whew." I said getting out of the Mako.

"A few degrees cooler and I might feel at home. How are you mammals doing?" asked Wrex with a smirk.

"If I take this helmet off, my head might spontaneously combust."

Shepard chuckled, "At least it's a dry heat."

The three of us split up to look for the gate switch. Wrex found one, but it was the switch for the entrance. A couple of geth were guarding the switches but were easily taken out.

"Looks like they put this place together pretty fast." I said, looking all the prefabricated walls and rooms made out of steel.

"All right. Let's get back in the Mako." Said Shepard, who found the correct switch.

Geth resistance got heavier as we got closer to the dig site. We had to contend with more armatures and a geth colossus; which was basically a larger and more armored armature. "Jesus. How many of these things did they bring?" I asked.

"Who knows. We get to blow them up. That's all that counts." Said Wrex.

"As long as they didn't bring any giant artillery pieces or a nuke, we're fine."

"And if they did, I'm blaming you for jinxing us." Replied Shepard.

"Funny." I deadpanned.

We finished off another geth garrison and got out of the Mako. "Guess we have to leave it here." Said Wrex.

"Joker can pick it up when we're done."

Geth resistance became more intense as we got closer to the dig site. I picked off the rocket troopers while Shepard and Wrex cleaned house with the rest.

"Sniper! Up top!" yelled Shepard as we got to a small square shaped rock.

"Got 'em." I said, landing a headshot on the geth sniper. We continued to plow through the geth, finally reaching the entrance of the mineshaft.

As we moved up, a geth dropship flew in and dropped an armature. We also had to contend with 2 snipers, a rocket trooper and 2 hoppers. Hoppers are a new kind of geth, they were incredibly flexible and fast, zipping from scaffold to scaffold of a prefabricated structure.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled as the geth opened up on us.

"We have to take that armature out!" Yelled Shepard. I threw an overload mine at it.

"That should give you a chance to knock out its shields. I've got those damn hoppers."

By the time I said that, Wrex had already biotically pulled the hoppers from the scaffold and proceeded to kill them with his shotgun. "Beat ya to it kid." He said, smirking.

"Shit." I replied.

The three of us finished off the remaining geth and concentrated our firepower on the armature. Shepard dealt the killing blow and the armature exploded and its remains crumpled to the ground.

"They must really want Benezia's daughter to be putting up this kind of resistance." I said.

"You're right. Let's get her ASAP." Replied Shepard as we headed into the mine. The three of us slowly made our way into the mine and heard the familiar mechanical whine of the geth.

"I see one." Said Shepard. "Weapons free!"

We sprinted down the ramp, firing at any geth in our immediate area. Once the area was clear, all we could do was look around at the Prothean ruins in front of us.

"Damn." I said staring down from the scaffold and looking at how far down the ruin went.

"Hope the elevators work."

After going down the first lift, two geth sentry drones rose up in front of us. They went down easier than the other geth we went up against. Now we had to take another elevator down.

"Sterile white. The Protheans sure do build things homey." Said Wrex.

"That they do. Makes you wonder what this used to be."

The elevator that took us down began to sputter out and almost came crashing down before stopping.

"Well that didn't freak me out at all." I said.

"Damn elevators." Replied Wrex, "Never go fast when you want them to."

We climbed down a broken ramp and saw a barrier that covered up a nearby room.

Behind the giant blue barrier was an asari, trapped behind it.

"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped I need help!"

"We hear you. Are you alright in there?" asked Shepard.

"Yes. Listen, this thing is a Prothean security device. I cannot move at all. Could you find a way to get me out?"

"Sure thing. We just have to figure out how to get in."

"There is a security panel in this room. It will deactivate the device." Liara replied.

"Be with you in a minute." Shepard said.

I looked over the catwalk and saw about 6 geth troops and one sniper patrolling near a giant mining laser.

"Hey John!" I said into the radio. "I count 6 geth over here. 2 of them are snipers. Plus, I found this big ass mining laser."

"Good job. You take out the snipers while Wrex and I finish off the rest."

"Gotcha. These guys are mine."

I set up a sniping position at the curtain, while Shepard and Wrex charged the two geth shock troops next to the laser. I picked off both snipers and shot a fusion containment cell that took out another geth. Wrex took care of the last geth soldier with an old-fashioned rifle butt.

"Clear!" Shepard yelled out. I made my way down the catwalk where we regrouped at the laser where Wrex had the idea of using that to get past the barrier.

I hacked the combination to activate the laser and after blasting through, we headed up an elevator to help Liara.

Liara was surprised when we came up behind her, "How-How did you get in here?"

"We blasted through with the mining laser." Replied Shepard.

"Yes. That makes sense."

Liara continued, "Please, get me out of here before more geth arrive. That button should deactivate the security field."

Shepard nodded and pressed the button.

"So how do we get out of here?" asked Wrex.

"That elevator should take us up to the surface. Come on." Liara said.

We stepped on and rode up.

"Why would the geth come after me? Do you think Benezia is involved?" she asked us.

"You're a Prothean expert. He probably wants information about the Conduit." I said.

"The Conduit—but I don't know what-" She was cut off by large tremor and rumble.

"These ruins are not stable. That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event."

"Joker! Lock in on my signal and pick us up! Double time!"

"Aye-aye Commander. Secure and aweigh, ETA 8 minutes."

"8 minutes eh? Could be worse." I said.

Once it reached the top floor a krogan and a squad of geth came into the room. The krogan demanded that we surrender and give Liara over. Before he began to speak, I switched my goggles over to UV vision and saw dark energy eminating from the enemy krogan, he was a battlemaster. Through my radio headset, I spoke to Shepard and Wrex; setting up a battle plan to catch them off guard.

"Wrex, can you take this guy?" I asked. He nodded.

"Alright I have an idea, I'll hit the krogan with a damping mine to disable his biotic abilities. After that, Wrex you finish him off. I'll take the geth sniper and shock trooper at 12 and 1. Commander, can you get the rest?" Shepard nodded. "Whenever you're ready, Commander." Shepard told the krogan that Liara was staying with us. _That's as good a queue as any._

I had holstered my rifle on the way up but had my hand on my pistol. Once Shepard signaled, I hit the battlemaster with a damping mine which kept him from using his biotic abilities and Wrex immdiately charged the stunned krogan. Shepard charged forward shooting the 2 geth near the krogan, while I killed the sniper and shock trooper. Once again, it was all clock work and we all rushed to the exit as the mine began to collapse around us. Luckily we all made it out of there, safe and sound.

* * *

During the debriefing, Joker made a crack about how the Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. I had a good laugh at that, though, I was the only one who laughed at the sarcastic joke. Liara seemed puzzled as to why he would make a joke when we were nearly killed. Shepard said that he pulled us out of there and deserved to make a few bad jokes. Liara then explained her theory on the Prothean extinction. It was an interesting theory, a cycle of extinctions that started before the Protheans. Including how at the peak of their existence they became extinct and how most Prothean information and artifacts were destroyed. Shepard chimed in and helped Liara figure out why they disappeared. The Protheans were wiped out by the Reapers, a sentient race of machines. Shepard had learned of this from the beacon on Eden Prime. Listening to all of this, it sounded familiar to me. When I was a child on Mindoir, there was a cave containing old Prothean ruins not too far from our farm. I would visit it often, hoping that something would happen. But nothing ever did, until that fateful day.

* * *

After the debriefing, I headed to the bridge to check out the rest of the ship. In the pilot's seat was Joker, the self-proclaimed "best pilot in the Alliance Navy".

"Nice pick up you made earlier." I said.

"Thanks. I'm just glad the ship didn't melt."

"Heh. Well it wasn't that close to the ground. Name's Mark by the way."

"I'm Joker." We got to talking about several things, mostly about the ship and current events.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses, Mark? Too bright in here?"

"You could say that. I have this condition, a little gift from a thresher maw on Akuze."

He turned to me, apologetically, "Oh I'm sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

"I guess we're in the same boat. I've got Vrolik's syndrome."

"Damn." I said.

Vrolik's syndrome was a genetic disease that would cause poor bone development in infants. The bones themselves would basically be hollow. Joker said that he was born with over a dozen fractures. I had neurotoxemia, a rare disease that could only happen when thresher maw venom enters the blood stream. Only 20 cases had ever been documented, I was 1 of 3 people who were living with it and the first human to have ever been diagnosed with it; the other two were asari. In every other case, the victims died before anyone knew what was wrong. Neurotoxemia results from thresher venom traveling through the body and manifesting itself in the brain stem and spinal nerves. With out any treatment for more than 4 hours then the chemicals in this venom causes the body to go into a series of seizures until the victim is in a coma. With out any sort of treatment in a span of 20 hours then the venom acts like ALS, shutting the body down in sections. The only known treatment was from the Lufar leaf on Thessia. Since the venom entered the bloodstream through the gash near my eye, it diminished my ability to adjust to different lighting so I started wearing sunglasses. The only time I don't wear them is in low light areas. Another result of having this disease, was that it caused the veins in various parts of my body to turn black; a result of the toxin eating away at the body's bloodstream after contraction. However, with modern medicine, the toxin would only linger in the body, not causing any damage until the medicine wore off. We continued to talk for a bit until we had to make a jump to another system. I headed down to the cargo bay to clean my weapons and check my armor for any damage.

I took a look at my armor and found no damage at all. Considering how powerful my kinetic barriers were, it wasn't very surprising that it was near spotless. I was cleaning the facemask on my helmet when Wrex approached me.

"Nice job on the mission, Mark." he said.

"Same to you, Wrex. I haven't worked in a fire team in so long. I almost forgot how fast and instantaneous everything happens."

"Oh right. You were on Akuze."

"Yeah." I said, thinking about my time in the Alliance and Akuze. "I just have to shake the rust off."

We kept talking for a bit. Mostly about previous operations. Wrex was a mercenary, he had operated almost everywhere and knew about the business inside and out. He had known about me through some various contacts since we were connected through association with the Shadow Broker. The Shadow Broker was an information dealer, buying and selling secrets to those with the credits. I had used the Shadow Broker a few times for some cases I had been on, and had looked for information on Cerberus. Wrex was hired by the Shadow Broker to take out Fist, a former Shadow Broker agent who betrayed the Shadow Broker and worked for Saren. Wrex killed Fist during Shepard's investigation into Saren, before he was made a Spectre. As we were talking, I saw Shepard walking over to Ashley and they started talking.

_Heh._ I thought to myself. _He's trying to put the moves on her._

I put my armor away and started cleaning the barrel of my rifle. Even though I had used it extensively during the last mission, it still looked brand new. I gave it a quick go-over and put it away. I took out my pistol and began to check it. That's when Garrus came over.

"Hello Mark."

"Hey Garrus. What's up?" Garrus was a C-Sec officer until he quit to join Shepard to take Saren down. From what I heard, he was a good officer but a bit of a hothead.

"Nothing much. Nice gun." he said.

"Thanks. Made it myself." He had heard that I was a private investigator and wanted to know what some of my tactics were. I told him that I never sacrificed innocent people to get the job done. The ironic thing is that despite his hatred for Saren and his techniques, Garrus seemed to favor doing anything to get the job done. I didn't say it to him though, I'd let Shepard point that out to him. Shepard was good at convincing people without being too aggressive. Most of the crew on the ship seemed to not bother asking me about what I did in the Alliance since my actions were well known. The only people who were curious were the new arrivals on Shepard's squad. Wrex thought I had a quad, not just from seeing me in action first hand but for surviving that nightmare on Akuze. The only other members of the team I hadn't spoken to were: Ashley, Kaidan, Tali, and Liara.

_I guess I'll have to change that._

_

* * *

_

I made my way back up the elevator and sat in my usual spot at the mess table. I took out my medicinal cigarette and lit up, taking a drag and exhaling. The trembling in my hands gradually disappearing with every inhale. I sat back and stared at the ceiling, closing my eyes and slowly drifted off until I heard a voice come from behind me. "Excuse me. Is it alright if I sit here?" I turned around and saw Liara, the newest member of our squad.

"Sure. Take a seat." I sat up and tapped off the ash from the cigarette into my portable ashtray.

"I would like to thank you for helping me out earlier." she said.

"You're welcome. Glad to help out."

"I believe I have not introduced myself. My name is Liara T'Soni."

"Mark Sears. Nice to meet you, doc." I said with a grin. I continued to take another drag when Liara said, "I recognize that. Lufar isn't it?"

"I have neurotoxemia." I said, "Thank god for asari medicine, or I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

"I am sorry to hear that." she said, "May I ask what happened?"

"I was on Akuze a few years ago. It was a parting gift from a thresher maw." I said pointing to the scar over my right eye.

"My goodness. I'm sorry."

"Its ok, doc. I walked it off a long time ago." In truth, I was still trying to walk it off. After I was released from the military hospital, I was placed in a psychiatric ward. I was mired in a deep depression over what had happened. The incident on Akuze along with losing everything I had on Mindoir had caused me to have a complete mental breakdown. When I broke through, it wasn't pretty.

It was on a visit from General Issac Hennessy, the man in charge of the N7 special forces division. After Elysium was attacked, he was trying to round up wounded vets for the counter attack on the batarians.

If there was anyone in the Alliance that I hated with a passion, it was Hennessy. The bastard had the audacity to tell my CO to pull out and call off the rescue of my team on Akuze. He said that after that long, we were probably dead anyway. Now that he showed up, it was on.

When I did snap at him, I was restrained by 4 orderlies. I didn't hurt the General. Well not too badly anyway, but I did break several bones in his face in two punches. I realized that I had trailed off from the conversation I had.

"Sorry about that, doc. I guess I trailed off."

"It is alright, Mark. It was a traumatic experience for you. I would not expect most people to simply "walk it off" as you stated." Liara then said, "You do not have to call me Doctor."

"Ok, Liara." Part of me thought that she was feeling uneasy about being on the ship considering that her mother is working for Saren. Some of the crew probably thought that she couldn't be trusted, I thought otherwise.

"You know..." I began to say, "I don't believe that you have anything to do with Saren. I mean I was one of 3 people who witnessed you hiding from the geth." She grinned and said, "It is good to hear you say that, Mark. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

We spent a lot of time traveling from world to world, doing various tasks and exploring. The Artemis Tau Cluster was fairly large so we bounced around hearing various distress signals, killing pirates, etc.

We all rotated every now and then, but everyone seemed to be a little worried about my condition. But because of my condition, I couldn't be in the squad all the time. I would need a few days rest; constant physical strain would cause my meds to wash out and I could die. Not fun at all.

I found myself stuck on the ship with nothing to really do other than scan various planets in the systems we visited and communicate with the ground teams. In my free time, I would either check my equipment over and over again, sleep, or catalog my journey. I'd also go around and get to know the crew and the rest of Shepard's squad.

There was Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, a quarian who Shepard had encountered in his investigation into Saren on the Citadel. She was the reason that we had the proof to get Saren stripped of his Spectre status. Tali was on her Pilgrimage, a rite of passage for all quarians. When they reached maturity, they ventured out into space in search of something useful for the migrant fleet to use; something like new ship technology or other things to make life easier on the flotilla. Quarians took a lot of heat for creating the geth, they were seen as beggars and thieves in the eyes of the galactic community. I had never met any quarians before but I was not so naive to fall into stereotype. Plus, I had seen enough to know the stereotype was a bunch of B.S.

She spent most of her time in engineering, learning about the Normandy and how it operates.

Ashley Williams was another member of Shepard's squad. She had joined the crew after the mission on Eden Prime. I had heard that she felt guilty about her entire unit getting wiped out. She approached me one day in the mess hall and asked me how I dealt with it.

It caught some of the other people sitting near us off guard; mostly Shepard and Alenko. I turned to her and said only offered a brief answer, "You don't want to know, Williams. Trust me."

She raised and eyebrow and was about to offer a response but Shepard gave her a gesture to tell her to let it go. Part of me sensed that she felt skeptical that I was on the team due to my health issues.

The last member of the squad was Kaidan Alenko. He was a veteran of BAaT training on Gagarin Station. Alenko was a fairly tightlipped man and rarely voiced a complaint. He probably didn't want to give off the impression that he was a "whiner". Considering the stuff I heard about BAaT training though, he's got the right to complain.

After a few weeks, Shepard approached me to tell me about a transmission he received from a Rear Admiral Kahoku. The Admiral contacted Shepard on the Citadel about searching for his missing recon group. They were found dead inside of a thresher maw nest and near the bodies was an Alliance distress beacon. The last transmission Shepard got came from Kahoku. He was being hunted by Cerberus, for reasons unknown. However, he sent us the coordinates to one of their bases.

"Mark. Have you ever heard of Cerberus?" Shepard asked me.

"As a matter of fact, yeah. Their name came up a lot in my most recent investigation."

"What can you tell me about them?"

"Not too much. I couldn't afford to get enough info. All I know is that they were an Alliance black ops research team and a terrorist organization. No idea what they were working on or what they were involved with." I continued, "However, they did seem heavily invested in this corporation I investigated."

"The Vogel Corporation?"

"Yep. Vogel was some heavy industry company that dealt with a lot of various things. I'm surprised you knew I was investigating them."

Shepard said with a grin, "Well I am a Spectre. I was going to find out eventually."

I laughed and shook my head, "Trying to one up me at being a detective, John?" "I'd never do that. Anyway, can you help me out? We're taking out some Cerberus facilities in the Voyager Cluster."

"Yeah. I'm in."

* * *

We hit the planet Binthu in the Mako with a fire team of 4 which consisted of: Me, Shepard, Ashley, and Kaidan. Shepard rotated the squad for every mission, whether it was something small or big. It was purely coincedental that it was an all human squad. The first facility was fairly empty, aside from some Cerberus troops and a containment area with some strange zombie-like creatures. The admiral wasn't in the first facility, so we hit the second one with the same result. As we approached the last facility, I thought to myself, _Something about this isn't right. Two facilities with nothing but goons and strange creatures. What the hell are these guys planning?_

We burst in the last room, looking similar to the other 2 and engaged the Cerberus commandos. My tech mines were my best friend in this match-up as there were biotics mixed in with the commandos. Once I tossed an overload mine into a group of 4 who were fairly spread out, it knocked out all of their shields and even caused a medical station to explode further injuring them. I finished the job with a few bursts of my assault rifle. Once the area was clear, we shut off the containment field and encountered one creature that looked like shrimp that could stand upright. We gunned it down and found the admiral's body. The creature didn't kill him, but there was a syringe in his arm. The next coordinates took us to their next base, supposedly Cerberus' main base. After wiping out their base, I went to my usual spot in the mess hall and sat there in deep thought. I was trying to figure out their motives by writing everything we had witnessed down. Everything I saw and thought just didn't seem to make sense. My hands were starting to shake and all of these questions were making my head hurt. I lit up a cig and just sat back trying to think. My thoughts went to the case I had worked on 5 weeks ago.

* * *

**(5 weeks ago)**

It was the first time in nearly a year that I had found myself staying on a planet for more than a few weeks. Sure enough, that planet happened to be the asari homeworld of Thessia. Something about this world seemed more peaceful than the others I had visited. Then again, I spent a month in the Terminus and Nemean Abyss so this was heaven compared to those places. I received a message from a woman who seemed pretty distressed about this friend of hers. I figured that I would look into it; my first case in nearly 2 months. Her name was Aialla, pretty young thing but was probably hundreds of years older than I was. She said that she worked for Vogel, some hot-shot Earth corp. looking to expand. Vogel had made a pretty good foothold in Citadel space, their products being used from here to the Abyss in everything. Mining drills, cars, ship drives; if it moves they probably made it. Aialla's friend, Neena worked in payroll and had disappeared nearly 2 weeks ago. They were pretty close, so she knew that something was up. I asked her to tell me what places they frequented. It was mostly shops, some clubs and of course where they worked. Aialla seemed very dedicated, said that money wasn't going to be an object and wanted to give me 2k and 1k up front. Although the businessman in me was drooling, I let my humane side show by saying that I wouldn't accept something that large for a missing person's case. She insisted however, _It's her money. Let her spend it however she wants. _I said to myself.

_As I was reminicing, I finished my cigarette and headed for the sleeper pod to attempt to get some sleep. I never got more than 4 hours of sleep since Akuze_.

I started my investigation at a local nightclub. I doubted that I would get any real information at the shops they frequented since there was a high volume of people at those places. The clubs would prove to be a better source of information. I walked in the club, and found it to be empty as it was only the middle of the afternoon. I took a seat at the bar and asked the bartender for a beer.

"Mindoir Ice, please."

"Sure thing." said the asari bartender. Mindoir Ice was an ice beer which was made by a more unusual method. It was cryogenically frozen at around -370 celcius and gave it a unique flavor. Some have said that even if its heated, it still tastes like it came out of a freezer. I was the only customer in the club, sitting at the bar drinking my beer.

"We usually do not get many customers this early." said the bartender.

"I needed to go somewhere quiet." I said.

"Well you came to the right place. This place will busy in a few hours." I took another sip and she continued. "I do not see many humans come in here. What brings you to Thessia?"

"Business mostly. I've spent the past few months travelling across the galaxy. I wanted to see things most people don't get to see; learn about other cultures."

"That is a noble goal. Most people never want to learn about other cultures. May I ask what kind of business brings you to Thessia?"

"Sure. Actually, its kind of why I'm here. I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

I pulled out the picture given to me by Aialla. "I'm looking for her. Her name is Neena. A friend of her's is very worried; hasn't seen her in 2 weeks."

"Are you a police officer?"

"No. Private Investigator."

"I've seen her and her friend. They come every weekend."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"2 weeks ago. She was here alone. A couple of large humans came in and escorted her outside."

"Do you know where they took her?"

"No. I am sorry." She said before her eyes widened, "The mentioned some place called 'The Nest'. Its down in the warehouse district."

"What can you tell me about the guys who escorted her out?"

"Nothing much. I think they were carrying guns by looking at their suits. I could see the bulge." Part of me thought that something bad must have happened. "Thanks for your help."

"I apologize for not being able to tell you more."

"No. Its alright, you've been a big help." I paid for my drink, along with a 100 credit tip. The bartender looked surprised but understood. I headed out and began to put the pieces together. Aialla and Neena both worked at Vogel, a human owned corporation. Although it wasn't uncommon to see other species on the home world of another species, it was unusual for a company to send out their own security force outside of their own jurisdiction. I decided to scope out the Vogel Corporation's headquarters and see what I could find. The building itself was massive. The Vogel Tower had 90 floors, and was close to 1,100 feet tall. Since the corporation had a hand in some military and government contracts, the security was high in most areas. I entered the building in disguise as an Alliance colonial contractor. I created some fake identification and paper work and made a mask to hide the scar and 5 o'clock shadow. I snuck into one of the offices and hacked into the company's closed network. I was only there to get blueprints on the tower and any other buildings that Vogel used. They owned a small warehouse complex about 4 miles from the tower. _Must be 'The Nest'._

It was near some docks too, in case they had to take in some shipments; or dispose of a body. I left as quickly as I arrived and headed over to the warehouse district. I guess I inherited some of these "spy abilities" from my dad, who worked in the Alliance Intelligence Bureau. He was considered one of the best spies in the business.

I changed into my tactical armor and began to sneak into the warehouse district at 1am. I was perched on top of a large stack of containers and had an excellent view of the area. Looking through the scope of my sniper rifle, I saw 2 humans in suits standing near warehouse 56, a warehouse owned by Vogel. Switching the sight on the scope to X-ray vision, they were packing some ERCS Striker pistols. "Hmm. Could be Vogel security." I said to myself. "Doesn't look like they've got anything major in terms of weaponry."

I switched back to night vision and looked over at warehouse 64. This time, there were a group of 5. 1 krogan, 3 humans, and a turian. Vogel owned 10 warehouses in this area, 55-65.

"Mercs?" I said surprised. "What the hell is going on here?" They had a variety of weapons on them, all high-end manufacturers though. 2 of the humans and the one turian had assault rifles and shotguns made by Armax Arsenal, a turian weapons manufacturer. The third human had a Kovalyov assault rifle (Rosenkov Materials) and a Naganita sniper rifle (Ariake Technologies). The krogan had all Kassa Fabrication weapons. I tried to zoom in to see if there were any logos to see what outfit they were from. "You've got to be joking." I said to myself once I saw the logo of the "Red Sky" merc outfit.

Red Sky was considered to be an "elite" outfit despite being full of rookies. It was mostly human, but most of their vets were alien: krogan, turian, and some salarians. What they lacked in experience, they made up for in gear. They used some of the best weapons and armor on the market. Rumor had it that they were created as a private military branch from the Kassa Fabrication. I knew that it was false because I have a contact who works there. After I finished my recon, I packed up and headed back to my hotel room. Part of me felt that I was being watched the entire time I was there; even though I made a clean insertion and left no trace of my presense. I would hit Vogel's warehouses tomorrow night in search of Aialla's friend.

* * *

I spent the rest of the morning mapping out the warehouses and guard patrols. I would go back during the afternoon and check the patrol routes; they hadn't changed at all. By nightfall, I was in position and waiting to begin after the shift change. I moved from my recon position, which was a half-mile away from the warehouses, to the roof of another warehouse. From the roof, I switched to my sniper rifle and waited for the suits to pop out. Once they did, it was two quick headshots and I was in warehouse 55. It was empty, along with the next 5 warehouses. After killing some more of Vogel's security personel along with some Red Sky mercs, I made it through warehouses 60-64. More of the same, nothing but crates and parts. _This isn't looking good_. I thought to myself. I entered warehouse 65 and began to sneak through.

I heard yelling coming from a small office in the back. "You fucking idiot! You weren't supposed to kill her! Now what?". I quickly moved up and saw a man in an expensive looking suit yelling at the krogan merc I saw last night.

"You said get the information by any means necessary." said the krogan.

"Yes! But not by killing the person who has it!"

"Your guys had already messed her up pretty badly. By the time we got to her, you already finished the job."

"Damnit! Jameson is going to be pissed when he finds out. Doesn't matter anymore, we can continue without any issues. All we need you to do is clean up." "Sure thing." said the krogan, the anger building in his voice. The krogan turned to leave the warehouse, to get some of his men to dump the body of an asari. The human male in the suit turned to watch the krogan leave and I got a snapshot of his face for an ID scan. He was the head of Vogel's security, a man named Benson Griswold. The second he turned his back I burst into the room and hit him in the back of the head with my pistol. I tied him to a chair and waited for him to wake up. "Wh-Who are you?"

"No one. More importantly, Mr. Griswold. What sort of business do you have with a bunch of mercs?"

"Why should I tell you?" I hit him in the bridge of the nose with a straight jab, breaking his nose.

"I'd answer the question, Mr. Griswold. Or else you'll end up like her. I'm sure you know the process. You've only done it to her for the last 2 weeks. Am I right?" "How-How do you know about us?"

"I wouldn't be good at my job if I didn't know."

"You're not a Spectre are you?"

"Nope."

"Please! Don't kill me!" He wasn't going to tell me anything of use anyway; not sure why I wanted to question him either. I pulled out my pistol and put a round through his head. I checked the dead asari and sure enough, it was Neena. I walked out of the room and took the ladder on the side up to the rooftop and ran out, jumping from warehouse to warehouse. I could hear the krogan yell from a distance; discovering the bodies of his fallen comrades that I piled into one of the warehouses. Once I was safely out, I changed into my street clothes and put my gear in my duffel bag and headed to my hotel room. I still felt as though someone was following me. I kept turning around to see, but found nothing.

* * *

It was another somewhat sleepless night for me. I called Aialla while she was at work. "Aialla? Its Mark Sears."

"Oh Mr. Sears! Have you found out anything?"

"That's what I want to tell you in person. When do you go on break?"

She sounded surprised, "How did you know I was at work? Oh right, you are a detective. That was silly. I go on break at noon."

"Sounds good. I'll meet you at that cafe you always go to. See you then." I continued to go over the security layout and building layout of Vogel Tower until it was time for me to meet Aialla. I sat on a bench next to the cafe; lighting up my med-cig, when I saw Aialla. Just by watching her walk over to me I sensed how stressed out she was. Most of my clients are when they're waiting for answers. "Hello, Mr. Sears."

"Aialla."

"I hate to get right down to business, but what did you find out? Is Neena alright?" I took a long drag and exhaled, "Well...I found her." I said grimly.

"But...Oh no." she sensed from my tone.

I looked at her and said, "She's dead. I'm so sorry, Aialla." She put her face into her hands and cried. I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"I guess...It was better than not knowing." she said. "I...I should pay you for…"

I softly cut her off, "I'm not finished yet, Aialla."

"But...I only hired you to find her." she said still sobbing.

"I know. But I know how she died."

"How?"

"She was murdered by the people you work for."

"I...I do not believe it...Why?"

"Neena found something about the company. I'm not sure what. But Vogel security tried to find out by interrogating her." It was a pretty big shock to Aialla, dealing with the death of her friend and finding out why she died.

"I tried to interrogate Vogel's chief of security last night. He didn't say anything useful to me, but he was involved."

"He...He did not come into work today. Did you...?" I nodded.

"Aialla. What department did Neena work in?"

"Um...She only worked in payroll. But why?"

"It might be a clue." I said, thinking of why a company would want to kill someone that keeps the books. "I think I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"Something like this has happened in the past. Nothing as violent as this, but similar." I turned to her and explained, "If a company like Vogel is involved in something illegal, they'll try to falsify their accounts and assets so it won't tip off any regulatory commissions." Aialla was trying to think of what it could be, but she only worked in sales. "When I went to look for Neena, they had hired mercs with the guards. It tells me that they're in something big." I said.

"Hmm that reminds me." Aialla said, "They hired a krogan as the new security chief today." _Could be the same krogan at the warehouse?_ I thought.

"Oh no." she said. "What if they knew about me?"

"Aialla, they don't. Trust me."

"I...I should get out of here. They might know that me and Neena were friends." "No!" I said, "If you leave then it'll tip them off. They'll know that you were searching for her. Discretion is the only way to go now."

"Ok." she said. "Trust me. Just go back to work. I'll call you again next week, same time as I called you today."

"Ok." she said still upset at her loss.

"Trust me, Aialla." I said, putting my hand on her shoulder, "I'll take care of everything." She nodded and I got up and walked back to my hotel, to continue planning.

* * *

2 days later, I received a call from Aialla or rather a call from her phone. "Listen, whoever you are. We have your little friend. If you don't stop your attacks on us, we'll kill her." the message said. I knew who left it; the krogan mercenary from Red Sky. After piggybacking into Vogel's network, I discovered that Aialla had given her two week's notice to the company. Someone had known that they were friends and that she was getting outside help. I was pissed off, but I had to keep a cool head; I had to step up my timetable.

At 8:00 in the morning, I walked into the Vogel tower, disguised as someone else; a representative from ERCS offering a security contract to the Thessia branch. According to the blueprints, she might be being held on a restricted floor with the only access being an express elevator on the roof. I snuck into a security office and deliberately disabled all lobby security systems as a diversion. I walked into an elevator and went to the 60th floor, the security office where I needed to get an access card to use the rooftop express elevator. As the elevator went up, I locked it out to prevent it from stopping on any floors. I popped a maintenance hatch on the ceiling so I could change into my armor and to drop in on any suspicious mercs, who were now the majority of the security force from what I saw. As it continued to go up, I accessed the security system from my omni-tool to get any bulletins. Right now the building was on a code 3 situation. That meant that they were on a building wide caution for any suspicious persons. I pulled out an overload pulse mine and stuck it on top of the elevator. It caused every system on each floor to go dead as the elevator continued its ascent. Once I reached the 60th floor, I pulled out a flashbang.

"Hey! There's no one in here!" said a guard close to the elevator. I dropped the flashbang in, looking away as it blew up and I dropped in, assault rifle blazing. I killed 4 guards near the entrance. They went on full alert now, a code 5 was issued, locking down the entire building. The office was full of Red Sky mercs, 20 total minus the 4 I just killed. I pulled out a grenade and blindly threw it to my 12 o'clock where most of the fire was coming from. It exploded and took another 5 that were clumped together. The explosion caused the fire system to activate and distracted some of the other guards that I hit them with a few more bursts from my assault rifle.

"Where's our backup? Where's Flack?" I heard one guy yell into his radio. I tossed a sabotage mine at them, causing their weapons to overheat and killing the radio. I mopped up the rest with my shotgun and went to the chief's office. Inside, I found the access card I needed and made my way out. As I left the chief's office, several guards came charging in from the staircase along with the krogan named Flack. "Kill him! Now!" He yelled. It was definitely the krogan from a few days ago. I was outnumbered again, but I remembered seeing a small maintenence room with a ventilation shaft. I quickly tossed a smoke grenade and a flashbang grenade and sprinted to the room. I quickly climbed up and started crawling through.

* * *

I was crawling through the maze-like ventilation system in the tower until I reached an large intersection.

"Must be the 2nd central cooling unit." I said looking at the building layout at the map in my HUD. I eased my way out until I got a good enough footing to jump the 10 foot gap to the next duct.

"If I go this way, I should make it to the 63rd floor." I muttered to myself. I left behind a proximity mine in case I was being followed. After a solid 20 minutes of crawling, I heard an explosion behind me.

"Good call."

I pried open the next ventilation grate and silently dropped down. I took the grate and put it into place. This time I welded it shut with my omni tool and placed a P2 mine near the grate. The P2 was a little mine I created. It was a combination of a proximity mine and a pressure sensitive mine. If I was being followed and they tried to forcefully open the grate the sensor would go off and explode. Even if they noticed the mine and tried to move away, the proximity trigger would go off and explode. It was a lose-lose situation for the enemy. I snuck through some more offices until I made it to the elevator. Near the elevator was just one merc, talking on the radio. "No, Flack. He hasn't come through here. This whole floor is clear."

"Keep searching he's gotta be up there. He took out 2 more in the vent shafts with a mine."

"Shit. Are you sure? Jameson wanted me back up in executive office to interrogate our asari friend."

"Fuck him. He can do it himself. Just search for our annoying pest." Once he stopped talking. I took him out with a well-placed shot to the head and headed up to the executive offices. I took the dead merc's radio and spoke into it, "Hey Flack."

"What? Wait…who the hell is this?"

"The pest your guy on the 63rd floor couldn't take care of."

"You bastard! I'm going to tear you limb from limb!"

"I doubt it." He snarled into the radio.

"By the way Flack, if you want to test yourself, I'll be in the executive level getting my friend out of here."

"I'll see you there." he said, his voice dripping with venom.

"You won't be needing the others you sent after me in the vents."

"What?"

Another voice came over the radio, "Flack, the other guys in the vents are toast! They hit a pressure mine."

He roared into the radio and I destroyed my radio.

I already had their comm frequency in my hardsuit computer. I hacked the elevator controls to prevent any sort of interruptions and set everything to my omni-tool's remote control. Unless they had some other tech guys on the squad, then I might be toast. Luckily, I went up on top of the elevator to prevent myself from being annihilated by any shotgun blasts. The elevator stopped at the 86th floor, 2 floors down from the executive level. Before the doors opened, I placed a cryo explosive on the inside celing of the elevator and switched to my shotgun. Once the door opened, gunfire tore through the elevator and then stopped. "What? He's not in here?" said one merc.

"Smitty, are you sure this was the elevator?"

"Yeah. It was the only one heading to the 88th floor." Three mercs walked into the elevator and looked around.

"Damn." said the merc tech engineer. "I've never seen anything like this." "What?"

"He re-wrote the whole elevator control protocol. Nice work. That's why it took me so long to deactivate the whole system."

"This is no time to be impressed, Smitty. He's mowed down 26 of our guys." "Wait." said Smitty.

"What now?"

"This entire panel is on a remote switch."

"Why is that bad?"

"It means this guy can activate it at any time." I shut the doors and continued up. I then activated the remote trigger and the mine detonated. It flash froze all 3 men in a matter of seconds, killing them instantly. With a single shot of my shotgun, they all disintigrated and I went into the elevator. I activated the heart beat sensor in my goggles to search for any other mercs. I only saw 2 people, a man and Aialla. I put my rifle away and pulled out my pistol. I snuck up to the door and was waiting for the right time to go in. As I was waiting, I could feel the ground shaking and I looked in the direction of the stairs.

"Gotta be Flack." I said.

A pissed off krogan was one of the most terrifying sights known to any species. But considering the things I've seen in my life, this was nothing.

"I've got you!" he snarled with his assault rifle drawn. Briefly checking my UV, he wasn't a battlemaster. I had an overload mine in my left hand, which I had behind my back, pistol in my right.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you!"

"Such a waste." I said, diving to my right while I threw the mine at him, instantly knocking out his shields. As I spun, he charged at me with his shields down while I pulled out my pistol and killed him in one shot; the high explosive rounds in my pistol causing Flack to become instantly vaporized. I quickly turned to the executive office hearing yelling. Checking the heart beat sensor, Jameson was moving Aialla.

"Come on! I'll finish this on the roof!" I heard him yell. I began to chase after him. Once on the roof, I heard him yelling near the express elevator.

"You and your friend here have ruined everything!" yelled Jameson. Gustavo Jameson was the man in charge of the Vogel Corporation's branch on Thessia. He was considered to be a shrewd businessman, known for his brash business tactics.

"Now I'm going to finish this!" he yelled, "By killing her and you!" The second I walked through the roof access door he froze, most likely looking at my mask. "You honestly think that you could kill me? I've killed over 40 of your men in 3 days and most of them didn't see me at all." "S-stay away! Or I-I'll kill her!" Aialla looked like she was being beaten by Jameson and his thugs as they were trying to find out what she knew. I had a sabotage mine at the ready.

"You might be a businessman who thinks it's easy to make life changing decisions and not feel guilty. But I don't think you can pull the trigger."

"Oh ye-?" Before he could even respond I threw the mine at him, causing his gun to overload and become useless I charged at him and drilled him in the head with one punch, knocking him out cold. I dragged him over to a transmission antenna and cuffed him to it. I went over to check on Aialla.

"Aialla? Are you alright?"

"I-I am fine. I did not think that you would come."

"I don't leave clients or innocents in harm's way. Listen, I need you to get out of here as fast as you can. I'll meet you at your place tomorrow for a debrief."

"O-Ok."

* * *

"The elevator on the executive level is open. No one will stop it. Take it to the lobby and get away from here as fast as you can. The cops will be here soon." She nodded and ran away. I used the access card I got earlier and took it down to the restricted floor. Pulling out my rifle, I began to clear out the area. It was a small area, full of servers and computers and devoid of enemies.

"Just a server room?" I said surprised. "I figured there would be something crazy down here. Couldn't hurt to check."

I hacked the main terminal in the center of the room. I searched through various company files, invoices, and financial records.

"My god." Inside the files were records of massive transfers from various mercenary groups, illegal payoffs to government officials for land development. There were shell companies to deposit some dirty money and have it laundered. Many of these deals involved astronomical sums of money, billions of credits involved in developing illegal weapons and AI technology. Vogel wasn't just involved in heavy industry, they were helping develop NBC weapons with paramilitary groups and mercenary outfits. One name which popped up repeatedly, was a group known as Cerberus. I had heard the name many times in my travels but did not know what the group was. It wasn't the only thing Vogel was involved with. They were also lying about how much their stocks were worth and cheating the company's value. They had found loopholes in anti-monopoly laws to take advantage of companies based on Thessia and drive them into bankruptcy or had performed hostile takeovers.

"Jesus Christ." I said. "This is what they were trying to hide." Aialla's friend had found an error in the company's assets. Her figures and the company's figures were off by tens of billions of credits. The company said they were worth 290 billion while Neena's figures had them worth around 170 billion credits.

She must have tried to figure out what was wrong and then...I downloaded every single file from the database onto a few OSD's. When I was all done I had 3 OSD's full of Vogel's transactions. I headed up the elevator to give a little "pep talk" to Jameson. I crouched in front of him while he was regaining conciousness after taking a punch to the head.

"Welcome back, Jameson." I said, "You have a 2 o'clock appointment with the police." "Wha-You!"

"Me, me, me."

"You bastard, I'll make sure that you pay for the rest of your life." he said.

"I don't think so, Jameson. You see, I took a look at that nice computer you have on your restricted floor and found some interesting things."

"You son of a bitch!"

"You're going to prison, buddy. You've done nothing but show off how great humanity is. You're a symbol for our people."

"You're human?"

"Were you expecting a hanar? Thanks for showing every species in the galaxy that we go the extra mile to be sick, corrupt bastards." He had nothing to but just stared morosely at the ground. Overhead, were several asari police vehicles hovering over the area. "Stop where you are! You are under arrest!" I looked up and waved at them sarcastically.

"Luckily Jameson, I left a little present for the police to find. In the meantime, its been fun." As I walked away, he began to scream his head off in anger. The police kept on telling me to stop. They assumed that I assaulted the building and killed employees, which I did. Though I only killed mercs, not civilians. I attached some special gliders to my under arms and legs. It was something similar used by skydivers to glide to the ground instead of using a parachute, much like a flying squirrel. Once I attached them, I began to sprint and leaped off of the thousand foot tall building.

* * *

_Its been way too long since I've done this._ I said to myself as I was darting to the ground at speeds of up to 100 mph. I spread my body out and began to glide down, catching a good breeze to carry me close to a nearby river that ran through the city. I could see people looking up and pointing as some crazy daredevil was flying through the air. I tried to line myself up with a boardwalk near the large bridge that went over the river. It seemed as good a place as any to avoid police chases and a good place to get out of my gear and into street clothes. Just near the bridge, was an old warehouse used by the city for maintenance storage. I would use that as my landing point. Once I made it to the ground, I broke into a run and used my new tactical cloak to go into the warehouse. I immediately changed and then found a nearby crowd to blend in with. I headed back to my hotel room, exhausted from all of these feats that I had performed. I still felt as though I was being followed and kept looking around, finding nothing.

I threw my bag onto a nearby chair and sat at the edge of my bed, head in my hands. I was still in disbelief at the information that I had gathered from Vogel, it was shocking to say the least. I turned on the vid-screen to see myself on the 6 o'clock news. The police had said that some unknown soldier had broke into the Vogel Tower, killed security personnel, and performed a citizens arrest on the CEO of the Thessia branch. They were still baffled as to why anyone would do that. Until another breaking update came up, saying that Gustavo Jameson was being arrested on multiple charges of conspiracy to commit murder and embezzlement. It wasn't the full truth, but it was enough to keep people occupied until the real truth would come out. I got up and got a drink from the mini-bar in my room and spent the rest of the night staring out the large window in my room, having a quiet drink and relaxing.

I was sleeping pretty well that night until I went into a severe coughing spell. I immediately pulled out a cigarette and lit up and let the medicinal smoke fill my lungs. I then heard a small thump a few minutes later. I darted up with my pistol out; I had kept it under my pillow as a precautionary measure. I peaked around the small wall that divided the bedroom from the rest of the hotel room. I didn't see anything and went back to my bed, sitting down at the side I had gotten up from and shook my head thinking that I was simply hearing things.

"That was an impressive show you put on, Mark." said a soft, sensual voice from the other side of the room. I pointed my pistol in the direction of the voice.

"Now, now." she said, "There's no need for that." It was an asari, a "well endowed" asari wearing a tight fitting dress.

"Who are you?" I asked, putting my pistol down on the nightstand.

"My name is Eviana. You are Mark Sears, a former Lieutenant Commander in the Alliance Military."

"Yeah. How did you know that?" She got up and strolled over to me, sitting down right next to me.

"I'm a Spectre." and then, in a mocking way, "I wouldn't be good at my job if I didn't know." she said grinning.

I returned the same grin, shaking my head. "I had a feeling that someone was following me this entire time."

"Well, you were right."

"How long have you been watching me?"

"Ever since you arrived on this world. The Council has been watching you for some time."

My eyes went wide briefly, "Ah geez. You're not here to arrest me are you?"

She laughed. "No. Actually, our mission is one in the same."

"You were investigating Vogel too, eh?"

"Yes. I had found out through some contacts that the Thessia branch was involved in the development of NBC weapons. I had been scouting their warehouses trying look for any evidence. Vogel kept them pretty clean. The only tip off of any illegal activity was the arrival of Red Sky mercs. Then you showed up."

"I apologize if I interfered in any Spectre business. I was hired by someone looking for their friend."

"Its alright. Thanks to you..." she said edging closer to me, "I finished this case. You handed me everything I needed in only a few days."

"You know..." I began to say, feeling kind of awkward that a beautiful woman appeared in my room and was hitting on me, "If you want the files all you had to do was ask. You...uh...don't have to hit on me."

She got a sly smile on her face and said, "Who said this was an act?" She continued to edge closer to me, eventually putting her arm around my side. "Uh...Is this how you thank people who help you out?"

"Just the cute ones." she said whispering in my ear. The Spectre rubbed up against my cheek lightly breathing on me. It was a unique and unusual situation for me to be in. She moved from my cheek and was about to kiss me on the lips. All of a sudden she pulled back and got up, "Had you fooled didn't I?"

"Kind of. That was pretty good." I said.

"Aww. Pretty good?"

"Alright, it was probably the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed." She laughed. "Well, Mark. It's been fun. I hope we can do this again sometime."

"Wait. Don't you want the files?" I asked.

"I'll tell the Council that you'll bring it to them. They told me that they wanted you to deliver them."

"Why? Am I a possible Spectre candidate?"

"Yep. I hope they let you in. I'd love to work with you again sometime." she said with a wink.

"Same here. I hope we meet again Eviana."

"Me too." She walked out of my hotel room and I fell backwards onto my bed as if I had just run a marathon. "Wow." was all I could muster and I tried to fall back asleep to try and get another few hours in.

I just had to take care of one final piece of business before I left Thessia. I visited Aialla at her home to tell her what I had discovered. Shocked would be an understatement to describe how she felt. I'd feel the same way if I found out that my employers were involved in nearly every diabolical scam you could dream of. I apologized for whatever problems might have transpired during the course of the investigation. She was grateful for everything that I had done. Aialla paid me over 2000 credits for the case. I didn't say it, but I felt that it was a bit much. I told her to keep half of it. I had no need for that much money. I left and began to head back to my hotel to check out. My next destination was the Citadel. I took a transport off of Thessia and began my journey to the Citadel, I had to make a report to the Council.


	4. Interlude

_Author's note: Woo! Finally done with this one. I had a good amount of fun with this one...shame that I couldn't think of any other ideas for this one but meh...there's always another one. _

_Anyway as far as the last chapter went, I had some fun doing the investigation bit and I introduced a new OC, an asari Spectre. I tried to model her appearance after Christina Hendricks (of Firefly and Mad Men fame in case you don't know) and Kristin Miller (did voice work for Team America). _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect. Bioware does...except my OC's..those are mine._

* * *

**Present Time, Normandy SR-1 (0530 hours)**

I woke up in such a shocking fashion that it felt like I was in a lake of ice. Looking at my omni tool, I was only asleep for 3 and a half hours. I got out of the pod and walked over to the mess, taking a seat while putting my forehead into my palm. I kept thinking back to the Vogel case, seeing the name Cerberus, and meeting Eviana. I found out that Shepard had kept the Cerberus information he had found on Nepheron. It was a barren, volcanic world. From what I saw through the helmet cams and the Mako's on-board cameras, it almost looked like an arctic world despite being volcanic. I assumed that this appearance was due to falling ash from the volcanoes. The planet was considered to be a Cerberus stronghold in the Voyager Cluster. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see the information on the group since it was transmitted to the Alliance and since I wasn't able to go on the mission.

We'd find out more eventually, I could sense it. In the meantime, the crew had gone between various worlds, doing odd jobs. But our next mission would be on Feros, a fairly new colony built on top of some Prothean ruins. However, we wouldn't be going there yet. We needed to re-supply on the Citadel.

I wasn't the only one up at such an early hour in the morning.

Liara had come out of the med bay; she had been sleeping in room behind the med bay. "Good morning, Mark."

"Morning, Liara."

"I did not expect anyone else to be up this early."

"I don't sleep very well anymore. You'll see me up this early a lot."

"Is it because of your illness?"

"Yeah. Among other things." I pulled out a smoke and put my shades on as the lights began to brighten up.

I continued, "I have nightmares a lot. From where I grew up to Akuze, its enough to keep anyone awake."

"Where did you grow up?"

"Mindoir."

She was startled, "By the Goddess! I am sorry. I did not mean to pry."

"Its ok Liara. The doctors told me that it could help me out by talking about it with friends or people you know can help."

I took a long drag, and said, "Its probably not the best thing to talk about, first thing in the morning though."

We sat in silence for a few minutes until Liara spoke, "I had heard that you were on Thessia for awhile."

"Yeah. It's a nice planet. I was there on business." I replied with a smirk.

"May I ask what it was?"

"Sure. I've been doing some work as a private investigator for the past few years now. An asari contacted me, wanted me to look for her missing friend."

Shepard had taken a seat next to me, "Morning Liara, Mark." Liara responded with a nod.

"Morning John."

"You want some coffee?" he asked me.

"Sure." I replied, "You still remember how I take it?"

He rolled his eyes, "Hazelnut, cream, two sugars."

"Didn't think you remembered after all these years." I replied with a smirk.

He replied smugly, "I remember everything."

"Did you find her?" asked Liara, getting back to the story.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, she was killed." I said taking another drag, "Things got messy after that. Ever heard the Vogel Corporation?"

"Yes I have. Wait, that was you?"

"Yep." I said with a smirk, "It was one of the more interesting cases I had in a while. Though, most of what you heard on the news was some warped information."

"What happened?"

"Well this missing friend was killed by the company. She had found some anomalies in the company's assets and funds and was killed. I took it upon myself to make sure justice was served. But what I found in Vogel's archives was the reason for the anomalies. They were doing all sorts of illegal activities. In fact, that Cerberus group we keep running into was involved with Vogel."

"That is astonishing." said Liara, surprised at story I just told her.

"Before I joined up with Shepard, I was called by the Council to give a full report. They were considering me as another Spectre candidate." I said, nodding towards my friend.

"Really? What did you tell them?"

"I said that I couldn't. Personal reasons mostly, but also because of my medical condition. I can't keep doing a lot of physically straining activities all the time or else it flushes my medication out of my system."

"It is unfortunate that there is no cure for your illness."

"I know. That's the problem with having something rare. There aren't enough people or funding to perform tests on so a cure is doubtful at best." I said, taking another drag.

Shepard came over with the coffee and put my mug down, "Thanks man." I said taking a sip.

"I almost forgot." Shepard started, "I saved a copy of that data we found at that Cerberus base. Figured you would want it."

I raised both eyebrows, "Really? Thanks. But…why would you think I'd want it?"

"Well you know more about them than anyone else on the ship."

"I only know a little bit about them so I'm not much of an expert." I replied.

He let out a small sigh while he chuckled, "Are you gonna look at it or not?"

"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a bunch." I retorted with a smirk.

Liara looked amused at our conversation. Shepard noticed this as well.

"Mark and I go way back."

"Yep. Been friends since his mother picked me up from Mindoir."

Liara looked at us, "I see."

"It's fine Liara. No need to feel down and out for me. It makes me feel all awkward."

Shepard snorted, "If I recall, you were always awkward around asari."

"That was one time! One time!"

"You tend to leave some good first time impressions." Shepard deadpanned.

I grumbled and smacked him in the arm.

Liara chuckled again, "May I ask what this awkward incident was?"

"Well…" Shepard started.

"Oh come on!" I yelled.

"We were on shore leave on this colony, Amaterasu. Mark and I had just finished up "Hell Week" so we headed there for some R&R."

Ashley and Kaidan had just gotten out of the sleeper pods and made their way over. Apparently, they heard the first part of the story.

"What's wrong Mark? Shepard telling an embarassing story about you?" Ashley asked looking amused.

"No Ash. It's more like a cheery legend about how awesome I am." I replied sarcastically.

"Now we have to hear it." Said Kaidan.

I grumbled again, as Shepard continued. "Well we decided to go to this bar on Amaterasu called Dillon's. It was basically a huge club and there we are having a few drinks with some friends. Then all of a sudden, this asari comes up to Mark and asks him to dance."

"Oh I know about Dillon's. Great club." Said Ashley.

"I'm a terrible dancer." I said, "I said that to her but she didn't care. Next thing I know she grabs me by the hand and we're out on the dance floor."

Shepard chuckled, "What was her name again?"

"Dina, I think."

"Sounds about right. Anyway, they're out on the dance floor and he comes back over to the bar."

I started to laugh, even if the story was a little embarrassing, "I say to John, "Dude she wants to go back to her place.""

"I'm like, "Well what are you waiting for?""

I snorted, "Now, I have no idea how the whole sex thing goes between us and asari. I've read up on it and all that but when it came down to it, I was just frozen."

Ash and Kaidan started to laugh. Liara was smirking.

"It would seem as though no one is truly prepared for a situation like that." Liara said.

"No kidding. I mean they teach us everything in the military. Like how to avoid ambushes and stuff. I just wish they gave us a lesson on shore leave." I said.

"So what happened?" asked Kaidan.

"She comes back over to me and John and asks me, "I thought you wanted to Embrace Eternity with me?""

John laughs, "Mark says, "I'm not a religious man ma'am. I can't join your eternity cult, I'm in the military."

I facepalmed, "She got pissed off and left."

Everyone at the table was laughing.

"God that was embarrassing." I said.

"You do realize we say that when we mate with others or look at another person's thoughts." Liara said.

"Yeah I learned about that the next day. Since then, I've always been awkward around asari." I replied.

"And yet you took a job on Thessia." Said John.

"I got better as the years went on; I'm less awkward around them now. I was just a dumb kid back then."

"A dumb kid with degrees from Oxford and MIT."

"Smartass." I said to John.

"No that's your role. I'm just the instigator." He replied, taking another sip of his coffee.

Ashley spoke up, "God you two are hilarious."

The remainder of the squad and the crew got up and got ready for today's tasks.

* * *

Various crewmembers got off to prepare for the re-supply or to get a brief amount of shore leave. I stepped out of the airlock alone and headed for the lift down to the C-Sec academy.

"Hey hold up!" yelled Garrus, as he and Tali rushed to the elevator.

I stopped the doors, "All aboard." I replied as they got in.

The glass door closed and the elevator began to descend towards the academy. Much like the rest of the architecture of the Citadel, the lift was an interesting combination of glass and an indestructible metal that made up most of the Citadel; blue lighting encased most of the lift along with the interior of the Citadel.

"The quarians endangered the entire galaxy when they let the geth break free. I hope your people are properly contrite, Tali." Said Garrus.

"As the turians are properly contrite with releasing the genophage on the krogan?" retorted Tali.

"Wow. The sexual tension between the two of you is getting a bit much. I'll have to get off this thing ASAP." I deadpanned.

"What?" Tali yelled.

"Mark, what are you talking about?" Garrus asked, equally as confused and shocked as Tali.

I turned around, "See? Isn't that much better than being at each others throats?"

They both looked at each other, still confused.

"I'm the best damn peacemaker ever. I should get another medal for that."

"Oh I see what you did." Said Garrus, starting to chuckle. Tali still looked at me blankly…I think.

"Oh…" she said, realizing what I was doing.

"See? God help me if I have to explain to Shepard why two members of his fire team killed each other in an elevator." I replied shaking my head. "Anyway, where are you two heading?"

"I was going to look for some new armor." Said Garrus.

"I need to get a new omni-tool. This thing is getting a little old." Said Tali.

A small grin crept up on my face, "I know a place on the Presidium where both of you can get armor and omni-tools."

"Wait, you're not insinuating that we're…you know." Said Tali.

I laughed again, "Maybe. It's just fun messing with you two now. But seriously, that place on the Presidium is stacked with good stuff."

Garrus nodded, "Oh yeah. The Emporium, I know it. Delan always has something interesting there."

"I'll stick to the wards." Replied Tali, "I don't think I would be allowed up there without following Shepard."

"That's a shame." I said.

"What about you Mark? Where are you going?" asked Tali.

"I'm not sure yet. Might look for some old friends or go get some food to bring on board."

The elevator stopped at the academy and the three of us got off and went our separate ways. I took another elevator up to the Presidium. There was an old friend I wanted to see up there. When I got off the elevator, I took a look around at the Presidium as I always did. The open and white expanse that was the Presidium…It always looked good. The lake, with various fountains every few feet, shooting the deep blue water up into the air. The artificial sky that lurked above, the cars that zoomed by, and the various races that wondered around. It got me every time. I walked across a few bridges before coming to the Presidium's C-Sec precinct.

I walked up to the front desk where a purple asari was sitting, "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Detective Armando Bailey."

"Bailey? Oh yeah. I remember you. You helped us with that weapons smuggling case last year. Bailey's in his office."

"Thanks Officer Arna." I said.

"Wow. Didn't think you'd remember my name." She replied.

I walked by her and said, "I remember everyone."

I headed down the hall and saw several officers engaging in various discussions, criminals being booked, and reports being filed. The Presidium was a lot more quiet than the Wards but it didn't mean that crime was non-exisitant. I walked up to Bailey's door and pressed the buzzer.

"Yeah, come in." said a gruff voice.

I opened the door and went in, "Well that's one way to greet an old friend."

Bailey looked up from his paperwork, "Mark Sears? Well I'll be damned. Good to see you again kid."

"You too. How's the family?"

"Doing fine. Ex-wife is still giving me a bunch of grief for something I didn't do."

"Heh. The ball and chain might be gone legally but there she is, still stuck to you." I replied.

Bailey snorted, "No kidding. What brings you by my office?"

"Just checking in on an old friend."

He chuckled, "Works for me. Come on, there's this diner in Zakera Ward that I wanted to check out."

I followed Bailey out of the station, waving to the officer that was at the reception desk. I got in Bailey's squad car and drove to Zakera Ward. If the view of the Presidium had me in awe, the view of the Ward arms had taken my breath away. We were in space, more or less, as the ward arms had no real atmosphere or protection. The only protected areas were the large buildings that jutted out of the arms. Behind us was the giant purple clouds of the Serpent Nebula and the Widow star; a blue giant that gave the nebula its interesting tint.

"Ah hell." I said, "Stuck in traffic."

Bailey glanced over, "Guess we'll have to remedy the situation."

He turned on the sirens and flew by the line of traffic. I started to chuckle, "You guys must love doing that."

"Its one of our unwritten rules."

We descended towards Zakera and parked in the C-Sec precinct. "I bet it's a shock to come from the Presidium and find yourself working down here."

"You could say that. I put in for a transfer to this precinct. I'll be working down here next month."

"Really? Why?" I asked as we walked through the precinct.

"Working up in the Presidium gets boring sometimes. Besides, they don't have enough experienced detectives down here."

"Hm. Makes sense."

"I was surprised that the Executor agreed with me. He's got a stick the size of a dreadnaught up his ass."

We walked through the ward, the mid-morning crowds were fairly large but nothing unbearable. Zakera Ward was a little more colorful than the ward below the Presidium. There were various purples and yellows that cascaded throughout the level. "Ah here's the place." Said Bailey. It was diner called the 'Starlight Diner'. The place had something of an early 21st century vibe to it.

"Not bad." I said as we took a seat at the counter.

"Hello there and welcome to the Starlight Diner. What can I get you gentlemen?" asked the tall, blonde waitress.

"I'll have the French Toast and scrambled eggs with a coffee, black." Said Bailey. The waitress took it down on her datapad and looked at me, "What about you hun?"

"I'll have scrambled eggs, bacon, and blueberry pancakes with orange juice." She jotted it down, "Ok. You'll meals will be ready in a bit."

Bailey and I sat there at the counter, "So I hear you're working with Commander Shepard."

"Yep. Captain Anderson called in a favor. Besides, I owe him one."

"I see."

"How did you find out?" I ask, turning to Bailey.

"Word travels. I also heard that Detective Vakarian quit and is serving with him as well."

"That much is true. Believe me. Do you know Garrus?"

Bailey shook his head, "Not personally, no. I know his reputation. Quite frankly, I agree with some of his ideals; a lot of guys in C-Sec do. I hear that the Executor and Garrus' dad aren't taking it so well. He was a good detective."

I silently nodded and sipped at my orange juice.

"You know I had an interesting case on Thessia recently." I said.

It was Bailey's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Really. What was it?"

"A missing persons case that became something larger. Large as in, explosions and gunfire."

"Wait. You weren't involved in that Vogel thing were you?"

I couldn't help but smirk, "I was actually."

"Damn. That was some piece of work kid." Bailey said with a smirk, "I'd ask you join C-Sec but I don't think we've got the budget to cover for you."

I chuckled, "That's fine. Never liked doing paperwork anyway."

The blonde waitress came back with our food and we dug in.

* * *

Shepard, Ashley, and Kaidan were walking around the wards, picking up weapons licenses for the Normandy's quartermaster. It was better than when they went to the Presidium. Shepard had to deal with an asari named Nassana Dantius. She had sent Shepard a message during the search for Liara but he ignored it. There was no point in backtracking to the Citadel for something that small. Either way, Nassana had planned on manipulating Shepard into killing her sister, who was a slaver. She was afraid that her sister's repuation, if revealed publicly, would have had Nassana's diplomatic privileges revoked.

She was going to pay Shepard, but he decided it would be better if she owed him one. Nassana got Shepard on a buyer's list for the Aramali Council, manufacturers of some quality asari military hardware.

Then there was Helena Blake. She was some well known criminal looking to make a power play by having Shepard kill off her two partners in crime. She wanted them killed because they were destroying her empire's reputation. They dealt red sand and made slaves out of customers who couldn't pay for their addictions. Shepard was reluctant, but considering how bad these guys were, he wasn't going to let them lurk around the galaxy.

The three marines walked up to a balcony located a few feet from the clinic where they met Garrus.

"Big place." Said Kaidan.

"That your professional opinion, sir?" asked Ashley sarcastically.

Shepard looked out at the view of the ward arms and the Widow star with the marines, "This isn't a station; it's a city."

Kaidan was still awestruck, "There must be millions here. It can't be possible to track everyone coming and going."

"This makes Jump Zero look like a porta-john. And it's the largest deep space station the Alliance has." Replied Ash.

"Jump Zero was big. But this is on a whole 'nother scale. Look at the ward arms. How do they keep all that mass from flying apart?" said Kaidan.

"The Council represents more races than I thought. No wonder they're careful with newcomers." Shepard said.

"Or maybe they just don't like humans." Ash replied to Shepard.

"Why not? We've got oceans, beautiful women, this emotion called love." Shepard said grinning, "According to the old vids, we've got everything they want."

Ash chuckled and turned to Shepard, "If you expect to get me in a tinfoil skirt and thigh high boots, I want dinner first."

Her eyes widened a bit and she turned to look out at the ward arms, "Sir."

"That'll be enough, Chief." Replied a surprised Kaidan.

"At ease Lieutenant, I can't see her in a skirt anyway." Shepard said smirking.

"Damn straight-you can't." Ash stammered out.

"Ready to move out sir." Kaidan said.

Shepard turned to Ashley and gave her a wink, "Let's go."

As they started walking away, Shepard spotted the reporter, Emily Wong, who was looking for a lead on Fist. He had picked up some OSD's in his office and gave them to Ms. Wong. Ecstatic would be an understatement to describe her reaction. He decided to negotiate with her, guaranteeing her an exclusive interview when his investigation was over.

All that's left to do is pick up some regular supplies like food and—-

Shepard's train of thought was cut off by the appearance Conrad Verner.

"Commander, over here! Remember me!"

Shepard mentally sighed. "Yes. I remember you Conrad."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can I take a picture of you?"

"Not that I don't mind but…why?"

"You're the first human Spectre! People are gonna remember you. I'd just like a picture."

"Alright." Shepard said, in a disappointed tone and posed with his gun.

"Perfect! My wife is going to love this!" he said as he walked away. Tali approached the three marines, who were still dumbfounded.

"Part of me doubts that he is married." Tali said.

"You're not the only one who thinks that Tali." Replied Ashley.

"What have you been up to Tali?" asked Shepard.

"I was looking for a new omni-tool. My other one is broken. Luckily I found this one." She replied, showing it off.

"That's an Armax Arsenal Gemini, isn't it?" asked Kaidan.

"Yes it is. I got a very good deal on it. How did you know?"

"I used to use one. Had the bio-amp too." He replied.

The team then began to look at the rest of the ward as they walked around.

"Have you seen Mark around anywhere?" Shepard asked Tali.

She shook her head, "He was with me and Garrus in the elevator on the way down from the ship. Since then, I haven't seen him."

"What do you think of him?"

"He's…different. Garrus and I got into an argument and he insinuated that we had some 'built up sexual tension'."

Shepard and the marines chuckled. Tali shook her head, "Is it normal for humans to make those kinds of jokes?"

"Usually. That's just Mark's way of breaking up conflicts. He did it during the academy and did it when he was in the service. If any friends or colleagues get into an argument, he'll say something to get both people to be against him. Then they forget why they were arguing."

"I see." Tali said, "That's an interesting way to stop a conflict."

"Well Mark's just creative about it." Replied Shepard, "By the way, I was planning on asking you all a favor. But since most of the team isn't here, you'll have to pass it on."

"What is it skipper?" asked Ashley.

"Well, I'm sure you know about Mark's past in the service. I just want all of you to not avoid him. He's dealing with a lot right now and the last thing he needs are people avoiding him out of sympathy. Trust me, he does not like it. So do me a favor and try to…" Shepard thought of the right term to use, "Include him. If you still feel like you're going to mess up and mention his past. Don't worry, he's calm about it."

"Understood Commander." Said Kaidan.

"You got it." Replied Ashley and Tali.

"Alright. Now that we got that out of the way, I need to get a ton of coffee for the ship. We're going through it fast." Said Shepard.

* * *

Bailey and I spent most of the time talking about sports and work. It was good to see him again. He was a friend of Murph's, going back to their days in the Alliance. Murph had connections everywhere; which was strange for a guy who rarely left Earth.

"I keep telling ya kid, the Edmonton Blood Dragons are gonna win the conference this year. It's their year this year." Bailey said, as we continued our debate on teams from Earth's Urban Combat Championship (EUCC).

"They always choke at the end of the season, and blow their credits on guys that are overrated." I replied, "The Boston Minutemen are gonna win the North American Conference and win at the Worlds."

"You really think they've got a chance against London United or the Moscow Devils?"

"Absolutely."

Bailey snorted, "You keep telling yourself that kid."

"I am. We shut out London last season. Moscow's an unknown, they'll be tough."

"That's because they have 'Crazy Ivan'."

"True, true. But we've got Einarsson, 'Big Irish' Dempsey, and DiPaola."

The conversation continued on like that until Bailey got a call.

"This is Bailey." He said into his omni-tool.

"Detective, this is Lieutenant Girard. We have a situation on Dock 422. A young woman is threatening to kill herself. She says she's from Mindoir."

We both looked at each other, shocked.

"Lieutenant, I'm out of range but I'm sending someone over." Bailey said.

"Roger."

He turned off his omni-tool, "Kid, I've got to assist another detective down here. Hate to put you on the spot."

"Bailey, once he said Mindoir, I was in." I replied.

"Well…good luck kid. It was good seeing you again."

"Likewise." I replied shaking his hand.

I got into a cab, and sped off as fast as I could to get to the docks. _Come on. Come on!_

By the time Shepard and the team finished sightseeing and getting more coffee for the ship, he received a message from a C-Sec officer nearby; a Lieutenant Girard. He had radioed Shepard about a girl from Mindoir who was going to kill herself. When Shepard had arrived, he saw Mark talking to the officer.

"Lieutenant, I'm from Mindoir. Let me talk her down. She'll listen."

"Were you the guy Detective Bailey mentioned?"

"Yeah." I replied as he nodded.

"Okay. I trust that you will do your best. But if you think that she won't comply, then stop and try again later. If that doesn't work, I have a sniper in place."

He gave me a tranquilizer, "Give this to her if you pull it off."

Shepard approached the officer as Mark walked off, towards the girl.

Girard looked at the Commander, "Is he going to be alright?"

"Believe me, he's the best."

* * *

I walked towards the crate where the girl from Mindoir was hiding. She was thin and wiry; the girl's cheeks were slightly sunken, showing off her cheekbones. She had a buzzcut, a shorter length than mine almost giving her a shaved head; her eyes stood out, more blue than Neptune.

She pulled a pistol on me, "S—stop! What do you—what are you?"

"My name is Mark Sears. Lieutenant Girard sent me over here to talk to you. What's your name?"

She still had the gun drawn at me, "Animals don't get names. The masters put their symbols on her. Hot metal all over her back. She screams when they do it."

"You're not an animal. Your parents, what did they call you? Do you remember?" I ask softly.

"She remembers a lot of things." Responded the young girl, who thought for a second, "Talitha. They call her that. Sh-she doesn't remember the rest."

When I asked Girard about this girl, he told me that she was only six when they took her. _Jesus…6 years old…a slave for 13 years._

"Leave her alone…" she trailed off.

"What happened to your parents?" I ask her.

"There's-She sees them. They're yelling. Run. Hide. They hit the masters. But the masters, they have lights and hoses. Daddy-He's melting!" Talitha puts her face into her hands, close to tears.

"She-she doesn't want to see that. Don't make her look. Don't look! Stupid, stupid!"

I clear my throat, "I know it hurts Talitha, and I'm sorry. But you need to deal with this. What happened to them?"

She took a deep breath, "When she thinks, water comes out of her eyes. The masters beat her when she wastes water. She doesn't think anymore."

Talitha continued, "She sees them. Mommy and Daddy, burning in white light. Melting, going to pieces. They can't even say anything to her." The tears started to well in her eyes, "They're dead Mark. They try to save her and the masters burn them. Can she stop remembering now? Please?"

I place my hand on the crate and lean against it. Her story was similar to mine, along with whatever survivors made it out of there. She was the first that I've run into.

"Talitha, you're not the only one who's been in that situation. I grew up on Mindoir as well."

She almost burst out at me, "Lying! You get hit for lying. Get the buzz or the burning. Can't be there." Then the pistol came up at me, right in my face.

"Why are you alive? Why are you-Why aren't you like her? Broken. Only fit to dig an carry."

"I was broken for a long time." I said, as she lowered the gun, "I lost my family, my friends, everyone I had ever known and cared about Talitha. But I had to pick myself up and carry on, to honor their memories."

"You lose your mommy and daddy but you don't dig, you don't carry. You stand up." Talitha looked down, "She wishes she could stand up."

I slowly moved toward her, "You still can, Talitha. May I ask how you escaped?"

"She can't escape. They have chains, wires, needles. You go too far, they take your brains away." Talitha looks around, "Animals like her come. Animals with guns; they make the masters explode. She tries to fix the masters so they won't be mad at her. She puts the reds and purples back in but they don't move. The other animals take her."

In a reassuring voice, I reply, "You were afraid. All you had known for 13 years was the "masters" abuse. So you tried to heal them."

"She doesn't want to see other animals. They're not real. They can't be real. She doesn't want them to see her." Talitha says, "If the animals see her, then they're real and this is all real. But it can't be; the wires, the chains, the hitting. This doesn't happen to her. It's another girl, a dirty girl, a stupid girl. She deserves it!"

She took a breath, "It-it happens to her. Doesn't it? They see her so it's real. She doesn't want it to be real."

I took another slow step towards her, "But it is. You're free Talitha. You can do anything you want to and not worry about being hurt again."

She looks at the ground, deep in thought. I approach her slowly again, pulling out the tranquilizer.

"Talitha, this will make you fall asleep. If you fall asleep, they'll take you to a place where you can get better." I show her the pill.

Talitha looks at it and then at me, "Okay." She takes the pill and swallows it immediately.

After she swallows the pill, Talitha drops the gun and hugs me, "Will she have bad dreams?"

I choke up, my voice breaking up slightly, "You'll dream-you'll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up…you'll be in a warm place."

"She'd like that." She whispered into my ear, "It hurts when she-when I remember me. But she wants to remember." I could feel her body begin to go limp as the tranquilizer began to take effect.

As gently as I could, I set her down, right against the crate. I could feel tears begin to trickle down the sides of my cheeks. _She was only 6…_ Shepard was close by and slowly walked over.

"Mark?" he asked softly.

"Could you tell the Lieutenant that she took the sedative? And that she wants to get better." I said, standing up.

"Yeah. I'll take care of it." Replied John.

I walked by Kaidan, Ash, and Tali. I nodded to Girard and headed for the Normandy's airlock. This was too much.

* * *

Shepard walked up to Girard and gave him the update.

"Is she alright Commander?"

"Mark told me that she took the sedative and that she wants to get better Lieutenant." He replied.

Girard nodded, "Give Mr. Sears my thanks. It means a lot. I didn't want to hurt her." He glanced over to where Talitha was hiding, "It's just-when I see her curled into a ball, and shivering…She was only six when they took her. Why the hell are we out here we can't even keep one little girl safe?"

"Bad things happen to good people, Lieutenant. That's why we're here. Don't wring your hands over her, help her."

"Yes sir. Thanks again. We're going to take her to a counseling center. They'll help her out."

Shepard nodded and headed for the ship with the rest of his team. They walked into the airlock, and saw Mark leaning against the wall. He hadn't activated the airlock pressurization switch.

"Mark, are you alright?" he asked softly.

"She was only six when they took her…Six!" Mark said, as he shook his head.

He let out a deep sigh and got off the wall.

"You prevented her from committing suicide. Talitha's got a second chance now. Just like you." Shepard said.

Mark inhaled sharply, "Yeah-yeah she does. I'm just glad I could do that."

"Me too."

The five of them entered the ship and got ready for our next assignment. We would be going to a colony in the Attican Beta cluster…Feros.

* * *

I headed down to the cargo bay to do a weapons check. Truth be told, I needed to get my mind off of that incident at the docking bay. Garrus walked over and sat down next to me as I checked my rifle.

"Hi Mark."

"Garrus. What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing really, just wanted to try on my new armor, see how it fits."

I looked at the case he pulled out of his locker, "Devlon Industries?"

"Yeah. I got the medium grade Thermal Armor."

"I've heard that it was a good series. Wouldn't know much about it since its only available for turians. But if it's like any other series by Devlon then it's bound to be great for environmental hazards."

Garrus nodded. "I heard about what happened on the docks."

I turned to Garrus. "It was something. I'm just glad she was able to listen to me and know that she's not alone."

"How did you hear about that girl? You weren't with Shepard and it only went through C-Sec channels?"

I chuckled, "I've got a friend in C-Sec. I helped him out a year ago on some massive weapons bust. Maybe you know him: Detective Armando Bailey."

"I've heard of him but never met him." Garrus said, "I didn't know you had a hand in a C-Sec investigation."

"Favor for a friend. He knows a friend of my dad's so I figured I'd help him out."

"From everything I've heard, you seem like an expert detective. Could have used you in C-Sec."

I laughed again, "Bailey said the same thing. But the one thing you might not know is that a lot of my investigations involve gunfire from time to time. And I hate paperwork. Wouldn't be a good fit."

"That's why I left. Too much bureaucratic garbage and red tape. My father's taking it pretty hard."

"He was C-Sec too?"

"Yeah. One of the best. I grew up hearing stories about these arrests he would make. His golden rule was do things right or don't do them at all."

"Funny, my dad told me the same thing." I replied with a smirk.

Garrus looked up from checking his sniper rifle, "What did your dad do?"

"He was a soldier. He was widely considered to be the best infiltrator in the short history of the Alliance military. You know he was in charge of this special forces unit called Task Force 1. They saw action during the First Contact War. Helped out during the Battle at Byzantine."

"Wow." Garrus said, "I think I've heard about that. A bunch of Alliance soldiers prevented our armies from taking a city on Shanxi; held out for a whole month."

I nodded, "The very same."

"I hope you don't-you know…hold any resentment."

"Why would I? I wasn't alive. No one in my family has ever held any sort of racist thoughts or ideals."

"That's good to know." Garrus was staring through the scope of his rifle again, "I think the sights are off on this. Again."

"Mind if I take a look?"

"Sure."

Garrus handed his sniper rifle over to me and I looked through the scope.

"Hm. Gonna have to double check." I activated my omni tool and put my hand under the barrel. The omni-tool directed a small laser out of the end of the rifle.

"Has it always pulled to the left?" I ask.

"Yeah. I've compensated for it and tried to adjust it. Now instead of pulling a few centimeters, its pulled almost 3 inches."

"Like shooting into a nonexistent wind." I said, "Hate to break it to you but you're gonna need a new barrel. Heat distribution is the problem."

"Damn. Should have gotten a new rifle or parts on the Citadel."

"No problem. I keep some extra parts around. I'll put in some frictionless materials in here for heat management and a new barrel."

"Thanks Mark. I appreciate it."

"Anytime." I replied, as I got to work on Garrus' rifle. I should be done with this by the time we get to Feros.

* * *

_Up next: Action! Drama! Green Asari! Zombie Plants! Its Feros._


	5. The Cipher

_Author's note: Another chapter down. Booya. Aside from this, I put up another fic called Byzantine: Shanxi's Last Stand. Check it out if you haven't yet. I put an interesting tie-in between that story and this one. It's about the First Contact War. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or its universe, Bioware does. I just own the OC's and whatnot. (Man I'm tired of putting this in all the time.)_

* * *

**Attican Beta Cluster, Theseus System, Feros Colony**

"Feros Colony this is SSV Normandy. Requesting a vector and a berth." Joker said over the comms.

He was met with silence. I looked over at him, shaking my head.

Joker repeated the previous transmission, "Feros Colony this is SSV Normandy. Requesting a vector and a birth."

Shepard walked into the bridge, "What's going on Joker?"

"The comms are dead. No one's answering."

"Put her down at the Zhu's Hope docking bay."

"You got it Commander." Replied Joker.

As the Normandy came into the dock, I got to take a look at the various Prothean towers, jutting out of the ground. They were so massive that they broke through the cloud cover. The towers themselves were a faded gray and their age showed.

"Mark, are you ready?"

"Just say the word John." I replied. Shepard nodded, "Get suited up and tell Liara and Garrus to get ready as well."

"You got it." I gathered Liara and Garrus and we suited up and headed up to the airlock.

Once we docked at Zhu's Hope, one of the towns on this colony, we were greeted by one of the members of Zhu's Hope.

"I'm David al-Talaqani. We saw your ship. Fai Dan wishes to speak to you immediately." He said.

"Who's Fai Dan?" asked Shepard.

"He's our leader. Listen, the geth are making another push. Fai Dan is preparing the defenses but he needs your help. Please. He's up the stairs, past the freighter."

Almost immediately, the geth opened fire on David and killed him. The 4 of us dove behind cover and opened fire on the geth. After clearing the docking bay, we went up several flights of stairs. Clinging to the walls, were the type of geth we had encountered when we picked up Liara.

"It's the damn hoppers!" I yelled as we got behind cover.

"The what?" Garrus yelled.

"Geth hoppers. Some new kind of geth. We saw them on Therum; they're a bitch to kill." Shepard replied.

"Yeah but biotics seem to be their weakness." I said.

"Looks like you're up Liara." Said Shepard. Almost immediately, Liara created a singularity that began to throw the geth around. The rest of us finished them off with a hail of gunfire.

We spent our time plowing through the geth until we made it to an opening that brought us to the colony.

"Hold it!" Yelled a woman behind a barricade. She was wearing light armor and several armed colonists popped up with rifles.

"Hold fire! We're here to help you!" Shepard yelled.

"Oh god. Sorry! Go see Fai Dan, he's on the other side of the freighter!" she responded. We walked through the colony and saw the damage the geth had done. The remains of a colonial freighter were strewn about, a feature built into the ship to turn it from a space worthy vessel to a prefab unit for the colonists. Fires, along with stones and rubble from the Prothean towers littered the area as well. We slowly walked through the colony and watched the colonists.

_Some of these people look like they haven't gotten rest in days._ We rounded a corner and saw a man of Asian decent and woman in light armor having a discussion.

It was Fai Dan, the man in charge of the Zhu's Hope colony.

"Oh Commander. I'm glad they finally sent someone to help us." Fai Dan said, exhaling a breath he was unaware he was holding.

"You're a little late aren't you." Said the woman.

"Arcelia!"

"Sorry Commander. Everyone's been on edge since-"

Arcelia darted around and yelled, "Watch out! We've got geth in the tower!"

"Protect the heart of the colony!" said Fai Dan.

"Open fire!" Shepard yelled.

"Engaging." I replied, picking off a geth rocket trooper.

The four of us charged into the tower, continuing our firefight with the geth. We headed up the steps where a colonist was hiding behind a giant rock.

"I don't wanna die. Please don' let me die!" he yelled. I burst up the steps and fired at the geth entering the stairwell.

"Just stay down! We got your back!" I yelled.

"Target down!" yelled Garrus.

"Hallway is clear." Said Liara. I turned back to the colonist behind the stone.

"Get back down to the colony while we secure the tower."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going. Thank you!" he said.

We took a left and went up a small staircase that took us to a long hallway. The geth were dropping in from a dropship that was hovering above the hole in the ceiling. The four of us dove behind various stone blocks for cover. I tossed a sabotage mine at a group of geth troopers that caused their weapons to overheat. I dropped all them with a quick burst. Several more geth came down from the dropship including a few drones. Our combined firepower and abilities made short work of them and the dropship flew away. Our job done, we headed back to Fai Dan.

After speaking to him, we went around and asked various colonists about the current situation. The water mains were shut down, an alpha varren prevented the colonists from going hunting and rations were running out, and the colony's power generator was out. We volunteered to help out. I was more than happy to assist. As someone who grew up on a colony in its early stages, I knew about the hardships better than anyone.

There was something about Feros though. Something that was different than other colonies. Something in the air of this colony was different, like a strange smell I couldn't quite figure out.

"Hey Shepard." I said.

"Yeah, Mark?"

"This place smell different to you?" it was the first mission I had been on in awhile where I didn't wear my helmet, just my shades which doubled as my combat goggles in my helmet.

"You mean that weird rotting smell?"

"Yeah. Never smelt anything this bad before."

"You smelt it you dealt it."

"Oh ha ha, John." I said sarcastically. I checked the air quality in my HUD.

"This is damn peculiar." I said,"The air quality is terrible here."

"What's so strange about that?" asked Garrus.

"Considering the altitude, it should be thinner and clearer. Instead, it's very congested."

"Seems fine to me." said Garrus. I put my helmet as a precaution.

"Either way, I'm not taking any chances. Something strange is going on." I said. We went back into the tunnels to search for the various things the colonists were looking for. We continued further into the tunnels and found out where the water mains were. We found power cells to return power to the colony and killed the varren so they could get food. I found a geth transmitter being guarded by 3 geth and 3 krogan. We made short order of them and took out the transmitter so they could not coordinate any more attacks against Zhu's Hope.

Fai Dan was pleased to hear that we took care of their smaller problems. As the extra man, I volunteered to stay behind and see what I could do in Zhu's Hope while Shepard and the rest of the team headed out to finish off the geth.

* * *

Shepard, Garrus, and Liara walked into the elevator that would take them up to the Prothean skyway, and to geth's stronghold.

"Are you sure Mark will be alright at the colony?" Garrus asked Shepard.

"He'll be fine. Besides, if there's anyone that could take on a geth army, its him."

"Well if that's the case, why are we out here?" Garrus replied.

"Funny." Shepard deadpanned.

"I am surprised at the state of the colony. This is an interesting place for a colony, on top of a Prothean ruin." Liara said.

"Yeah. Who would thought it would hold up after 50,000 years." Shepard replied.

The lift came to a halt and the doors opened to a pair of colonists firing at geth assault drones.

"Get to safety!" one of them yelled to the other.

"They're gonna be here any moment."

Shepard and the team opened up and took out the drones.

"You guys get back to Zhu's hope. We'll clear this area out."

The colonists nodded and got into the lift.

The team got into a Mako and prepared to go down the skyway.

"And now onto the geth base. Not something an intelligent mind expects to say." Garrus said.

The Mako pulled out onto the skyway speeding off to the geth's stronghold. Shepard stopped the vehicle as a geth dropship sped by, dropping armatures on the bridge. The radio came to life as transmissions flooded the Mako.

"The last batch headed south. What are they looking for?" said an older woman.

"Got something on the comms. I can't pinpoint it but there's someone out there." Garrus said, monitoring the radio.

"At least there are some survivors outside of Zhu's Hope." Said Liara.

After finishing off the remainder of the geth on the bridge, the Mako pushed on.

"More on the comm. Commander. But I still can't get a fix on their position." Garrus continued.

"Is there any sign of movement? Lizbeth, could still be out there. It's only been a few days." The woman said.

"She's my daughter…I'll wait as long as I have to." She continued.

"They must be close by. The transmission is coming in clearer." Garrus said.

They pulled into a weigh station that resembled a garage, but had various metal structures and piles of rock strewn about. To the far right was something that looked like a series of ramps that led up to another skyway. Just in front of that was something that looked like an entrance to…something.

"We've got movement…some kind of movement. Not one of the geth."

"Sounds like they've spotted us. They must be close."

"Forget them. We need to deal with the geth." From the sounds of it, the transmissions were coming from the room. Shepard and his team got out of the Mako and walked in.

Armed guards behind metal barricades drew their weapons on the team.

"Hold your fire. We're not geth!" Shepard yelled as they walked in.

Aside from the guards there were several civilians in the room. Some were huddled in corners talking to each other. One was on a terminal, working. There was an Asian man and an older woman talking near another terminal.

_Looks like they're arguing about something._

"That's close enough!" the man yelled.

"Relax, Jeong. They're obviously not geth." Replied the woman sharply.

"Get back, Juliana. Who are you and what do you want?" he asked.

"Commander John Shepard, Special Tactics and Recon. We're here to remove your geth problem." Shepard replied.

"You see? You worry too much." Juliana said to Jeong.

"And you trust to easily, Juliana." He replied.

_I don't think I'm gonna like dealing with this ass clown._

"Juliana Baynham. That's Ethan Jeong." She said, "I'm just glad to see a friendly face. I thought we were the only humans left on this planet." Said Juliana.

"Fai Dan and some of the members of Zhu's Hope are still alive." Replied Shepard.

Juliana turned to Ethan Jeong, "I thought you said they were all dead."

"I said they were probably all dead. He replied in a condescending tone.

"They're doing fine. But the geth have pounded them." Garrus said.

"We know what that's like. Those damn synthetics are relentless." She said.

"Do you know where the geth are located?" asked Shepard.

"They're not too far from here. The geth are located at the ExoGeni Headquarters, just a bit further down the skyway." Juliana said.

Jeong pointed at Shepard, "Those headquarters are private property soldier. Remove the geth and nothing else."

Shepard scowled at him, "I'm not interested your company's secrets."

Juliana rolled her eyes at Jeong before turning back to Shepard, "Commander…one more thing. My daughter, Lizbeth…she's missing."

"They shouldn't waste time poking around. We can do a proper accounting of our casualties once the geth are gone." Jeong said.

"That's my daughter you're talking about!" Juliana yelled, "She's still alive. I know it."

"Do you know where she is, Juliana?" Shepard asked.

"She was working in the ExoGeni building when the attacks started."

Jeong snorted, "Oh yeah! There are several places where she could hide…for a short time."

Shepard rolled his eyes, "I'm getting tired of hearing you talk, peach fuzz. Juliana, don't worry. I'll find your daughter. For now, stay bunkered down until I find what the geth are after."

She nodded, "Of course, and if you see my daughter…"

* * *

After the friendly chat, the team headed out to the next Prothean skyway that would take them to the ExoGeni building. As the pulled out onto the skyway, more geth armatures and other units had full control of the skyway. The radio continued to transmit.

"You owe us for this. The skyway is still crawling with geth."

"Package is secured. We're leaving now."

They continued down the skyway, mowing down more geth until the radio came back to life.

"Wait. Shut down the comm. Damn it! Shut down the comm.! We've got incoming geth!"

"Who could that be?" Liara asked.

"No idea. Probably company security looking to move a few things out." Garrus said.

They continued towards the ExoGeni building, seeing the geth dropship anchored into the side of the building. They were now entering the garage. Like the rest of the architecture around here, it was nothing but giant gray stones and rubble as far as the eye could see.

"It would seem as though the geth have heavily fortified this building." Liara said.

"There must be something that the geth want from ExoGeni's systems. Why else would they bother with all of this?" replied Garrus.

"Yeah. Something's not right here. Garrus, could you check in with Mark?"

Garrus nodded, "Mark? Come in, do you copy?" he shook his head.

"No response Commander."

"They must be jamming all transmissions. Alright lets get inside." The three of them dismounted the Mako and went inside the building, stepping around the bodies of the geth they had just destroyed. Looking around, it appeared as there was no real entrance. The door on the right was a dead end and a barrier had blocked off a passage to the left. The middle route was an opening that looked like a destroyed staircase.

"Looks like a one way trip, Shepard." Said Garrus. They jumped down and slowly walked down the rubble filled path. Shepard approached the corpse of a red varren, when a gunshot just missed him. He looked up, and the team drew their weapons. The shooter was a young woman, wearing an ExoGeni uniform. She looked like Juliana, but had a darker shade of black in her hair.

"Damn it!" she yelled, lowering her pistol and slowly making her way towards the squad. "I'm sorry. I thought you were geth, or one of those varren."

"It's fine. Who are you and what are you doing in here?"

"Elizabeth Baynham. It's my own fault. Everyone else was running and I stayed behind to back up data. Next thing I knew, the geth ship latched on and the power went out. I was trapped. I tried to get out but the way was blocked."

"A few geth aren't going to stop us." Shepard said.

"It's not the geth, it's the energy field they put up. They don't want anyone else getting access to the-" she stopped talking and trailed off.

"I'm here for the geth. It's very important that I find out what they're after." Shepard replied.

"I don't know for certain…but I think they're here for the Thorian."

"What's a Thorian?" Garrus asked.

Lizbeth explained, "It's an indigenous life form. ExoGeni was studying it."

Shepard nodded, "What else can you tell me? Do you know where I can find this Thorian?"

"I might be able to but not with all these geth crawling around everywhere. Look we need to get out of here, past that field."

"Any suggestions?" asked Shepard.

"Not exactly. I think the geth ship is powering the field. I've seen them laying power cables everywhere. You could follow them but there's geth everywhere."

"We can take care of that. You said your name was Lizbeth? We found your mother, her along with other ExoGeni employees are at a weigh station across the skyway."

Her eyes widened, "She's alive?"

"Yes. We'll get you to her once we bring the field down."

"Thank you Commander."

"All right. I want you hide somewhere and wait until we bring the field down."

"You don't have to tell me twice." She replied, "Oh here. Take this. It's my ID, it'll help unlock any doors along the way." Lizbeth then ran off to find a hiding place.

_Just in time too._ Shepard thought as a pack of varren came charging out of nowhere.

"Guess hunting season is open." Said Garrus as the three began to fire on the varren. Once they were taken care of, they headed up a set of stairs to the ExoGeni offices. A deep, rumbling voice echoed through the hall.

"Stupid machine! Access encrypted files."

A pause.

"No I don't want to review protocol!" Shepard signaled Liara and Garrus to get to cover next to the hall opening. Down the hall was a krogan, arguing with a VI.

"I am unable to comply. Please contact your supervisor." Said the VI.

"Damn it! Tell me what I want to know or I'll blast your virtual ass into actual dust."

Garrus looked like he was trying his best to suppress a laugh.

"Please contact your supervisor for a level 4 security exception or make an appointment with-"

"Stupid machine!" yelled the krogan who punched a nearby wall.

"If there is nothing else, please step aside. There is a queue forming behind you for the use of this console." Replied the VI.

"Oh good!" yelled the krogan as he pulled out his shotgun, "I really need to kill someone."

As the krogan charged, Liara hit him with a biotic pull causing him to float down the hall as Garrus and Shepard lit him up. The corpse continued to float until it hit a wall behind them and fell to the ground. Shepard and the team approached the VI.

"ExoGeni Corporation reminds all staff that the use of firearms inside company property is strictly prohibited." Said the VI.

"Welcome back, Research Assistant Elizabeth Baynham. What can I do for you?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "What information was the last user attempting to access?"

"Fetching data. The previous user was attempting to access information regarding the study of Subject Species 37, the Thorian."

"What did you tell him?" asked Shepard.

"I was unable to provide the user with any relevant data. Aside from lacking proper access, there has been no new data regarding Species 37. All sensors monitoring the observation post at Zhu's Hope have been inactive for several cycles."

The three of them looked at each other, surprised. Shepard turned back to the VI, "What does Zhu's Hope have to do with the Thorian?"

"Species 37's habitat is located in the substructure of the Zhu's Hope outpost."

This is what Saren and the geth were after.

"Tell me everything you know about the Thorian."

"The Thorian is a simple plant lifeform. It exhibits a sentience unlike that of other flora." Stated the VI. "Through dispersion and the eventual inhalation of spores, it can control and infect other organisms including humans."

The VI continued, "The Zhu's Hope control group has yielded interesting results. Before sensors went offline, almost 85% of all test subjects were infected."

"By the goddess." Liara said. Shepard was disgusted. ExoGeni knew about the Thorian and were experimenting on the colonists here. _This might explain why they've been acting so…strangely._

"Are you saying ExoGeni knew its people were getting infected?" Shepard asked.

"It was deemed necessary to ascertain the potential of Species 37." Replied the VI.

"That explains why they were acting unusual." Said Garrus, "But on their own people…unthinkable."

"You should contact Joker." Liara said.

Shepard nodded, "Joker. Come in, Joker. Damn it, that field is blocking us."

"What about Mark? He's in Zhu's Hope right now."

Shepard attempted to contact Mark. "Mark, come in! Mark! Nothing."

"VI, what can you tell me about the geth ship and the field its generating?" he asked.

"I have limited information about the geth. They have disabled all sensors within the facility. I have detected unusual power fluctuations around the facility but am unable to determine the source."

"We have to find the ship. Let's move out." Shepard said.

"Going to standby mode."

The team moved down more cramped halls until they came to an opening. Two geth were kneeling down in front of something that looked like an altar. They were dispatched immediately and the team jumped down to inspect it.

"The geth must have anchored their ship to the side of the building with these claws." Said Garrus.

"How are we going to disable the ship if it is anchored to the building?" asked Liara.

"Only one way to find out." Shepard said. "What is this?" he asked looking at an unusual formation of claws surrounding a bright orb.

"Fascinating. The geth appear to have built some kind of altar." Said Liara.

"Since when are the geth religious? I didn't think they believed in such a thing." Garrus chimed in.

"A lot can happen over 300 years." Replied Shepard. The slowly moved down the broken hallway's and stopped at an opening. Several geth were in the next room, standing near the barrier where they came in. The three of them charged in and destroyed the geth in no time.

"Two ways to go. Left or right?" Garrus asked.

"Let's try the right." Shepard said and they moved again, this time they went up a flight of stairs and encountered two krogan. It was a little more difficult to bring them down than the geth but they still went down. Shepard approached a terminal and uploaded the information on it to an OSD.

"Must be the data from that guy Gavin Hossle."

"I guess we should have gone left." Garrus said with a chuckle.

Shepard shook his head, "Now lets go left."

"You know if we did this before-"

"Garrus." Shepard drawled out in annoyance.

Liara couldn't help but smirk at the situation. This light-hearted banter was better than what they had discovered minutes ago.

They walked past the barrier and went down another hallway and up another set of stairs before reaching a large 'office'. Inside, there were several geth platforms armed and ready for combat. The three of them ducked behind a concrete block.

"Garrus! I saw a plasma containment cell. Think you can hit it to thin 'em out?"

"You bet." He replied. With one shot of his sniper rifle, the containment cell exploded, engulfing the five geth standing around it.

"Nice shot." Shepard said.

"Thanks. I'll have to thank Mark after this. My rifle fires like it was brand new."

Shepard approached a terminal and hacked it.

"Looks like ExoGeni has been busy." He said. "A bunch of samples from the Thorian were sent to one of their facilities on Nodacrux. Better upload this."

They left the terminal and walked up a ramp and looked at the large claw jutting out from the geth ship. By the look of it, the claw was wedged into the docking bay door and being pressed by the door.

"Just like the other claws. We don't have the weapons to take this out."

"I think I've got an idea." Shepard said. "Look at the loading bay door. We find the switch and we can chop the claw off."

"Good idea." Liara replied.

Of course, there were many geth guarding the controls and using their own terminals.

"Take out the big one Garrus. Liara and I will focus on the rest." Shepard ordered and Garrus responding with a nod.

The three of them opened fire and Liara used her biotics with a devastating effect; her singularity sucking in most of the geth, tossing them about with an extreme force.

They headed down the stairs and looked at the various terminals.

"It looks like some kind of containment lab." Liara said.

"Let's see if we can find anything." Shepard replied.

Garrus hacked a geth terminal and discovered information pertaining to a massive geth build up in the Armstrong Nebula. Shepard found information regarding an ExoGeni scientist named Doctor Gamorle and someone in Cerberus. It involved a colony called Chasca. It was only in pioneer stages, a long way from being colonized yet.

A terminal in the back had a note on it from a maintenance worker:

_The damn door to the shuttle bay is fried again. Works fine if the PSI is 30 or lower and the safety kicks on if its 34 or higher. If the PSI is between 31-34, the door will come down with enough force to slice a metal I-beam in half. Somebody fix this before one of my guys loses an arm in this thing._

"Looks like we can dislodge this thing." Shepard said as he activated various pressure switches and activated the door.

"There we go. The barrier should be down now. We should go deal with that Thorian thing." Said Liara.

"Well that's one way to take care of a geth dropship." Garrus said, "We should stay on our toes though. There could still be geth around here."

The radio began to crackle, "I repeat, Normandy to shore party. Are you reading me? Come on Commander I know you're there."

"Is that you Joker? What's going on?"

"We're in lockdown here Commander. Something happened to the colonists. They're freaking out, banging on the hull and trying to claw their way inside the ship."

"They can't do any real damage. Just sit tight. We're on our way back." Replied Shepard.

"Um…yeah okay. Well, we'll just sit right here until you come back Commander." Joker replied, almost confused and cut transmission.

"All right. Everyone stick together, the geth are going to be all over this place in a few minutes." Shepard said.

They ran out of the room as fast as they could and made it to the exit in no time. Lizbeth was waiting for them.

"There you are." She said relieved, "We should get out of here. I don't think this place is safe."

"I need some answers. You knew more about the Thorian than you let on." Shepard said.

"I-I was afraid. I wanted them to stop the test, but they threatened me, told me I would be next. When the geth attacked, I stayed behind to send a message to Colonial Affairs. I tried to tell them where they could find the Thorian, but the power cut before I could send it. I-I never meant for this to happen." She replied in a regretful tone.

"You did what you could. I'll help them if you can tell me where to find the Thorian." Shepard said.

"The Thorian is underneath Zhu's Hope, but the entrance is blocked. The colonists covered it with the freighter before the geth attack."

"But why are the geth after it?"

"Well, it does have unique mind control capabilities. That's why ExoGeni was interested in it."

A transmission from the Normandy came in, "Normandy to shore party, come in."

"Go ahead Joker."

"We're getting a lot of geth comm. Chatter. Looks like they're heading your way."

"Thanks for the heads up Joker. Come on, lets get out of here."

"Of course. I want to come with you, help undo the mess I created." Lizbeth replied.

"I understand." Shepard said, patting her on the arm, "We'll get you to the weigh station off the skyway. You're mother and other survivors from ExoGeni are there."

"Thank you." She replied.

The four of them got into the Mako and made their way back to the weigh station. The skyway was littered with geth again, making the ride back challenging. Luckily for the squad, it was all downhill so it made spotting the geth and shooting them much easier than before. As they got closer to the weigh station, a scrambled radio transmission came through.

"…anybody. Is there anyone picking this up?"

"Get away from that radio!"

"What was that all about?" Lizbeth asked.

"It sounded like that Jeong guy." Garrus replied.

The radio was filled with static again before another transmission came through.

"…this is Juliana Baynham of Feros colony. Please help us."

They pulled up to the weigh station, "That's my mom. Stop! Stop the rover."

Shepard stopped at the entrance and Lizbeth got out along with the rest of the squad. As the got out, they slowly walked down the entrance. Juliana and Jeong were arguing.

"You can't do this Jeong!"

"Shut up! Let me think!"

Lizbeth turned to Shepard, "What's going on?"

Shepard shrugged.

"You won't get away with this!" Juliana yelled at Jeong. Several ExoGeni security personnel grabbed her.

"Get her out of here!" Jeong ordered.

Lizbeth bolted, "Get away from her you son of a bitch!"

"Lizbeth!" Juliana yelled. She was more than relieved to see her daughter.

Jeong turned to see Shepard and his team approach. ExoGeni security had their weapons drawn, but once they saw Shepard they put them down.

"Damn it! Come out where I can see you. All of you!"

Shepard gave him a smug look and walked over.

"Shepard. I knew it was too much to hope that the geth would kill you." Jeong said.

Shepard immediately gave him the death stare.

"I found some interesting facts about you in the ExoGeni database. I know what happened on Elysium but your heroics aren't needed here."

"We can talk this out. No one has to get hurt." Shepard replied, trying to stay calm.

"You don't understand. It's not that easy. Communications are back up and ExoGeni wants this place purged."

"This is a human colony Jeong! You can't just re-purpose us." Lizbeth said.

"It's not just you. There's something here far more valuable than a few colonists."

"You're after the one unique think Feros has: the Thorian." Shepard said.

"The what?" asked Juliana.

"It's a telepathic live form living under Zhu's Hope. It's taking control of the colonists there ExoGeni knew all along." Lizbeth explained to her mother.

"You won't get away with this Jeong." Juliana said, pointing a finger at him.

"So you keep saying. But no one's gonna miss a few colonists."

_Oh, now he's pissed me off._

Shepard walked up to Jeong and laid a heavy hand on Jeong's shoulder.

"Now Jeong…Here's the thing. You're gonna tell your bosses that the colony holds a great investment opportunity."

Jeong nervously stammered, "W—what? What d—do you mean?"

"A frontier colony that survived an attack? That'll bring in some serious cash flow. But here's a catch."

Jeong nodded slowly, "Okay…what is it?"

"If I find out that you marginalize this place. Screw over the people who live here or do anything and I mean _anything_ to mess with the lives of the people here. I'm going to come looking for you. Or better yet, go back on my offer and I get to invoke Spectre priveliges. Did you find anything about that in your precious databases?"

As Shepard leveled this threat on Jeong, his hand turned into a vice grip on Jeong's shoulder.

"I-I was unaware that you were a Spectre. B-but don't worry. I won't go back on my word with you."

Shepard took his hand off and grinned, "Good."

"That only leaves the Thorian. There's a chance that its taken control of the colonists by now." Juliana said.

"If you take it out, then it'll lose its control over the colonists." Lizbeth said.

"But the colonists are protecting the only access to the Thorian." Liara replied.

"There might be a way. Come with me Commander." Juliana said.

Shepard followed her over to a small container.

"What did you have in mind Juliana?" Shepard asked.

"I think you could safely use a nerve agent to neutralize the colonists."

"Like a gas grenade!" Lizbeth chimed in.

"That doesn't sound very safe." Shepard replied, somewhat unconvinced.

"It's not like its weapons grade." Juliana said, "We use it in grow labs. The colonists nervous systems are probably degraded from the Thorian's spores so it should just knock them out. No harm no foul."

"Sounds good. I'll do what I can." Shepard said.

"Thank you Commander. I appreciate it." Juliana replied.

She gave Shepard the gas grenades and the team headed out. But not before giving Gavin Hossle his OSD, which he paid handsomely for. They got into the Mako and sped off back towards Zhu's Hope. Mark sent a transmission to the Mako.

"Shepard, come in!" he said, the sound of gunfire and yelling was faint.

"Mark! What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Shepard! Thank God! The colonists freaked out and started attacking me!"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I locked myself in their ship right now."

"Sit tight. We'll be with you in a few minutes."

"You got it."

* * *

**Zhu's Hope**

I spent my time talking to people about the situation here. They seemed...reluctant to say anything, and almost stopped themselves from saying something in mid sentence. It was strange. It was as if there was something else going on other than this geth attack. Some of the colonists were even acting somewhat erratic as time passed.

"Shepard. Its Mark something strange is going on over here." I said into my radio. "Shepard? Shepard, do you copy?"

The geth must have been blocking transmissions and I was screwed. I wasn't sure what was going on with the colonists, all I knew was that I was outnumbered about 50 to 1.

"Joker, do you copy?"

"I hear you, Mark. What's going on over there? We can't contact Shepard."

"I can't contact him either. He must be close to the geth base." I glanced around at the colonists, "Joker, I think we might have a situation in the colony. Is Kaidan around?"

"Right here Mark." Kaidan replied.

"I know I don't have the authority since I'm not Alliance anymore. But I need you, Ashley, Tali, and Wrex to get geared up. The colonists are acting strange. If anything does happen with them, if they attack the ship, don't use lethal force."

"You got it Mark. We'll be ready."

"Thanks. Just stay with the ship."

"Are you sure? You're all alone out there." He replied.

"I'll be fine."

Not long after the transmission ended, every single person in the colony started to clutch their head and fall to the ground, screaming in pain.

I jogged up to Fai Dan, "Fai Dan, are you alright?"

"G-get away from us. It-augh!" he clutched his head.

"What? What the hell is going on?"

"It wants us to attack you-get away!" Fai Dan pulled out his pistol, and the other colonists gathered their weapons.

"Oh shit."

Suddenly, they started to attack me. My kinetic barriers were starting to run low, so I ran into the colonists ship. As they continued to chase me, I tossed several sabotage mines to overheat their weapons. Once safely inside their ship, I changed the access codes and locked myself in.

"Come on, Shepard." I said to myself.

Whatever was going on with these people, it wasn't good.

"Shepard do you copy? Come in!"

"Mark, come in! What's the situation?" Shepard replied.

"Shepard! Thank god! Listen, the colonists freaked out and started attacking me for no reason."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine for now. I locked myself in their ship. What the hell is going on?" "I'll explain in a bit. Right now, I'm heading to your location. But listen, if you can't hold out, do not kill the colonists."

"No problem. I'll hold up here."

I waited another 5 minutes before Shepard unlocked the door to the ship and I got out.

"Just in time, Shepard. What the hell is going on?"

"There's a creature living under Zhu's Hope. It's controlling the colonists."

"How?"

"Its some plant like organism that spreads spores. If you inhale them for a certain period of time, it'll control you."

"That would explain the air quality here."

The colonists were all safely taken care of with a paralyzing gas grenade; it didn't kill them, just knocked them out. Fai Dan approached us with his weapon drawn. He had tried to fight it and ended up killing himself to prevent the creature from having him kill us.

Apparently, this creature was called a Thorian. Once everything was cleared we went underground and found the thorian. It looked more like a giant bug than a plant.

"That doesn't look like any plant I've ever seen…I think we might have a problem." Said Shepard.

"No shit. It's times like this where a flamethrower would come in handy." I replied.

"Augh…the smell is terrible." Said Garrus.

"Yet Mark was smart enough to wear his helmet. I shall do the same." Replied Liara.

"I told you. It's helpful." Just like that, everyone put their helmets on.

The thorian spawned an asari clone that tried to kill us. Then almost suddenly, several zombie-like creatures started to appear. We made short order of them. And from what my combat designator could gather, they were called thorian creepers. We went up several levels, killing these creatures and taking out these "nodes" which seemed to keep the thorian in place. Once we finished off the last node, the thorian fell several feet to its death. An asari, the same one we had seen the thorian produce, appeared from some weird egg object out of the wall. Only, this appeared to be the real asari, not a green clone.

"I'm free! I-I suppose I should thank you for releasing me." She said.

"Is everything alright? Are you hurt?" asked Shepard in a concerned tone.

"I—I am fine. Or I will be…in time. My name is Shiala. I serve-I served Matriarch Benezia. When she allied herself with Saren, I joined her as well. Benezia foresaw the influence Saren would have. She joined him so that she could guide him down a gentler path. But Saren is compelling. Benezia lost her way."

"Are you saying Saren can control minds?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Benezia underestimated Saren as did I. We came to believe in his goals and his cause. The strength of his influence is troubling."

"Saren manipulated a matriarch? This is just getting worse by the minute." I said.

"How did she become manipulated?" Shepard asked.

"Saren has a vessel, unlike anything I have ever seen. He calls it Sovereign. It can dominate the minds of its followers. They become indoctrinated to Saren's will. The process is subtle. It can take days, weeks. But in the end, it is absolute." Shiala explained.

"I was a willing slave when Saren brought me to this world. He needed me for my biotics, to communicate with the Thorian, to learn its secrets. Saren offered me in trade. I was sacrificed to secure an alliance between him and the Thorian."

Shepard scowled, "Saren's pretty quick to betray his own people."

"He was quick to betray the Thorian as well. After he had what he wanted, he ordered the geth to destroy all evidence of the Thorian's existence. Saren knows you are searching for the Conduit. He knows you are following his steps. He attacked the Thorian so you would not find gain the Cipher."

"What's the Cipher? And why did Saren need it?" asked Shepard.

"The beacon on Eden Prime gave you visions. But the visions, are unclear, confusing. They were meant for a Prothean mind. To truly comprehend them, you must think like a Prothean. You must understand their culture, their history, their very existence."

_No way! I got the same thing on Mindoir! I thought it was the only one…guess not._

I couldn't believe it. On Mindoir when the Prothean ruins activated, it must have beamed more than simple visions into my mind. I guess this Cipher is the reason why the whole Reaper thing doesn't seem farfetched or why I understood the language on those elevator panels in the ruins on Therum. The Mindoir ruins contained the Cipher!

"The Thorian was here long before the Protheans built this city. It watched them and studied them. When they died, it consumed them. They became a part of it." Shiala continued to explain.

"So the Thorian taught Saren to think like a Prothean. How?" Shepard asked.

"The Cipher is the very essence of being a Prothean. It cannot be explained. It would be like explaining color to a creature without eyes. To understand, you must have access to endemic ancestral memory. A viewpoint spanning thousands of Prothean generations." Shiala said and began to pace back and forth.

"I sensed this ancestral memory—the Cipher—when I melded with the Thorian. Our identities merged, our minds intertwined. Such knowledge cannot be taught, it simply exists."

"I need that knowledge to stop Saren." Replied Shepard.

"There is a way. I can transfer the knowledge from my mind to your mind like I did with Saren."

"Alright. Let's give it a shot." He said.

"Try to relax Commander. Slow, deep breaths. Let go of your physical shell. Reach out to grasp the threads that bind us, one to another. Every action sends ripples across the galaxy. Every idea must touch another mind to live. Each emotion must spark another's spirit. We are all connected. Every living being united in a single, glorious existence. Open yourself to the universe, Commander. Embrace Eternity!"

With that, Shiala's eyes turned black and she looked into Shepard's eyes.

_So that's how they do it…Dang, that's pretty prolific._

After a minute or so, it was over. Shepard took a step back, breathing heavily.

"Shepard, are you alright?" Liara asked worried. Garrus put his arm on Shepard's back.

"I'm—I think I'm alright."

"John. _Do you understand me?_" I asked him, slipping into the old Prothean language. Liara, Shiala, and Garrus all looked at me. John raised an eyebrow.

"Could you repeat that?"

"_Do you understand me_?"

"Yes."

"_In Prothean._"

"_Yes._" He replied in Prothean.

"Awesome. Looks like you got it." I replied with a smirk, as I took off my helmet.

"Good god it smells terrible in here!"

"Mark, how do you know how to speak Prothean?" John asked.

"Uh, well…There was this cave near my childhood home on Mindoir that had a Prothean ruin in it. I went there a lot. The researchers who checked it out said it wasn't functional. I hid there during the raid and it somehow activated. It wasn't any beacon, it was a network hub. Took me years to figure it out. Now I guess there's an explanation for why I feel like I know this place or other ruins. More importantly, how I just talked to you in Prothean."

"Certainly not dull eh, Shepard?" Garrus said.

"No I guess not."

Shiala turned to Shepard, "I have given you the Cipher, just as it was given to Saren. The ancestral memories of the Protheans are a part of you now. You have been given a great gift: the experience of an entire people. It will take time for your mind to process the information."

"We should get you back to the ship to be monitored." Liara said.

"I am sorry if you have suffered but there was no other way. You needed the Cipher. In time, it will help you understand the vision from the beacon."

Shepard nodded, "Thanks Shiala. Now that you're free of the Thorian, what do plan on doing next?"

"If you would allow it, I would like to stay here with the colonists. They have suffered greatly, and I played a part in their suffering. I would like to make amends."

"The colonists will need all the help they can get. They'll be glad to have you on their side."

"Thank you Commander. May fortune smile upon you." She replied with a grin.

"I don't know about any of you, but we should get out of here before I throw up. God damn." I said, trying to cover my mouth.

Shepard chuckled, "Put your helmet on."

"But I don't want to." I said in a faux whiny tone.

We made our way through the structure of the Thorian's den again but at a slower pace than before. It was good time to just…talk.

"So Shiala, do you know what the Conduit is?" Shepard asked.

"No. I'm sorry. I only know that Saren believes it was the key to the Prothean extinction."

"That doesn't sound too good." Garrus said.

"You have the Cipher. In time, your visions will clear. They will lead you to the Conduit. I pray that you find it before Saren does."

Shepard nodded, "Is there anything else you can tell me about the Thorian?"

"When the creature enveloped me, I became part of it. But I still don't truly understand it. So alien, so ancient. Its exact age is impossible to know. It measured time differently. Ten thousand years of hibernation broken by frantic centuries of activity. Its mind was awesome. Magnificent. It transcended all classification. Now it is gone."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you feel sorry for it."

"The Thorian was a unique life form—a sentient being that lived for 50,000 years or more. There is nothing remotely like it in the galaxy. I am grateful that you saved me from a life of thralldom. Yet I cannot help but feel sorrow for the loss of such a rare and magnificent creature." She replied.

"Now I can say to someone, 'Yeah I did meet a plant that was an evil genius' one day." I said with a smirk.

Shiala raised an eyebrow at me.

"What I was being serious? You'd be surprised how many bar bets you could win with something like that."

Garrus chuckled.

"Considering all that has happened here, I am surprised that you would be cracking jokes." Liara said.

"That's just his way of breaking the tension." Shepard replied.

"Yeah. The way I see it, we came, we saw, we kicked ass. No need to continue brooding over it." I replied.

When we returned to the surface, the ExoGeni employees who were hiding out in the skyway rejoined Zhu's Hope and began to help rebuild. Juliana and Lizbeth were standing at the entrance.

"I can't believe it. Jeong says we'll have all the money we need to keep this place running." Juliana said, "It's all because of you, Shepard. I can't thank you enough."

Shepard shook her hand along with Lizbeth.

"Looks like I missed out on a few things eh?" I said, turning to Shepard.

"Yep. You sure did." Shepard filled me in on the story regarding ExoGeni. Pissed off was an understatement when I heard about Jeong's plan for the colony. But before I went off to tear the bastard a new one, Shepard told me that he leveled a good threat to him.

"Well that works for me. Heh, you called him peach fuzz." I replied.

"It was fitting. I thought." Shepard agreed with a grin.

We continued to shake the hands of the grateful colonists, many of whom also apologized for their actions. I was more than impressed with John. He had managed to save every single person in Zhu's Hope, minus Fai Dan. The colony would be more than prepared to overcome any sort of obstacle from now on.

Our mission was completed and we returned to the ship for a debriefing. As we made our way to the port, I looked at the ship.

"Well despite Joker's frantic calls, this baby doesn't look FUBAR." I said.

"Joker likes to be a little dramatic." Shepard said.

As we approached, we were greeted by Kaidan and the rest of the squad.

"Welcome back guys." Ashley said, "Did you have fun?"

"You have a strange definition of fun, Chief." Shepard replied. We went inside the Normandy and dusted off.

* * *

During the debriefing, Liara decided to help Shepard figure out what the message from the Eden Prime beacon was. She was in awe from seeing what I could only imagine was something terrifying. From what Shepard told me, it was a vision of the Protheans being killed by the reapers. Liara had said that the vision from the Eden Prime beacon was incomplete. That it was only a small piece of a message.

He was right about the reapers but other than that, there was nothing else. We would have to continue on to the last location in our mission, Noveria, to see if we can find any other information. The rest of the squad left the briefing room while Shepard was making his debrief to the Council. Ashley and Liara waited outside at the door, but were keeping their distance to each other.

_Uh oh._ I said to myself. _Looks like thing are going to heat up on this boat._

* * *

"Mission reports are away Commander. Do you want me to patch you through to the Council?" Asked Joker.

"Patch 'em through Joker." Replied Shepard.

The holographic images of the Council appeared on the console in front of Shepard.

"Our apologies Commander." The asari councilor began, "ExoGeni should have told us about the Thorian sooner. It would have made your job easier."

"You might have been able to capture it for study instead of destroying it." Said the salarian councilor.

"The Thorian liked to enslave minds. Anyone who tried to study it would have ended up as one of its thralls." Shepard replied.

"Perhaps it is for the best then. At least the colony was saved." Said the asari councilor, Tevos.

"Of course it was saved!" Councilor Sparatus, cut in, "Shepard would go to any length to help a human colony."

Tevos and the salarian councilor looked at him sharply.

"Being human had nothing to do with it. They were in trouble." Retorted Shepard. "I know you still have a gripe with me being a Spectre, but I've got a job to do and I don't need your bullshit."

Sparatus' mandibles flew out in surprise at Shepard's response, but after looking at his colleagues, he instantly shut up.

"It was admirable of you Commander. But sometimes Spectres have to make sacrifices. I hope you're willing to do that when the time comes." Councilor Valern said, getting back to the topic at hand.

"Goodbye, Commander. We'll be waiting your next report." Said Councilor Tevos, ending the transmission.

As Shepard turned around, Liara and Ashley walked in.

"Miss Williams, Commander—we need to talk. If we do not resolve the situation now, I am afraid things will become…awkward." Liara said, wringing her hands.

Ashley seemed annoyed at the situation, "Oh, 'awkward' huh?"

Liara continued looking at Ashley, "I hope we can keep this civilized. I do not want things to become…unpleasant."

"Because its been so pleasant between us lately. Look. Somebody in this room needs to make a choice; it ain't me and it ain't you."

Shepard held both of his hands up, "Maybe we should try to work this out."

Liara nodded, "I think we should. I may not understand human relationships but I do understand the concept of jealousy."

Ashley looked even more perturbed, "Jealous? Of you? You're not even our species!"

"Perhaps that is why you feel threatened. I am a rival unlike anything you have faced before. Hostility is a reaction common to the unfamiliar." Liara replied.

Shepard was kind of surprised at how clinical Liara was being. _Then again, she's spent the past fifty years or so doing nothing but research._

Ashley looked like she was having a difficult time restraining herself, "Doctor, you keep smart-assing me and I'll show you what my hostile reaction is like."

"Both of you settle down! We can handle this like mature adults." Shepard said, standing between both of them.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "This is stupid. We're not married, Shepard. You want to get involved with some alien. It's not any of my business."

"You're special to me, Ash."

"Yeah? Kinda hard to feel special when you're 'chatting' with your little blue friend on the side. Or is that my role?" Ash retorted.

"This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I never should have told you my feelings Shepard. I have put you in a terrible position and I am sorry."

Shepard took a deep breath and looked at Liara, "I never meant for you to get hurt but Ash is the one I care about."

"I understand Commander. Perhaps it is for the best, she is one of your kind. I'm sure you and Miss Williams will be happy together. I should…go. I need to…check on something…" Liara said, briskly walking out of the communications room.

Ash turned to Shepard, "Dear God, I think I actually feel sorry for her."

"That's a surprise. A second ago you looked like you were going to break her neck."

"Or yours." Ash replied, "No one likes to feel they're not good enough to get what they want."

She changed her tone and moved closer to Shepard, putting her hand on his chest, "Lets…not talk about this here. It's not really the best setting for intimate conversation. You know where to find me."

Shepard grabbed her hand, "I do. But no one's in here. Just the two of us." He said wiggling his eyebrows.

She chuckled, "God that's terrible. I'm going back downstairs. But…I'd like to continue this conversation." Ash turned and walked out of the room, making sure to wiggle her hips on the way out.

Shepard shook his head and smirked. He was getting ready to walk out when Joker called.

"Hey Commander we've got incoming transmission from the Citadel, top priority."

"Is it the ambassador?"

"Nope. Encryption looks like it belongs to the Council."

"Alright. Patch 'em through."

"Setting up the link now Commander." He replied.

"Commander Shepard. We've received information that may be critical in your mission against Saren." Councilor Tevos said.

Shepard scratched the back of his head, a little surprised at this turn of events.

"I'll take all the help I can get Councilors."

Shepard noticed that the turian councilor, Sparatus, was not present. "Uh, where's Councilor Sparatus?"

"He is currently in a meeting with members of the Hierarchy." replied Councilor Valern.

"Oh. I see." Shepard said.

"We've received a message from one of our infiltration units out in the Traverse."

"You mean spies." Replied Shepard.

"Spectres tend to attract attention, Commander. But they are only one arm of the Council. Special Tasks Groups are often a better option for monitoring a developing situation."

"We currently have several infiltration units scattered across the Traverse and other border regions of Citadel space. This particular unit was gathering intel on Saren." added the salarian councilor.

"What did they find?"

"Unfortunately, the message we received was little more than static. The infiltration team must be in a situation where they can't set up proper interstellar communications. But the message was sent on a channel reserved for mission-critical transmissions. Whatever they were trying to tell us, it was important. Considering your interest in Saren, we thought you might want to investigate this. Find out what happened to our team. The signal originated from a planet called Virmire out in the Sentry Omega system, a system on the border of Citadel space."

"I'll check it out. Thanks again for the tip." Shepard replied.

"The Council prefers not to become involved in the specifics of Spectre activities. We only want you to become aware of all options, including Virmire." Said Councilor Tevos. "Good luck, Commander. We will keep you advised if we learn anything else."

Shepard nodded.

"Oh and one more thing Commander." She said.

"Yes Councilor?"

"As far as Councilor Sparatus is concerned, do not worry yourself with his statements or opinions. He has a habit of speaking out of turn." Tevos said.

Shepard chuckled, "I noticed. I don't think he likes me too much."

"He is still concerned over the situation with Saren. To use a human expression, it has been a tough pill to swallow." Said Councilor Valern.

"I understand. Thanks for letting me know."

They both nodded, "Commander."

_Well that was an interesting turn of events._

* * *

_I wanted to add that last bit about the turian councilor in since he had no lines during the Virmire briefing. I got the feeling playing through ME1 that the asari and salarian councilors had more tolerance for Shepard than he did. But that's just me._

_Also for the whole talking down to Jeong thing, I wanted to change that for 2 reasons. One, killing him bankrupts the colony, or puts them into a really deep financial hole. Two, I thought it would have been better to mix the paragon and renegade options together...make it seem more realistic as the paragon option was creepy but gave Feros a future and the renegade one was just a cool threat for the sake of having a threat._

_Coming up next: Side quests, Virmire, Dark times? TUNE IN FOR THE NEXT...TALES OF INTEREST!_

_Sorry...got carried away while watching Futurama. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	6. Interlude 2

_Author's note: Had a bit of an issue with this one, writers block mostly. I'm glad to get it out of the way._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR-1, En Route to Nodacrux, Vostok System, Maroon Sea Cluster**

After the debriefing, I went down to clean my rifle and do a check on my armor for any signs of damage. The last thing I expected was to be attacked by dozens of brainwashed colonists and fight off a giant plant…thing. I picked up my rifle and pulled up a stool at the table Ashley was usually working.

I disassembled the rifle, taking apart each section to get ready to clean. I pulled out a cloth and some cleaning solution from my bag and went to work.

_I need some music. Nothing but the ship humming and the occasional argument between Garrus and Wrex._

I pulled out my omni-tool and turned on the music player. After scrolling through my expansive library of songs, I finally found the one I wanted to listen to: Your Decision by Alice in Chains. It always calmed me down after spending a day running around, doing various tasks or for anything.

I started cleaning the barrel, tapping my foot in time with the song. I inspected every inch of the barrel before putting it back on the table and moving to the next part.

"Hey."

I turned my head and saw Ash, "Hey Ash."

"Interesting choice in music." She replied.

"You like?"

"It's not bad. Not really my thing though."

"I'll turn it down then." I said, activating my omni-tool again.

"It's fine. It's better than listening to the same dance pop songs over and over again." She replied.

"Don't tell me you listen to that." I said, incredulously. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm open to all sorts of music but that shit is everywhere."

"Meh. Music's never been my forte." She replied.

"Interesting thing to say to someone who's a musician." I said.

"What do you play?" she asked, now curious.

"Guitar, drums, bass, piano. I can sing too but it's tough. Especially since Akuze. God damn illness."

"Wow. Sounds like it's a big part of your life. Music I mean."

I nodded, "Yep. Had a great-great uncle that was an accomplished guitar player. His older brother, my great-great grandfather, was more of a hobbyist. Now he was an interesting man."

Ashley pulled up a stool and sat next to me, doing a check on her weapons, "What was interesting about him?"

"He was something of an idealist. Smart as hell but never completed college. Back in the early 21st century, he considered university's to be as bad as for-profit schools. Said once the check clears, they tell you what you should learn and not what you want to learn. Got fed up and bounced around from various jobs. He wrote that he learned a lot about life from doing those things, had success in a few areas."

Ash sat there and glanced over at me, she seemed somewhat amused. Then again, I always got hyper when I talked about my family.

"He got this idea to write a massive book about his tales, dreams, wishes, favorite things. He then passed it on to my grandfather, then to my dad, and now I have it. Even though he died about a hundred and twenty years ago, you would be amazed at how something's still carry weight."

"He sounds like a philosopher." Ash replied.

"Nah. He said in one of the first pages that he wasn't a philosopher. "There's no money in it. People would think I was crazy." He wrote."

Ash chuckled, "He's got a point."

I decided to change the topic from me to Ashley, "You got any family waiting for you Ashley?"

"Uh…yeah. I do." She replied, nervously.

I smirked and turned to her, "Ashley, I'm not in the military anymore and no I will not freak out."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" I ask.

"I'm the oldest out of four sisters."

"Four? Damn." I replied.

"I know. My dad used say he felt more outnumbered at home than when he was on duty."

I raised an eyebrow, "He was in the service?"

"Yep. I come from a military family. Started with my great grandmother."

"I'm only a second generation soldier. My dad used to serve in the Alliance." I replied.

She furrowed her brow in thought, "Sears…Sears…Sounds familiar."

"He served during the First Contact War. My dad was a member of Task Force 1."

Ash stopped what she was doing and looked right at me, "Your dad was Joseph Sears?"

I raised my eyebrow, "Yeah. He was at the Battle of Byzantine."

"I know. My grandfather was the one who deployed your dad's unit." She replied.

"Your grandfather was General Jack Williams?" I asked.

"Yeah."

I shook my head, "Wow…small world eh?"

"No kidding."

"The aftermath of that whole thing…What they did to him…It was absolute bullshit."

Ash smiled a little, "Thanks. I'm glad someone believes that. There's always some movement to try and get him exonerated but it never works."

"Someday it'll happen. Everyone was looking for a scapegoat back then."

She nodded. It was silent for sometime as we sat there, cleaning our weapons.

"About what I said when we first met." Ash started, "I tend to…put my foot in my mouth…a lot. I didn't mean to press you on losing your unit."

"It's okay Ash. You're not the first soldier I've met that's done it and you're not the last." I replied with a smirk.

"But to answer that question," I started, "For 6 years I had trained and fought with those 9 soldiers. We were closer than family. Hell, they were my family. We'd gone through dozens of operations over that time and didn't sustain a single casualty or serious injury. I prided myself on that record. Losing them…It was like losing 9 brothers and sisters." I paused, thinking back to every single person in the unit. "To be honest, I never did get over losing them."

I turned to look at Ash, "The difference between us is that you're a better soldier than I am. I know your unit was killed on Eden Prime. But since then, I've seen you move on and become part of another unit. You can feel bad if you want to, it's only human. Hell, I have my good days and bad days like everyone else. The one thing I can suggest to you is to remember them, and do better for them."

She smiled again, "Thanks Mark."

"You're welcome."

Ash scratched her forehead, "Man, we got so off track with all of that, I forget what we were talking about earlier."

I chuckled, "We were talking about family."

"You remember that?"

"I remember everything. Its not drell like but still good."

"Right." She replied, "Well, I told you that I have 3 sisters. There's Lynn, Abby, and Sarah. Sarah's the youngest."

"Ah. How old is she?"

"Eighteen. She's in her senior year of high school."

"Must be fun times for her I bet."

"Eh. She's freaking out about the prom and graduation. Even though it's a long way away."

I shook my head. I let out a series wet, heavy coughs and looked at my hand; it was starting to shake.

"Are you alright?"

"Medication time." I said, pulling out a lufar cigarette. The leaf itself was black with light, florescent yellow markings in the leaf's veins. I dug out my lighter and light it up, letting the smoke go down into my lungs.

"It must be difficult living like that." She said.

"You get used to it. Three hours of sleep every night, the occasional medical interval, and limited physical activity. That's why I can't go on several consecutive missions. Meds get washed out."

"What happens if you need to take your meds in vacuum, or an environment with no oxygen?"

"I can use hypo's to inject it. It's not as effective as this." I said, showing her the cigarette, "But it gets the job done. If I can't access it, my medical interface takes care of it. It hasn't happened yet, but you can never be too careful."

As I finished cleaning my rifle, Shepard approached the table. "Hey Mark. Hey Ash."

"Hey John. Stopping by for an 'unscheduled inspection'?"

He smirked and shook his head, "Do I look like a base commander?"

"Nah. You probably need to gain about a hundred pounds to pull that off." I reply.

Ashley chuckled.

"Mark, is it alright if I talk to Ash for a minute? In private." Shepard asked.

"Sure thing. I need to grab a bite to eat anyway." I said, getting up and putting my rifle away. Before I left, I turned to both of them and said in a snooty, drawling tone, "Behave you two."

They both responded with wide-eyed glares. I just laughed and walked towards the elevator, taking another drag from my cigarette.

* * *

_All of our advancements and yet elevator speeds haven't changed. Too bad I'm alone, would have made for some good chat time._

I stepped off and headed for the small mess area to grab an MRE. Luckily for me, I got one from my secret stash. _Meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. Score!_

I put it in the microwave and grabbed a Cherry Coke Throwback and sat down at the table.

After my MRE finished up in the microwave, I dug in.

"Hello Mark."

I looked up from shoveling down food to see Liara sitting down across from me. I swallowed.

"Hey Liara." I took a break from shoveling food and finished off the remainder of my cigarette. "How are you doing?"

"I am fine." She replied softly, "I was going over the Prothean visions Shepard has. Despite being fragmented, they hold a great deal of information."

I nodded, "Seems like that whole mind joining thing is pretty taxing on you."

"It can be. For someone at my age, it can be mentally taxing. However, with practice and time, it will be easier and less taxing."

"Sounds like playing a musical instrument." I replied.

"An interesting metaphor." Liara said. "There was one thing I was curious about."

"What?"

"Your knowledge of the Protheans. You said that you found a network hub on Mindoir?"

"Yep. It was in this cave near my family's farm. We always thought it was just ruins. The scientists that inspected them said the same thing. Then I ended up activating it on the day of the raid."

"What kinds of things did you find?" she asked, almost having a gleam in her eye.

"Bits of history, culture, language. I was basically told that I had the only remaining copy of the Cipher. Although, I guess I'm not the only one now."

"No. You are not. What happened to this Prothean network hub?"

"When I woke up, it was still standing. But I wouldn't count on it being active anymore." I replied, stubbing out the last of my cigarette and starting on my cherry coke.

"It must have been quite an experience. I'm amazed you were able to make sense of all that information." Liara replied with a small grin.

"Eh. It took a long time for me to figure out most of it. I finally learned what it all meant when I was in the veterans hospital." I said, scratching the heavy stubble on my cheek. "I'll admit, it was pretty fun to speak in a language only me and John could understand. It's great to freak people out like that."

Liara chuckled.

"Being a Prothean expert and everything, I bet you want to know what I know."

"With Prothean history being relatively scarce, it would be nice to know their history." She said.

"Sure. You could just do that whole mind diving thing you do with Shepard." I said.

Liara smiled, "When I recover from my earlier transfer, I will."

"Cool." I said, letting out a sigh, "I'm just glad I was able to say that without sounding like a dirty old man."

She laughed again, "It is alright."

Tali emerged out of the elevator and made her way over to the table. It was probably one of the few times I had seen her not working in engineering.

"Hey Tali. What's up?"

"Hello Mark, Liara. I needed to take a break. I've been learning so much about the engines over the past few weeks. There is so much to take in." she said, taking a seat next to Liara.

"I've only been in engineering once. It's too bright for me in there, even with these things on." I said pointing to my sunglasses.

Tali tilted her head to the side, "What is that marking on your arm?"

I raised an eyebrow and held out my right arm, "Oh this? It's a tattoo. It's my old unit's badge."

The badge had a rather demonic looking skull spewing smoke out of its mouth. "We were called the '10 Devils' because there were 10 of us in my unit; all different abilities, different walks of life."

Tali nodded as she looked at it. "Let me guess, quarians don't have tattoos."

"No we don't. How exactly do you make that?"

"It's basically a needle and some colored ink that gets drawn into the skin."

"That sounds a little unsanitary." She replied.

"Meh. It depends on where you get it. The process has been done for thousands of years. Only thing that's really changed is technology and medicine. The closest thing I can think of as an equivalent is turian face markings. 'Cept they use paint."

"Oh I understand. It distinguishes you from other people unless they have similar markings."

"Not exactly. It's more of an individual thing. Some people have them to tell stories of their lives, things they like, etc. I have one other." I said as I pulled up the left sleeve of my t-shirt. It was an N7 tattoo.

"John and I got these after we graduated from the N7 academy." I said.

Liara and Tali looked at it and chuckled, "Both of you got them?" Liara asked.

"Oh yeah. Celebratory thing. John doesn't remember much about that night but I do. Heh. Good times." I said, smiling at the memory.

"We should ask him about it some time." Tali said to Liara. Liara responded with a nod and a smile.

"Good luck with that." I said, "I'll have to be there to provide color commentary."

Tali changed the subject, "I heard about Feros. What ExoGeni did was just terrible."

"Indeed. I was surprised at Shepard's reaction to Mr. Jeong." Replied Liara.

"What reaction?" I asked.

"He looked as though he was going to kill him, but made a deal. Of course, the Commander made sure to back his deal with a threat."

I smiled, "I would have done the same thing."

"You would?" Liara asked.

"Yeah. Companies don't really give a damn about the people paying them as long as the checks clear. Same thing happened when Mindoir was being colonized. The colonial companies were reluctant to tell the people settling on the northern continent about the winters. The temperatures would drop to about 112 degrees below zero in Dur-Kurigalzu."

"Keelah. What happened to the settlers?"

"A lot of people started dying in the winter. The Alliance got wind and threw the book at the company that 'forgot to mention' the winter conditions. There's always cases like that. Seems to happen on a daily basis." I said.

"Yet you haven't taken action against these companies?" Liara asks.

"You mean me, personally?"

"Yes."

"Nah I haven't. I'm not a vigilante, I'm a private investigator. I'll search them out if I'm asked." I replied. Liara nodded in understanding.

"It must have been interesting being on a frontier world sitting on Prothean ruins." Tali said.

"It was. I loved the view up there. It was like you could open a window and look down at the sky. The only issue I'd have is the stability ratings of those buildings and the large piles of broken rock everywhere. Other than that, it felt like going home…sort of."

She nodded as well. The rest of our time was spent making idle chat about our upcoming tasks. Shepard said that he wanted to check out this ExoGeni facility in the Maroon Sea cluster. I would be sitting the next to assignments out so it would give me time to get to know the squad and the crew more. I didn't mind it at all. After finishing my chat with Liara and Tali, I headed back down to the cargo area to talk to Wrex.

* * *

Wrex was in his usual spot, leaning up against a crate while checking his shotgun.

"Mark." He said in his deep, booming voice.

"Wrex."

"What brings you down here?" he asked.

"Just checking in, seeing how you're doing."

"Not too bad. Trying to figure out why my shotgun keeps jamming when I use the carnage shot." He said, inspecting the barrel.

"Mind if I take a look?" I ask.

"Go ahead." He replied giving me the shotgun.

I sit down on a nearby crate and inspect the shotgun, "You going on the next mission?"

"Yep. I can't figure out the problem with this damn thing though."

"How long has it been acting up?"

"Since Therum." Wrex replied.

I activated the maintenance program on my omni-tool and did an internal scan.

"Hmm." I said, looking at the internal heat sink.

"What is it?" Wrex asked, almost worried.

I looked up at him, "How often do you use the carnage rounds?"

"Every now and then." He replied.

"By the looks of it, your heat sink has fused itself to the carnage shot mechanism. That's why it keeps jamming."

"But that shouldn't happen. Carnage shots don't use the same heat sink. They're not even connected." Wrex replied.

I looked at it again, "Has the regular firing mode been firing off as well?"

"Now that you mention it…" Wrex said, tapping his chin, "It has."

"Gonna need a new heat sink." I said. I got up and went to my locker and pulled out a spare. I pulled out the old one and replaced it; I even fixed the carnage shot switch.

"There you go. Should be good as new."

Wrex grinned, "Thanks kid."

"Any time." I replied handing Wrex his shotgun.

"I heard a lot about you through some of the Shadow Broker's connections." Wrex said.

"Really…"

"Yep. From what I've seen, it looks like they were right. You fight with the precision of this drell assassin I've heard of."

I smirked, "Thanks."

"Considering you've gone up against thresher maws and survived, that would make you an adult in the eyes of Clan Urdnot."

I raised an eyebrow, "I'd be an adult in your clan?"

"Yep. Although in a few centuries, I don't think those customs will matter anymore."

"Why not?"

"The genophage."

"Ah. I see." I replied. "But it's not lethal, it just changes birth rates right?"

"Yeah. It's not killing us but it's affecting all of us." He replied simply.

"Like…culturally?"

"You could say that. If you ask a krogan whether he'd fight for credits or cure the genophage, he'd pick fighting every time. It's who we are Mark. I can't change that, no one can."

My brow furrowed, "Anybody can change that. If you asked me that question, I'd say both."

"You can't answer with both." Wrex replied.

"I can. I wouldn't think of it as either fighting or curing. I'd think of it as fighting for a cure."

"Hmm." Wrex said, scratching his brow plate. "That's an interesting way of putting it."

"Well it's part of krogan culture. Education or science doesn't have to sound weak, it's just another opponent."

Wrex let out a single loud laugh, "You'd make a good krogan."

"Thanks Wrex. Glad we had this chat."

"Same here. See you around kid."

* * *

**En route to Chasca, Matano System, Maroon Sea Cluster**

I headed up to take a short nap but while I was doing that, Shepard and the team headed down to Nodacrux, where an ExoGeni facility was located. Scattered across the area where the facility was located were dozens of Thorian creepers; the strange zombie-like creatures we encountered on Feros. Inside the facility, Shepard and the team found more and took them out. Located in a locked room was an ExoGeni researcher and her team, with a small security force. The chief researcher, Doctor Ross, had sent out the generic distress signal to alert ExoGeni. However, with the arrival of Shepard and his knowledge of the Thorian, Ross had to change her plans. She tried to bribe Shepard but considering how upset he was at ExoGeni's initial plan to purge the colony, he told her to piss off. In the end, none of the survivors of the facility made it out.

Shepard shook his head when he got out of the elevator, "I hate putting out someone else's fires."

"Good thing you're not a fireman." I replied.

Shepard snorted, "I'm heading up to the CIC. There's another piece of intel I dug up at ExoGeni's facility. Something involving Cerberus on this colony world."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

I headed down to the cargo bay to talk to Garrus. I was curious if my repairs to his rifle did any good. Garrus was at his usual spot, typing away on a diagnostic terminal next to the Mako.

"Hey Garrus." I said as the turian turned around.

"Mark. Good to see you." Garrus said, cheerfully. "I wanted to thank you for fixing my rifle. It works better than ever now."

I smirked, "Anytime, Garrus. Glad to be of help."

He nodded, "How have you been holding up?"

"I can't complain. I'm glad that business on Feros is over and done with."

"Agreed. As if dealing with the geth was enough. Then we had to deal with…what are those creatures in your human vids? They're dead but somehow came back to life?"

"Oh you mean zombies."

"Yeah zombies. Then there was the thorian…" Garrus said.

"Don't mention that thing, every time someone does all I can think of is the smell." I replied with a shiver.

Garrus looked around and then said, "Thorian."

"God damn it!"

He chuckled. While I stood there shaking my head in a disapproving fashion.

"Good times." Garrus replied. "If anything, I was surprised that you spoke Prothean."

"Well I already told you the brief story about it. I just haven't found the chance to speak it." I said, "It's cool knowing a language that only a few people know."

"Why do I get the feeling that you could abuse that?" Garrus said, folding his arms.

"Only around you Garrus." I replied as he grumbled. "You going on the next assignment?"

"I think so. Kaidan, Liara, and Ashley went. I think I'll be going with Wrex or Tali."

"I think it'll be Wrex." I said.

"What makes you think so?" Garrus asked.

"He's got this look like he wants to kill something."

"At least it won't be boring." Garrus replied.

* * *

**En route to Herschel System, Kepler Verge**

Shepard and the team came back an hour later. When John mentioned Cerberus being involved on Chasca, I feared the worst. My instincts were right. Chasca's entire colonial pioneer team was killed. The 'samples' this Dr. Gamorle was referring to, were 'Dragon's Teeth'. Dragon's teeth were large spikes the geth used to turn human beings into husks. The entire pioneer team was turned into husks. I went over all the information that Shepard, Garrus, Wrex, and Tali had picked up.

The evidence I had seen from the Mako's gun camera was horrific.

_It's…it's just like Akuze. The whole pioneer team is gone._

I shook my head, driving those thoughts into the back of my mind.

_First they kill a squad of marines, then Kahoku, and experimented on colonial pioneer teams. What the hell is going on here?_

Kaidan took a seat next to me in the mess hall. "You okay, Mark?"

"Hm? Oh…yeah. I'm fine." I replied.

"Is that the intel Shepard picked up from Chasca?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's troubling. That's just putting it mildly."

"This Cerberus group is bad news if you ask me. Most of their actions just don't make any sense." He said.

I nodded, "From what I've heard about them, Cerberus is supposed to be some pro-human terrorist group. All of their actions so far don't seem to make any sense."

"Tell me about it." Kaidan said.

"Mark?" Shepard asked as he walked out of his quarters.

"What's up John?"

"I'm taking you and Garrus on our next assignment. We're going to board vessel so expect anything." He said.

"You got it. I'll suit up." I replied as I headed down the lift.

After putting my gear on, I headed up to the CIC with Garrus and Shepard. The airlock had pressurized and we walked through and onto the ship, the MSV Fedele.

"This is ship. Dr. Saleon should be around here somewhere." Garrus said.

"Dr. Saleon?" I asked.

Garrus explained the history between him and Saleon as we made our way through the ship's cargo area.

"Well that's twisted…Wait. Did you hear something?" I ask. Various groans and clanging noises echoed through the deck. What we saw next was gruesome. The test subjects that Saleon had hardly looked remotely human or alien. They were warped in such a fashion that you couldn't tell what they were anymore. We eliminated them and moved through the ship, locating a room where we found 'Dr. Heart' aka Saleon. He tried to pass himself off as Dr. Heart but failed once he saw Garrus. Garrus said that we should shoot him and end it. Shepard disagreed, saying that we would never know how he got away or what he did to those people. I agreed. Saleon gave us some sarcastic 'thank you' and tried to flee before Shepard gunned him down.

"So he dies anyway. What was the point of that?" Garrus asked frustratingly.

"You never know how people are going to act Garrus. But you can control how you'll respond. In the end, that's all that really matters." Shepard said.

Garrus nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I've met anyone like you Commander. Well, I guess we're done here."

* * *

**En route to Tuntau, Phoenix System, Argos Rho Cluster**

After helping Garrus out, Shepard decided to help Wrex get his family's armor back. It was in the hands of some turian by the name of Tonn Actus. He was a pirate and profiteer; buying up various artifacts from the Krogan Rebellions. I volunteered to go along with Shepard and Wrex. I felt fine after helping Garrus earlier, no ill effects from running around and killing disfigured test subjects.

_Wouldn't be the first time I've done consecutive missions like this. Shouldn't be too bad._

Once we made it in orbit and landed on the planet, it was unusually quiet. Tuntau itself was fairly calm and flat despite a few hills. However, the planet itself was uninhabitable with an atmosphere of methane and helium and had little to no organic and plant life on the surface.

"Shepard, I'm getting a reading about a quarter mile west of us." I said.

"What is it?"

"Organic readings. Might be the guys we're looking for."

"That's him." Wrex replied, "Let's go get him."

We stormed the small facility buried in a small mountain range with the Mako and killed the guards outside. Once we disembarked, we busted into the base, mowing down anyone that got in our way. It wasn't precise as it was forceful. But when you've got a krogan trying to get his family's armor back from a war profiteer, you tend to throw finesse out the window. Once the other pirates were taken care of, Tonn Actus burst out of one of the rooms in the base, screaming at us. Wrex used his biotic pull on Actus, causing the turian to fly at Wrex. Once he came close enough, Wrex punched him in the face with such a force that I heard bones crack. Actus' limp body fell to the floor and Wrex pulled out his shotgun and fired a single shot into his head.

"Eesh." I said, as various bits of blue gore flew up and splattered everywhere.

"That takes care of Actus. Let's go get my armor." Wrex said.

We walked up the steps and went into the room Tonn Actus had come out of. There were krogan artifacts scattered all over the room.

"Wow. Look at all this stuff." I said.

Wrex grumbled in a low tone. Shepard was busy opening a large safe in the back of the room.

"Got it." Shepard said. The safe opened up to show a large set of krogan armor. It was black and a dark gold color, riddled with various scratches and scorch marks.

"Here it is. My family's armor." Wrex said picking it up and looking at it. "I can't believe my ancestors ever wore this piece of crap. But it's good to have it back."

"I'm glad we could help you get it back Wrex." Shepard said.

Wrex turned around to face Shepard, "I might just be starting to like you Shepard."

He continued to look at his armor, brushing his hands over it. "Come on, let's go."

We got back in the Mako and headed for the Normandy. Once we were on board, I sent a message to Murph. I wanted him to get an old friend in the shipping industry to send all of those krogan artifacts to Tuchanka. I decided to let Wrex know about it and he was pleased. If there was anything we both had in common, it was our respect for the past. After talking with Wrex, I headed back up to the mess hall and took my meds.

_Maybe doing consecutive missions isn't so bad…_

Our next stop would be Virmire.


	7. Double Down

_Author's note: Whew! Big chapter right here. It took me awhile before I finished it. Most of it was adding in some conversations (lots of youtube scowering) and what not but I finally did it._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**Virmire, Hoc System, Sentry Omega Cluster**

As we approached Virmire, I headed up to the bridge and took a seat next to Joker.

"Hey Joker."

"What's up Mark?"

"Nothing much." I replied, "Getting any strange readings from down below?"

"Depends on your definition of strange." Joker said with a smirk. "I'm picking up a lot of geth readings and comm. chatter. Hold on, I'm dropping the Mako."

Shepard, Kaidan, Wrex, and Tali went with Shepard to take out Saren's AA defenses.

"Drop successful." I said.

"Commander, I've located the salarian STG they're approximately 4 miles from the drop zone." Joker said.

"Good job Joker. Stay out of range until we take out the AA defenses." Shepard replied.

"You got it Commander."

I turned to Joker and asked, "Joker, do we have the range to engage that AA battery?"

"Nope. We might be the most advanced ship in the fleet but we're not a dreadnaught."

"Alright. Commander, you've got about a quarter mile before you reach the first AA battery. From the looks of it, there are about 8 geth troopers, and a juggernaut." I said to Shepard as we tracked the geth's movements from a distance.

Shepard came over the radio, "Roger that. Thanks Mark."

We continued to track the Mako's movements and I continued to feed the team with tactical information.

"Alright Commander, after the second gate house, take the the route on the left. There's less resistance and it'll put you right in front of the third gate house."

"Copy that, thanks for navigation."

Shepard and the team pulled up and dispatched the geth guarding the AA tower at the last gatehouse.

"I'm reading that the grid is down Commander. On approach to the salarian base now. Out." Joker said.

When we touched down, we were not allowed to leave. I got suited up again and headed out to the salarian camp. Ashley went with me to talk to the salarian in charge, Captain Kirrahe.

"I'm Mark Sears. This is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. What's going on?"

"We have to ground your ship. The entire base is surrounded by anti-air batteries." Said Kirrahe.

"Our Commander just took out the ones on the way here. You're saying they have more defenses inside?" I ask. Kirrahe nodded.

"So what are we supposed to do in the mean time?" Ashley asked.

"Stay put until we can come up with a plan." Stated Kirrahe.

Shepard and his team walked up behind us.

"Are you in charge here? What's the situation?" Shepard asked.

"I'm Captain Kirrahe, Third Infiltration Regiment, STG. You and your crew have just landed in a hot zone. Every AA battery within ten miles has been alerted to your presence."

"Damn." Shepard replied, scratching his head, "What now?"

"We wait until the Council sends the reinforcements we requested."

"Hate to burst your bubble, but we're the reinforcements." I said.

"What?" Kirrahe asked in disbelief, "You're all they sent? I told the Council to send a fleet!"

"We couldn't understand your transmission. They sent me to investigate." Shepard said.

Kirrahe was frustrated, "That is a repetition of our task. I lost half of my men 'investigating' this place."

"So what have you found?" asked Kaidan.

"Saren's base of operations. He's set up a research facility here, but its crawling with geth and its well fortified."

"What's Saren researching?" Shepard asked.

"He's using the facility to breed an army of krogan."

_Well fuck me sideways._

Wrex was just as surprised as he approached us, "How is that possible?"

"Apparently, Saren has discovered a cure for the genophage."

"Must have paid someone a lot of creds to get that done." I muttered.

"The geth are bad enough. But a krogan army, he'd be almost unstoppable." Said Shepard

"Exactly my thoughts." Replied Kirrahe, "We must ensure that this facility and its secrets are destroyed."

"Destroyed? I don't think so. My people are dying. This cure can save them." Argued Wrex.

"If that cure leaves the planet, the krogan will be come unstoppable. We can't make the same mistake again." Replied Kirrahe.

Wrex's face twisted in anger as he stomped towards Kirrahe. I thought he was going to tear his head off. Instead, he pointed a large finger in his face.

"We are not a mistake!" he yelled and stormed off.

"Is that krogan going to be a problem? We already have enough angry krogan to deal with." Said an annoyed Kirrahe.

"He'll be fine. I'll go talk to him." Shepard said.

"I'd appreciate that Commander. My men and I need to re-think our plan of attack, can you give us a few minutes?"

"Of course. I'll be back in a bit."

Kirrahe nodded and went back into the tent to go over his plan.

Shepard turned to Ash, Kaidan, and I.

"Looks like things are a bit of a mess." Kaidan said.

"Yeah. I wouldn't be so worried if it wasn't for Wrex. He looks like he's going to blow a fuse." Replied Ashley.

"Mark and I will go talk to him. We'll be fine." Shepard said.

"I hope so." Ashley said.

* * *

The two of us walked across the beach and saw Wrex, firing his shotgun into the water.

"I hope he'll listen to us." I said.

"Me too." Replied Shepard.

As we approached Wrex, I stood back a few feet from Shepard.

"This isn't right Shepard. If there's a cure for the genophage, we can't destroy it." Wrex said, turning to us.

"I understand that you're upset but we both know that Saren is the enemy here. He's the one you should be angry with."

"Really? Saren created a cure for my people. You want to destroy it." He replied angrily. "Help me out here Shepard. The lines between friend and foe are getting a little blurry from where I'm standing."

Shepard fired back, "This isn't a cure, it's a weapon! And if Saren is allowed to use it, you won't be around to reap the benefits. None of us will!"

"That's a risk we should be willing to take! This is the fate of my entire people we're talking about!" Retorted Wrex. "I've been loyal to you so far. Hell, you've done more for me than my family ever did. But if I'm going to keep following you, I need to know that we're doing it for the right reason."

Wrex drew his shotgun and Shepard pulled out his pistol.

"Hey!" I yelled as I moved up and stood in-between them.

Both of them looked surprised as I interrupted their stand off.

"Wrex, these krogan were created by Saren. They're tools! Is that the future you want for your people? Do you want that to be your people's legacy?" I said. Wrex looked at me, his eyes darted around. Shepard looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"No. We were tools for the Council once. To thank us for helping them, they neutered us all. I doubt Saren will be as generous." Wrex said as he put his shotgun away.

"Whew." I said.

"Alright Shepard, you made your point. I don't like this but I trust you enough to follow your lead." Wrex said to Shepard.

"What about me?" I asked with a small smirk.

"You made good point too." Wrex said, giving me a crooked smirk.

"I gotta ask though." Shepard started, "Why did you get between us?"

"I'll be damned if either of you kills each other. I'm the guy dying over here, I've got nothing to lose." I said jokingly.

Wrex chuckled, as did Shepard. "Come on. Let's go see if the salarians finished their plan."

We approached Kirrahe and he explained what the STG was preparing to do. They would attack the front of the facility while Shepard and a small strike team would enter from the back and infiltrate the facility. The STG would turn their ship's drive core into a 20-kiloton ordinance to ensure the complete destruction of the facility. I asked Kirrahe about some of the details of his plan and gave him some suggestions.

"So you're going to assault the front with 3 teams, while Shepard and his team go through the back?"

"That's the plan so far." He replied

"Sounds good. What's the exit strategy?"

"We're going to detonate our ship's drive core to wipe out the facility."

"Hmm. That's a bit risky. How are you getting out of here?" I ask, holding my chin.

"We'll do the best we can and try to escape the blast zone."

"Wait. If you want I can provide sniper cover for your team. I saw a huge hill on the way over here that over looks the entire facility." I suggested.

"That's a good idea. If Commander Shepard agrees then you're free to do it."

"I do. That's an excellent idea Mark."

Kirrahe asked if Shepard would let one of his people go with his team for radio support. Shepard let Kaidan go to assist with that and we were ready to go. I started free climbing up the side of this massive hill, my free-running skills came in handy. After about 3 minutes, I made it up to the top of the hill. There was excellent cover from the trees and various shrubs and high grass. I pulled out my rifle and switched to sniper mode and waited for the go-ahead.

"This is Sears. I'm in position, awaiting further orders."

"Copy that, Sears" said Kirrahe, "You may commence operations."

"I copy."

As the salarians rushed into position, I took shots at the geth from my position which was over a mile away. Shepard, Wrex, and Garrus went into the back of the facility as the shadow team and were going through at a steady pace, knocking out any communication stations to aid the salarians. As for me, I was providing excellent covering fire for the salarians, the geth had no idea where the shots were coming from and were going down left and right.

"Just like target practice." I said.

As a safety precaution, I planted several proximity mines around the area of my sniping point in case the geth got wise.

"Shepard this is Sears. I'm going to regroup with your squad before you reach the bomb site." I saw Shepard and his team enter the facility and figured it was time to head out.

"Alright. See you in a bit." He replied.

"Sears to Kirrahe, I'm heading into the facility. Good hunting."

"Thanks for the cover fire, Sears. Good luck." I put my rifle on my back and began to rappel down the hill. When I was half way down, I detonated the mines so no one would accidentally walk into my trap. Once I made it down, I sprinted towards the back of the facility and made my way in. Luckily, I made it in time as the Normandy touched down to drop the bomb off at the site.

"That was fast Mark." said Shepard.

"I'm a good runner." I said, coughing and trying to regain my breath, "If it's alright with you, I'm heading on the Normandy. I don't think you need me for the rest of the mission."

"Its alright Mark. You did a good job."

"Thanks John. Good luck." I headed on the Normandy with Wrex. My mission was complete. Then my hands began to wildly shake.

"Mark? Are you alright?" Wrex asked worried.

"Damn it." I said in between coughs. "Stupid medical interface…work!"

I fell to my knees, coughing and shaking. _Shit. Where's the damn hypodermic?_

My needles weren't on me and my interface wasn't working. I tried to take the armor on my legs off to get the pack of lufar cigarettes out.

"Damn it."

"Hold on Mark. I'll get you to the doctor." Wrex said. Before he could pick me up, my body locked up and went into a seizure. _You idiot. This is what happens when you went on consecutive missions._

_

* * *

_

Of all the decisions John Shepard had to make, sacrificing one of his squad members had to be the worst. He let Kaidan stay behind while he went after Ashley, who was guarding the bomb. In his mind, if he didn't go after Ashley, the geth could have disarmed the bomb and overwhelmed the rest of his team. What was disturbing about Virmire was the fact that he got to speak to Sovereign, Saren's ship.

It turns out that Sovereign wasn't just a ship: it was an actual Reaper. In terms of conversing with Sovereign, the thing simply mocked them and talked down to Shepard. Sovereign confirmed that they destroyed the Protheans and that organic life begins, advances and evolves along the paths the Reapers created. Once these civilizations reach their apex, they are utterly destroyed. Apparently, the cycle has commenced for over millions of years. How many there have been is unknown. Sovereign even said that the Citadel and mass relays were created by the Reapers for other civilizations to use; creating paths for these civilizations to follow.

After the enlightening conversation, and obtaining the information from the Prothean beacon, the team rushed out of the facility. When Shepard went back for Ashley, he ran into Saren. Saren was convinced that he was trying to save all life in the galaxy by trying to bring the Reapers back. Hearing Saren talk reminded Shepard of that asari scientist, Rana Thanoptis. She explained the effects of indoctrination and Saren appeared to show all signs of being indoctrinated.

Shepard and his team fought Saren and almost beat him. However, with the destruction of the facility imminent, Saren escaped, as did Shepard and his team. They even got the STG team out.

Losing Kaidan was a big loss. But what Shepard learned next, made his stomach turn.

His best friend of 13 years had gone into a series of seizures and was currently unconscious in the med bay.

Shepard and the rest of the team minus Kaidan and Mark sat in the communications room in silence.

Ashley broke the uneasy silence, "I-I can't believe that Kaidan didn't make it. How could we just leave him down there?"

"Alenko knew the risks going in. He gave his life to save the rest of us." Shepard said.

"It should have been me Commander. You know that."

"I'm sorry Ash. I'd never leave you behind. I couldn't. You know that." He replied.

"I know and I'm grateful. But Kaidan died because of me. Because of us." Ashley retorted.

Shepard's voice became softer, "Ash, how far are you going to drive yourself? Are you trying to be a martyr? To redeem your grandfather's honor?"

"That's not fair." She replied.

"What the public and the military did to him was unfair. But I don't want to lose you because of it."

"Aye, aye, Shepard."

"Excuse me, Commander. I'm sorry to interrupt but I think I have an idea. I think the beacon you found in Saren's base was similar to the one on Eden Prime." Liara interjected. "It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision. I might be able to put those pieces together."

"You want to join our minds again? Alright. Go ahead." Replied Shepard.

Liara discovered that the vision was a distress call that went out across the Prothean Empire but was too late. While there was no hint about the Conduit, it did point to a location: Ilos, a planet that could only be accessed through the Mu Relay.

After a discussion about the planet, Shepard sent his mission report to the Council and was ready for the debrief.

"Commander Shepard. I am pleased to see the mission on Virmire was a success." Said the asari councilor, Tevos.

"Saren is formidable enough without an army of krogan serving under him." Said the turian councilor, Valern.

"Sovereign's the real problem. The Reapers wiped out the Protheans and we're next." Shepard replied.

"Yes, we saw a mention of this in your report. Sovereign. A sentient machine, a true artificial intelligence. This news is quite disturbing if it proves to be accurate." Said the salarian councilor.

"Sovereign is real! The Reapers are real! I spoke to the damn thing and Saren admitted it!"

"He's playing you Shepard! Saren still has contacts on the Citadel. He probably saw your earlier reports. The ones talking about your vision and the Reapers." Said Valern.

Shepard rolled his eyes as the salarian councilor spoke next, "It's highly possible that Saren is using false information to throw you off balance. Our own intelligence has never turned up any corroborating evidence."

As if losing a friend and almost losing another was bad enough, now the Council was practically telling Shepard that his mission never happened.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he spat out. "Of course Saren knew about the vision. Hello? He was there when we tried to give you evidence about him the first time! You revoked his Spectre status! How on god's green earth could he still have access to my mission reports?"

The councilors fell silent and looked at each other.

"I'm the only one who knows what's going on here and the three of you are basically telling me that my mission isn't even happening! I just lost one of my best men down there! You want to explain how that happened? Or do you want to give me some excuse?"

"Commander!" said Tevos.

"Sooner or later you're going to have to take something I saw on faith, Councilor!"

"Try to see this from our perspective. Saren is a threat we can recognize. However, as far as we know, the Reapers exist only in your visions."

"Our decisions affect trillions of lives, Commander." Said the salarian councilor, "We cannot act on the accusations of a single person. Even a Spectre. Without solid evidence to support it."

"The Council cannot take official action here. That is why we created the Spectres. You have the authority to act as you see fit." Added Tevos.

Shepard narrowed his gaze.

"If you truly believe Sovereign is the real threat, you must take whatever actions you see fit and stop it and Saren." Said the salarian councilor.

"Good luck Commander. From all of us." Tevos said, closing the link.

_Why do I get the feeling that they'll continue to give me their usual hypocritical speeches?_

Shaking himself out of his own 'rage mode', Shepard calmed down and went down to the med bay to check up on his friend.

* * *

I woke up in sickbay about a half hour later. Shepard was sitting on a nearby bed looking at me, "How do you feel Mark?"

With a cough I replied, "I feel like a one legged man at an ass kicking contest."

He chuckled, "Dr. Chakwas said you had a seizure. I assume it was because of your condition."

"Yeah. It was my own damn fault. I shouldn't have gone on three straight missions. I needed to rest. I took my meds before we touched down but my medical interface should have activated once my symptoms started."

Dr. Chakwas came in, "Mark it's good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Sore all over. Damn seizures." I said, groaning as I sat up.

"You had us all worried, Mark. It's a good thing Wrex got you here as fast as he could." Said the doctor.

"Am I going to be alright?" I ask.

She bit her lip, "For now. As we speak, I'm running various tests to see how much your condition has progressed. In the mean time, I want you to rest for the next few days."

"Sounds good. Thanks Doctor Chakwas."

"You're welcome." She said as she returned to her terminal.

Shepard gave me the run down of his newest vision. Liara revealed that the vision was actually a distress signal from the planet Ilos. It was a familiar name. Ilos was a Prothean world in a system deep inside the Terminus systems, accessable through the Mu relay that was lost in a supernova. If the Conduit was on Ilos, it would be nearly impossible to find. Unless, someone had managed to find the location of the Mu relay. Shepard then told me what happened to Kaidan. I can sympathize with him, losing a fellow brother in arms. He was a good man who much like me, got the short end of the stick early in his life. If anything, Kaidan redeemed himself by joining the Alliance.

I was out of action for a few days, but I managed to have a few visitors, Wrex was the first one.

"Mark." He said.

"Wrex."

"How are you doing kid?"

"Could be better. You?"

"All right. Have to deal with those STG guys standing near my spot though."

"Well you haven't killed them yet so I assume its going fine." I replied as Wrex chuckled.

"Hell of a mission on Virmire." He said. I thought back to when Wrex and Shepard drew their weapons on each other.

"I wish that there was something I could have done to help, Wrex."

"Its alright, Mark. You kept me from shooting Shepard, even convinced me to stick around. I won't forget that." Wrex replied.

"If a cure for the genophage is ever found, will your people take revenge on the turians and salarians?"

"Probably. Its in our nature to fight."

"I hope not."

"Why?"

"There's no solace in revenge. Trust me, I wanted to get it for years."

"I couldn't see that being an issue with you." He replied.

"It was. 13 years ago, slavers attacked my home on Mindoir. I joined the military in the hopes that I would find them and kill them. Every single one."

"Did you find out who did it?"

"Yeah. I did. They eventually attacked Elysium and were slaughtered on Torfan. After years of thinking about what I would do, the chance was taken from me. I felt upset at first, but a burden was lifted from my shoulders. Killing the people who wronged you might seem good at first, but it won't be comforting. You'll spend the rest of your days drinking yourself into oblivion. Trust me, I've seen it."

"Hm. That's a good point."

"On top of that, you would just be repeating the Krogan Rebellions. Don't give them a reason to use the genophage again." I said.

Wrex nodded, "Hope you get better soon kid."

I continued to follow doctor's orders for a few more days, even beyond what Doctor Chakwas recommended. I wasn't going to take any chances.

Shepard continued to take various assignments on along the way. He eliminated various geth outposts in the Armstrong Nebula as there was a possible threat that the geth were planning an invasion on Alliance colonies on the Terminus system border. When the mission was over, he gave Tali a copy of some geth data that was picked up in the geth's staging area base. She wanted information on their evolution since the quarians had never encountered the geth since their exodus 300 years ago. Her pilgrimage was complete now with this information, but she would stay on and help us get Saren.

Noveria would be our final stop but in the mean time, we took on a few small assignments. Shepard helped out crime boss Helena Blake by taking out her partners in crime. He then convinced her to put a stop to her criminal career as her organization had a tainted reputation. After that, he went to the planet Xawin to follow up on the brother of a man Shepard had met in the Citadel Tower. The brother, Captain Willem, was killed by privateers and the cargo on his ship was stolen.

Our next stop was Noveria.

* * *

**Noveria, Pax System, Horse Head Nebula**

We were finally heading to our next mission on Noveria. There were scattered reports that some corporations on Noveria were interested in the geth. This would be my first mission since my 'episode' on Virmire.

Our arrival was met with some difficulty as we were not on Port Hanshan's scheduled arrival list. It wasn't until they confirmed that Shepard was on board that they let us in.

"What a friendly place. I might take my next leave here." Joker said.

"Leave? I think I'll get an apartment. I'd fit in just fine." I replied.

"They'd kick you out in a span of 10 minutes for 'disturbing the peace'." Shepard said to me.

"You're right. But at least it would be a fun 10 minutes."

Shepard decided to bring the entire squad along. Only 4 of us would be going with him once we found Benezia while the rest would hold back. As we headed inside Port Hanshan, we were met by several armed guards.

"That's far enough." Said the Asian woman, holding her hand up.

"We're not here to cause problems. Is there something wrong officer?" Shepard asked.

"You better hope there isn't." stated a blonde officer.

"This is an unexpected arrival. I need to see your credentials." Said the Asian woman.

"You first." Shepard said.

"We're the law here. Show some respect." The blonde said. She was met with a glare from her superior.

"I'm Captain Maeko Matsuo, Elanus Risk Control Services." She replied.

"I'm a Spectre. My name is Commander John Shepard."

"Load of horsecrap ma'am." The blonde said to her superior.

I rolled my eyes, "What you don't get the news out here?"

"We will need to confirm that. Also I must advise you that firearms are not permitted on Noveria." The dark haired woman turned to the other woman, "Sergeant Stirling secure their weapons."

We all drew our weapons. The officers were outnumbered 7 to 4.

"Shouldn't have done that." I said.

Shepard put his pistol down and glanced back at us, "Let's not start a fight."

"Where's the fun in that?" Wrex muttered.

A voice came over the PA, "Captain Matsuo, stand down! We've confirmed their identity. Spectres are authorized to carry weapons here."

The officers stood down, "You may proceed Spectre. I hope the rest of your visit will be less confrontational. Parasini-san will meet you upstairs." Said Matsuo.

"Behave yourselves." Said the sergeant.

We all put our weapons away and walked inside the port. As we went up the stairs, a siren went off leaving us all puzzled.

"Weapons detectors. Don't mind the alarms." Said a tan woman in magenta dress.

"I'm Gianna Parasini, assistant to administrator Anoleis. We apologize for the incident in the docking bay." She said.

"I appreciate the help." Replied Shepard.

"You're welcome. You understand that our security chief was only doing her job."

Gianna continued, "One of my duties here is orientation of new arrivals. Do you have any questions?"

"Pretty heavy security for such a small port." Shepard said.

"The Executive Board does everything in its power to protect the privacy of our client corporations."

"I can't have my investigation hampered." Shepard replied.

"Tread lightly." Gianna warned, "The Board can bury you in litigation. You'd need an asari lawyer to see the case through."

I grumbled, "If that's the case just say the two magic words: Spectre Privileges. No one will give you shit then."

Gianna gave me a small glare, "I don't think that argument will settle well."

"All work and no play…" I said with a sigh.

"Has anyone unusual passed through recently?" Shepard asked while giving me a small elbow.

"Unusual? An asari matriarch passed through here recently. Lady Benezia."

"B—Benezia? She is here?" Liara asked worriedly.

"Can I speak with her?" Shepard asked.

"Lady Benezia left for the Peak 15 research complex days ago. To the best of my knowledge, she's still there." Gianna replied.

"Could you tell me how to get there?"

"You'll need to ask Administrator Anoleis for clearance to leave this port."

Shepard nodded, "Do you know where he is?"

"His office is on the main level. Left at the top of the elevator."

"Thank you. Can we go in now?"

"Of course. If you have any questions, you can ask me at the administrators office." She replied, walking off into the back.

As we walked to the elevator, Liara turned to Shepard. "She is actually here. I cannot believe it. I assume you'll want to speak with me Shepard."

He shook his head, "No I don't. I trust you Liara. I know you won't do anything to jeopardize the mission."

"I appreciate that Commander."

We stepped into the elevator, listening to the welcome message over the speaker.

"She was hot." I said.

Shepard turned around and gave me a strange look, "Who?"

"Gianna."

Garrus chuckled. "We're trying to track down Saren's second in command and that's what you're thinking about?"

"You saying that she isn't hot?" I replied.

"I wouldn't know. You humans all look the same to me." Garrus said jokingly.

"Very funny." I said, pulling out a lufar cigarette.

As the elevator came to a stop, Ashley asked me, "Are you going to be ok Mark?"

"I should be. Moved my meds into my chest pouches and I did a full diagnostic check on all of my interfaces. Damn medical interface got busted during that mission to get Saleon."

"Really?" Garrus asked. "How did that happen?"

"Must have been one of those test subjects that got me from the back. I was so preoccupied with the mission that I forgot to do maintenance." I replied with a heavy sigh.

"It's alright. Everyone makes mistakes." Garrus said.

We walked into a merchant's stand being operated by a hanar named Opold. He wanted us to smuggle a package in for him.

"Wait. You mean this thing?" I said pulling out the package.

"How did you find that?" Shepard asked.

"It was sitting next to the Normandy's airlock. Plus it has Opold's name on it." I replied.

"But why did you pick it up?" Tali asked.

"I was gonna bring it to a mail clerk or something. Might have gotten the wrong address."

"This one is grateful to you for bringing the package. This one offers 250 credits." Opold said.

"You do realize we had to go through some heavy security and weapons scanners to get here." I said. "I think the reward should go up considering the risk."

"This one hears great wisdom in your words. This one offers 500 credits for delivery."

"Sounds good." I said. But before I could hand it over, Shepard stopped me.

"How do we know you're not giving this 'hardware' to someone who wants to kill us?"

"This package is going to a krogan bounty hunter by the name of Inamorda."

"Never heard of him." Wrex said. "Guess that means we're ok."

"This one is grateful to you." Opold said, giving me 500 credits.

"Likewise my good man. See you around." I said, walking out.

* * *

We walked into the administrator's office, ready to meet with this Anoleis. Shepard went into his office with Liara and Ashley, leaving me with Wrex, Garrus, and Tali. I walked up to the desk where Gianna was sitting.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

"Sure. Uh, how many companies are located here on Noveria?"

"There are over two hundred and fifty high-tech firms that rent the labs here. Major shareholders include: Elanus Risk Control Services, Binary Helix, and Synthetic Insights."

"Sounds like a lot of heavy hitters here. The guards here work for ERCS." I stated.

Gianna nodded, "The Executive Board gets a discount on facilities security. ERCS develops lethal and non-lethal weapons."

"Interesting." I said leaning on her desk, "So…do you like working here?"

She smirked, "The pay is good. But the location could be better. Watching constant snowstorms can get boring. Other than that, Its pretty good."

"Do you meet any new and interesting people?"

Gianna leaned in, "All the time. Not very often that I get to meet a Spectre and a..."

"Private investigator." I said, finishing her sentence.

"Right. That too." She said, "What exactly do you investigate?"

"Anything and everything. I'm just here to help a friend."

Gianna sharply raised her eyebrow, "You're friend's with Shepard? Interesting."

"We go way back."

I gave her a small smirk as Shepard, Liara, and Ash came out of the office. Gianna stood up and whispered to us, "Mr. Anoleis isn't the only one with a pass to leave Hanshan."

Shepard walked over to us.

"You've never worked in the corporate world, have you Commander? You can't just bludgeon your way through bureaucracy."

"I dunno. I've done it before." I replied cheekily.

Shepard rolled his eyes, "So it would seem. I need an alternative."

Gianna leaned in and whispered, "Talk to Lorik Qui'in. You should be able to find him at the hotel bar. Can't say anything else, not within earshot of Anoleis."

"I got it. Thanks for the tip." Shepard said as we headed out of the office.

* * *

Now we made our way to Hanshan's corporate hotel and lounge. Hopefully, this Lorik Qu'in would prove to be helpful.

"If there was ever a business admin that I wanted to punch, Anoleis would be it." Shepard said.

"Agreed." Replied Ashley, "I think he's hiding something."

"It's Noveria. Everyone here has something to lose. And when they lose, they lose big." Wrex said.

Garrus turned to me, "So Mark, how was your conversation with Ms. Parasini?"

"It was fun. But my instincts say that she's not who she says she is." I replied.

"What makes you say that?" asked Shepard.

"She gave us our current lead, this Qui'in guy. I mean out of everyone we've run into here, she's the first helpful person."

"Good point." Replied Garrus.

The elevator arrived at the mezzanine. Much like the rest of the structures at Port Hanshan, this area was nothing but bland concrete floors and walls with large, flat blocks surrounding a small fountain. The only difference was the bright lights and loud music.

"Psh. These business types don't know how to party." I said.

"All work and no play." Ashley said, echoing my earlier words.

Shepard was waved down by an asari working for the Aramali Council, a republic known for its bio-amp manufacturing. I walked off and let Shepard deal with whatever she wanted. Wrex and Garrus followed me as I went up to the second level of the hotel bar. I overheard a conversation between a salarian and his brother. It had something to do with Administrator Anoleis and Lorik Qui'in.

"Well think about it." The salarian said to his older brother, "A turian wouldn't risk getting his office closed. They don't compromise their 'team'. That's drilled into them at boot camp on day one."

Garrus snorted.

"I think the administrator is using this Qui'in to draw files from his own clutch."

I glanced at Garrus and Wrex, "What you think?"

"Well that salarian put it bluntly, but he's right. Most turians don't act for themselves." Garrus said.

"The guy controlling rents is taking bribes…why am I not surprised?" Wrex asked rhetorically.

We continued to walk along the walkway, passing a krogan.

"That's probably Inamorda." Garrus said. "Speaking of which, what are you going to do with those 500 credits?"

"I dunno. You guys can split up" I said, giving them 250 each.

"Really? Thanks." Garrus said.

"Yeah. Thanks kid. You're alright." Wrex said giving me a slap on the back.

"Any time guys."

Shepard came over the radio, "Mark, we just got some info from Qui'in. Turns out Anoleis is dirty. He's got some ERCS people ransacking the Synthetic Insights office looking for Qui'in's evidence."

The three of us raised our eyebrows, "You don't say." I replied.

"Yep. But there's a bit of a problem. We can't get into the office. There's a security lock on the elevator."

"Shit. Do you know where it's wired in?" I asked. There was a pause on the other line.

"Tali says that there's a hardline somewhere in the hotel lounge, second floor."

I turned on my omni-tool as Tali sent me the information. "Got it. I'll shut it down for you. Good luck."

"Thanks Mark."

We casually walked into the small alcove where I saw a small control unit.

"Keep a look out for me?" I asked. Garrus and Wrex moved towards the entrance to keep a look out.

"Done. You should be all set Shepard."

"Got it. On our way in."

I looked over at one of the extranet terminals and found an interesting message that was swiped by Noveria's security:

Not sure if you will receive this, Doctor, but it is imperative that you make your way to the safe location. Your history with our organization has been leaked. Your base in the Newton system is no longer secure. I repeat, make your way to the safe location immediately.

"Find something Mark?" asked Garrus.

"Yeah. Check it out." I said showing Garrus.

"You should forward that to Shepard." He replied.

"Already taken care of."

We headed back down to the first level of the bar. _Wouldn't hurt to kick back and wait until Shepard gets back._

"You guys wanna look for the bar?"

"Sure. It's not like we've got anything else to do." Wrex said.

* * *

Shepard, Tali, Liara, and Ashley arrived at the Synthetic Insights office and saw a woman and a turian guard waiting outside the elevator.

"Freeze! Hanshan security. This office is sealed." Said the female guard.

"What are you doing in here?" Shepard asked evenly.

"We're investigating Qui'in and his office." She replied.

"No you're not. Anoleis is paying you to shake this place down. Does Captain Matsuo know you're here?" Shepard asked.

"Hey. I'm not the one who wants Qui'in. Anoleis has a varren up his ass about this guy. How about this, you didn't see us and we didn't see you." She said, signaling her partner as they headed out. The other guards didn't comply and opened fire. Shepard and the rest of the team returned fire and struck at the guards with a variety of tech and biotic attacks. The other ERCS guards on the second level began to open fire as Shepard and his team made their way up to Qui'in's office. Liara threw a guard into one of the walls with such force, the sound of shattered bone echoed through the large office.

"Keelah! That was disgusting." Tali yelled as the last guard fell to the floor.

"Sorry if that was disturbing." Liara replied. "I did not expect the throw to be that powerful."

"It's fine. Let's get into Qui'in's office." Shepard said.

Once inside, he uploaded everything onto the OSD and got ready to leave.

"Skipper, looks like we've got company. It's that bitchy guard from the docking bay." Ash said.

The four of them walked out, seeing Sergeant Stirling and three other ERCS guards.

"I don't think you're supposed to be in here, Shepard." She said.

"Actually I am. I don't think you're supposed to be here." He retorted.

"Still not gonna show us some respect."

"Just your captain. I don't show respect to mercenaries." He said.

"Anoleis would throw you off world for what you did here. I won't. You know what we did to cop killers on my world?"

"What a load of crap." Ashley said, "You're here off duty, breaking the law for bribe money."

Shepard glanced back at her and smirked, "You know what we do to dirty cops?"

The team pulled out their weapons. Stirling's team did the same as well. However, they were cut down by a hail of gunfire, tech, and biotic attacks. Once the office was clear, they headed down the elevator.

"Hm…Looks like Mark sent me something interesting."

"Is it another extranet meme?" Ashley asked with a sigh.

"No. It's a message he dug up from Noveria's secure servers. Something about a doctor in the Newton system."

"We should check it out after this." Tali said.

Shepard nodded in agreement. As the elevator came down, they ran into Gianna Parasini.

"Commander. There have been reports of noise coming from the Synthetic Insights office. You wouldn't happen to know about it would you?" she asked with a hint in her voice that she knew what happened.

"Its probably Anoleis' thugs ripping the place apart." He replied with a smirk.

"Smartass, hm? That's fine. I can work with that. Meet me at the hotel bar for a drink, before you talk to Qui'in. I'll be waiting." Gianna said, as she turned to walk away.

"What do you think she wants?" asked Tali.

"I dunno." Shepard replied. "But it looks like Mark's instincts strike again."

When they stepped out onto the courtyard, they ran into Captain Matsuo.

"Hello again Commander. I wonder…how have you been spending your time here on Noveria?" asked Matsuo.

"Oh you know…Spectre business." He replied.

She snorted, "That's a polite way of brushing me off. I only ask because there was a break in at the Synthetics Insights office. Several of my officers were killed. You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"

Shepard cleared his throat, "That was me actually."

"I see. Would you care to explain?" she asked calmly.

"Anoleis bought them off. He had them ransacking the Synthetic Insights office for his own interests."

"That is all too likely. Sergeant Stirling was highly mercenary. If that is true, then I bear no ill will towards you." She replied with a heavy sigh. "I warned my people about taking jobs on the side and this is what comes of it. I appreciate your honesty Commander. If you'll excuse me, I must compose letters to their families."

"I understand Captain. You have my apologies." Shepard said.

She nodded and walked off.

Now they had to go see what Ms. Parasini wanted.

* * *

"So after days of running around this station and expending all the ammo from my weapons, I had kill a bunch of mercs and take their crap guns." Wrex said.

Wrex was telling us this story about this client, a volus diplomat, who wanted Wrex to kill someone that knew his secrets. The person he wanted dead was an asari commando that was one of Wrex's good friends. Her name was Aleena. They were friends since this incident that involved assassinating some turian. Wrex got his head, Aleena got the rest. Turns out, After Wrex told Aleena, they decided to have it out; out of respect for each other. She picked an old salarian space station that was only occupied by mercs and pirates; no innocents to get in the way. He said that Aleena was always a 'softie'.

"What happened to Aleena?" I ask.

"She was holed up in the med bay, patching herself up. As I was breaking in, the station's core went critical so I got the hell out. I barely made it out of there." He said, smirking at the old memory. "There was no way in hell that she could have made it out…Then I got a message from her that said, 'Better luck next time'."

"Damn." Garrus said, finishing off his drink. "What did you tell the diplomat?"

"I told him the truth. Aleena was alive and she was pissed. So I suggested that he take me on as his bodyguard. He hired me immediately."

"How long did you do that?" I ask.

"Until he died, natural causes. Easiest job I ever had." Wrex said.

"Unreal man. Can't say I've ever done anything that destructive." I said.

"Do you have any tales about your days in the Alliance?" he asked me.

I scratched my chin, "Aside from all the missions I've done, training was always interesting. I trained in the Alliance's N7 Infiltrator program."

"What was that like?" Garrus asked.

"Brutal. We did things that no one could have imagined. Like this one task we had. It was how to escape being captured or being stuck in a hardened facility. We had to escape from a Supermax prison in Alaska." I said.

"Alaska?" Garrus asked.

"It's this state on the North American continent. It's pretty close to the Arctic Circle so during the winter, it's brutal. They told us that we had 3 weeks to figure out an escape plan, by ourselves. There were only a few of us in the program and we went one at a time."

"So how did you get out? I mean it's a Supermax facility." Replied Garrus.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy. All I had on me was the clothes on my back and a few toiletries. Anyway, I memorized the guard routes, camera and sensor placements and a few other things. I used my shoes to wedge the door after lunchtime and made my way to the armory to get my gear. After making it out without a sound, I had to trek 60 miles across a dark and snowy environment. And up in Alaska, there's only 3 hours of sunlight during the winter."

"Damn." Said Wrex, "Must make this place seem nice."

"Hell yeah. Most difficult task I had to do. Broke it in record time too."

"How long did it take you?"

"4 days." I replied.

Garrus and Wrex shook their heads in disbelief.

"Seriously?" Garrus asked.

"Why would I lie about that?"

"Good point. Glad you're on our side."

I chuckled. Shepard and the team met up with us. "Hey Mark. Have you seen Gianna anywhere?"

"No. Why?"

Ashley smirked, "We figured she was having a drink with you."

"Ash." Shepard drawled, "No. She wanted to talk to me. Something about Qui'in's evidence."

"Right behind you Shepard." Said Gianna, who seemingly appeared out of thin air.

"Allow me to re-introduce myself. Gianna Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs."

Everyone collectively looked at me.

"Damn I'm good." I said with a smirk.

"You knew I was with Internal Affairs?" she asked.

"No. I just had a feeling you weren't who you originally said you were."

She smirked, "You are good."

"Why is an Internal Affairs agent here?" Shepard asked, getting back to the topic at hand.

"The Executive Board knows about Anoleis' corruption. I've been undercover for six months. I want you to convince Qui'in to testify before the Board. With his evidence, this planet can run profitably again."

Shepard nodded, "But you work for Anoleis. Can't you just take his records?"

Gianna scoffed, "He's a crook, not a moron. He doesn't keep logs on his computer saying, 'This month I stole three million credits'."

I scratched my head, "You never know. I've busted some crooks that were morons and they did that. You don't know until you try."

"I did try. All of his hard drives and other records were clean." She replied,

"Qui'in's testimony and records are all the evidence I need to prove Anoleis' guilt in one package."

"I thought corruption was the rule on Noveria." Shepard said.

"The rule is: don't rock the boat. Self-interest is tolerated if it doesn't interfere with business. Anoleis is driving customers away." Gianna replied.

"But we need Qui'in's garage pass to complete our mission." I said.

"You help my investigation, I'll get you whatever you need. Favor for a favor."

"It's a good idea. One less corrupt bastard running things." I said, nudging Shepard in the arm.

"Look Shepard, I don't like this either. You Spectre's play fast and loose with the law. That's bad for business."

"Other Spectre's might, but I don't. I'll talk to Qui'in and try to convince him." Shepard replied.

Gianna smirked, "Thank you. You know where I work. Come talk to me if he decides to play ball."

After convincing Qui'in, we headed for Anoleis' office. Gianna was pleased to know that she would get what she wanted. Plus, we got to see her drag Anoleis away. Good times. All of us headed to the garage where we were met by a sizeable geth force. However, their numbers were nothing against all 7 of us. Captain Matsuo arrived as well, surprised to see the geth were inside the garage. We explained the situation and were free to go to Peak 15. Shepard chose: me, Liara, and Wrex to go to Peak 15 and everyone else headed back to the Normandy.

"I call drivers seat!" I yelled out.

"Fine." Shepard said with a mock sigh.

"Dude you drive all the time."

"I don't mind. Now you get to show off your driving skills to all of us." He replied.

"Hopefully you're better than the Commander." Wrex said.

"I would have to agree as well. My apologies Shepard, but you tend to make the rest of us uncomfortable with your driving." Liara said.

Shepard smacked his forehead, "Thanks a lot."

"Oh come on. He's not that bad." I replied.

"He flipped this thing over one time…it's not supposed to be flipped over…ever." Wrex said in return.

I glanced over at Shepard with a raised eyebrow, "Really?"

"Once…" he said, practically whispering.

"Awesome." I replied, "Defying the odds, one vehicle and mission at a time."

I fired up the Mako and drove out onto the snowy path. Peak 15 was about 10 miles from Port Hanshan.

"Luckily for us, we've got some lighting on the side." I said.

"Yeah. I'd hate for this trip to end because you drove us off a cliff." Shepard said.

"Sure. Blame it all on me." I replied, "I can't believe there aren't any cup holders in this thing."

"Why would want that?" Liara asked, confused.

"If you're spending all day mowing down geth and you've got a drink, where are you going to put it?"

Up ahead was the smoldering remains of another IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle).

"That doesn't look good." Wrex said.

"Not at all." Shepard replied.

"But…Why would you have a drink in the first place?" Liara asked.

"Because that's how I roll." I replied. "Oh crap. Geth."

Up ahead was a fairly large blockade of geth shock troopers with various barriers set up, blocking off the bridge. To the left was a turret, firing rockets at us. Thanks to my driving skills and Wrex's mastery of the main gun, we blew through the roadblock.

"Well that was something." Shepard said.

"Sometimes its easier to just run 'em over." I replied.

Up ahead was a geth armature and some anti-armor infantry. It took some extra time for us to take out the armature but we did it.

"Geez. Great job Noveria security." I muttered, "I bet they've got this whole road covered every half mile."

"It's not every day geth show up." Shepard replied.

"Yeah but still. You'd think they would have had security checkpoints or a station on one of these roads." I said.

"They're cheap. That's why." Wrex replied.

"Good point." I said.

We continued down the road and ran into limited resistance. As we got closer to Peak 15, the only defenses were heavy turrets.

"Looks like the garage." Shepard said. "Alright, get ready. Who knows what's in there."

"All signs point to geth." I said, smirking under my helmet.

* * *

We went into the garage and were greeted by the large geth juggernaut units and several krogan. I ducked behind a shipping container and got ready to line up a shot on a juggernaut and repair drone. Luckily for me, they were standing next to a cryo containment cell. "Gotcha." I said, pulling the trigger. The juggernaut and the repair drone were engulfed in a Bose-Einstein condensate that flash froze them both. Two extra shots caused them to shatter and turn into nothing but chunks of frozen steel.

"Krogan up top!" Liara yelled. The krogan merc was firing his shotgun wildly and strafing across the catwalk.

"This guy needs a lift." I said into the radio.

"On it." Wrex said, using his biotic pull to send the krogan flying up into the air. _One shot, one kill._

All targets were down and we started to head for an elevator when the facilities VI made an announcement.

"User alert: All Peak 15 facilities have suffered a great deal of damage. Biohazard materials present throughout facility. Virtual intelligence interface offline."

"We should activate the power to this facility." Liara said.

"Man…this sounds like some old horror movie I watched." I said, thinking about the movie 'The Thing'.

"Well the whole biohazard materials part sounds like it." Shepard replied.

"Fingers crossed that we don't find zombies." I said. Shepard chuckled and shook his head.

We entered a security checkpoint and saw two turrets facing the opposite way.

"Why are those turrets facing the wrong way?" Liara asked.

"They want to keep their people in as much as they want to keep others out." Wrex said.

"Yeah…this is getting worse." I replied.

We took a left and went into an elevator that took us to the facility's cafeteria. By the look of things, it had been some time since anyone had eaten or been here. The metallic floors were replaced with rock and ice from the outside. It was as if we had made our way into some kind of cold storage area, rather than a cafeteria.

Inside, more geth were waiting for us.

"Shit!" yelled Shepard, "Mark, Wrex! Flank them from the left, we'll cover you!"

"You got it!" I replied. Wrex ran up ahead with his shotgun while I covered him from the back.

"Shock trooper!" Wrex shouted. I tossed an overload mine at it, draining its shields and setting Wrex up for the final blow.

"Left flank clear." I said. "Moving around the back."

"Clear." Shepard said. Liara pulled the last geth biotically and finished it off with her pistol.

"Man…clearing this room out was like the '80 EUCC World Cup final all over again." I said.

"Where do you think I got that move?" Shepard asked.

"Good call." I replied. The sound of grinding steel surprised all of us as we regrouped.

"What was that?" Liara asked.

"Probably nothing. Don't worry, I'll protect you." Wrex said jokingly. I heard a strange screeching sound coming from above.

"Uh…guys." I said pointing up at the balcony above. "What the hell is that?"

Before anyone else could reply, several bright green tick-like bugs appeared out of nowhere and attacked us. They were fast as hell but easy to kill. Then we saw the larger creature from earlier. It looked like some kind of cross between a shrimp and a spider but was considerably bigger. There were two of them on the balcony. At first, they tried to hit us with some kind of toxic spit and then they just charged at us. I had to abandon my tech attacks as they would have no use. Good thing we had Liara and Wrex to provide biotic support. The creatures didn't stand a chance against the combined firepower of Shepard and I and the biotic power of Liara and Wrex.

After the fight, we approached the bodies of the creatures.

"What were they working on here?" Liara asked.

"More importantly, why is combat scanner identifying these things as rachni?" I said.

"Impossible." Wrex scoffed, "My people killed all of them."

"Who knows. We won't find out until we check the rest of the facility." Shepard said, leading us towards another elevator.

The elevator arrived at the floor containing the VI core and was crawling with those green bugs again. After killing them, Shepard went down to the VI core to fix it. The VI, Mira, gave us the run down on the damage to the facility. The trams were down, the H3 fuel lines were offline, and the landlines were disconnected. Other than that, Mira was tight-lipped as to what the creatures were, stating that information could only be accessed by members with 'privileged access'.

In order to cover more ground, we split up two and two. Wrex and I would turn on the fuel lines while Shepard and Liara would reconnect the landlines.

Wrex and I split up inside the fueling area. He went left, I went right. The geth were so focused on charging us that they put themselves into a virtual shooting gallery. I barely had to move as I picked them off one by one. Wrex on the other hand, rushed all of them. Every time I saw him take on a bunch of enemies it was awesome and frightening at the same time. The things people say about krogan battlemasters, about how they are the single most terrifying warriors in battle, it's true in his case. I saw him throw two geth biotically and simultaneously mow them down with his shotgun. All while curb stomping a hopper.

"Shepard, its Mark. Wrex and I have activated the fuel lines." I said into the radio.

"Good job. Liara and I just connected the landlines. Meet us at the tram station."

"Roger that."

Wrex and I hurried to the tram station and met up with Shepard and Liara who were in a room overlooking a decontamination chamber. They were listening to the logs of the dead salarian laying in the corner.

"He killed himself because of what happened here?" Shepard asked.

"Perhaps he thought it was better this way than to die by those creatures." Liara replied.

"So…why are we waiting here?" I ask.

"Well, we couldn't bypass this thing." Shepard said scratching his head.

I chuckled, "Should have called the maintenance department. I hear they're good at these sort of things."

"Funny. Can you do the thing?" Shepard said, pointing at the panel.

"Alright. But what's this for?"

"According to Mira, that's the decon switch. Use that and you activate the plasma torches and fry our guests." Shepard replied.

"Groovy." I said, as I got to work. "Alright…Let's try it."

I pushed the switch and watched as the creatures in decon got fried.

"Heh. You're fired." I said.

Wrex snorted.

We walked through the decon chamber to the trams and hopped on.

* * *

"Now arriving at Rift Station, Binary Helix research station."

The four of us got off the tram and searched around for a door to the hot labs.

The Rift Station looked similar to the rest of Peak 15. The corridors were a raised metallic platform painted with large rectangular squares. The area itself looked like a series of mining tunnels, all circular with the same floor and wall construction of glass and steel.

_Must be buried in a glacier or something._

"Well this must be the door to the labs. Looks locked though." I said.

"Let's try this one." Shepard said, "We'll see if we can find any survivors."

"Good idea." I replied.

We found an elevator that would take us to the barracks and confirmed my suspicions that this facility was inside a glacier.

The lift stopped at a large room. On the far side of the room was a series of crates, stacked up to form a barrier. A man in medium grade Explorer armor stepped out.

"Stand down." He said to the other ERCS guards.

The four of us approached the man in charge, "Sorry. We couldn't be sure what was on the tram."

"Can those things run a train's controls?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Hell if I know. I'm not assuming any goddamn thing. Look, you're human and that's enough that I won't shoot. But I'd like to know who you are."

"I'm Commander John Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

"Huh. I won't look a heavily armed horse in the mouth. I'm Captain Ventralis." He said, raising an eyebrow.

"The aliens overran the hot labs last week. Only Han Olar got out, and he ain't all there anymore. The first we knew, the bastards were clawing into my command post. We had a lot more staff then." Sighed Ventralis.

"You were taken by surprise and had civilians to protect. You did well, Captain." Shepard said.

Ventralis snorted lightly, "Yeah? Sure as hell doesn't feel like it. Anyway, the board sent an asari to clean up the mess. She went into the hot labs yesterday. We haven't heard from her since."

"We're going after her. I'm not gonna let any more of your people die." Shepard replied.

Ventralis nodded, "All I can do is hold out here and protect the civilians. There's an emergency elevator out by the trams that can take you to the hot labs. This card key will let you get in." He said, giving Shepard the card key.

"If you need any first aid, Dr. Cohen is down below in the med lab."

"Alright. We've got work to do." Shepard said.

"Yeah I hear th-" Ventralis said, as the sounds of the creatures got closer. "Ah hell! Man the perimeter!"

The creatures burst out of a maintenance shaft in front of the barricade. The ERCS guards looked even more on edge than before. For us, it was just another day at the office. Only two of them showed up and were quickly dispatched.

"Thanks for the help. Every few hours or so they come up from the tram tunnel. It's a lot better now since we locked down the elevator." Ventralis said breathlessly.

"We'll do whatever we can." Shepard replied.

"I don't know why they keep throwing themselves at us. Even animals should know not to stick their noses where it hurts."

We continued into the scientists barracks. Everyone there looked tired and afraid. Instead of worrying about their own well beings, they were all worried about the guards. The guards had been up for days on end, keeping these creatures back.

There were a few people who told us about their experiences, what they did here, things of that nature. Eventually, we found our way down to the med lab with one Doctor Zev Cohen.

Cohen was busy tending to people who were caught in an accidental exposure to a biological weapon. Apparently it was made to kill one species, but they somehow adapted it to all life; a bio-weapon that kills people without spreading from person to person. Unusual, but still no justification for it. We volunteered to create a cure and talked to Ventralis for access to the area. Ventralis didn't believe that despite Cohen's constant insistence that it was safe.

We headed down to the scientists quarters where we ran into Han Olar; the traumatized scientist that made it out of the hot labs. He revealed to us that the creatures were in fact, rachni. It was startling to say the least.

We headed inside the quarantined room to make this cure. Once finished, we ran into the bitchy asari from the barracks. Turns out that she was Benezia's spy, and had her own geth entourage. It didn't end well for them.

After giving the cure to Cohen, he gave us the access key to maintenance area. He warned us about the guards being on edge and said that since our arrival, they were even more edgy. It made sense to just sneak around them; better than killing a bunch of sleep deprived rent-a-cops.

We opened the door and saw Benezia, staring at some giant tank in the middle of the room.

"You do not know the privilege of being a mother. There is power in creation. To shape a life. Turn it towards happiness or despair. Her children were to be ours. Raised to hunt and slay Saren's enemies." Benezia turned to us and looked at Liara.

"I won't be moved by sympathy, no matter who you bring into this confrontation."

"Liara's here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to." Shepard replied.

"Indeed. What have you told him about me Liara?" Benezia said, the tone in her voice devoid of any sort of emotion.

"What could I say mother? That you're insane? Evil? Should I explain how to kill you? What could I say?" Liara said to her mother.

Benezia was unmoved, "Have you faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have."

Shepard sighed, "I guess you won't listen to reason then."

"Your mission ends here Shepard." She said, hitting all of us with a biotic stasis field.

Several doors around the lab opened up with units of asari commandoes and geth troopers flooding into the room. The stasis fields dropped and we moved away from Benezia.

"Shit! We've got no cover back here!" I yelled out.

"Time to fight fire with fire kid." Wrex said, using his own biotics against the asari. I was worried about Liara. Who knows what was running through her mind during that brief conversation with her mother. She didn't seem visibly shaken as she was fighting the commandos. I was busy fighting off the geth snipers and other troops.

It took some time, but we managed to fight off two waves of commandos and geth. When we approached Benezia, she was leaning against a terminal.

"This is not over. Saren is unstoppable. My mind is filled with his light. Everything is clear." She said.

"The rachni didn't cooperate with you. Why should I?" Shepard asked. Liara looked worried, while Wrex and I stood back.

"I will not betray him. You will—you…" Benezia said, stumbling over her words.

"You must listen. Saren still whispers in my mind. I can fight his compulsions…briefly. But the indoctrination is strong."

Shepard raised his eyebrow, "Why are you able to break free of his control now?"

"I sealed a part of my mind away from the indoctrination. Saving it for a moment when I could help destroy him. It will not last long." She replied.

"So you could turn on me like the colonists on Feros?"

"Yes. But it would not be my will, Shepard. People are not themselves around Saren. You come to idolize him, worship him. You would do anything for him." Benezia continued, "The key is Sovereign, his flagship. It is a dreadnaught of incredible size and its power is extraordinary."

"Sovereign's not like any other ship. It's a Reaper. Where did he find it?"

"I cannot say. You already know it is a Reaper. But as for where he found it, I am not sure. The longer you stay aboard, the more Saren's will seems correct. You sit at his feet and smile as his words pour into you."

"Indoctrination." Shepard said.

Benezia nodded, "Yes. It is subtle at first. I thought I was strong enough to resist it. Instead, I became a willing tool, eager to assist."

_To think that an asari matriarch can be manipulated by a damn machine…Just gets worse eh?_

"He sent me here to find the location of the Mu Relay. Its position was lost thousands of years ago."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "How does something that big go missing?"

"Four thousand years ago, a star nearby went supernova. The shockwave propelled it out of the system but did not damage it. Its precise location and speed are impossible to determine. As millennia passed, the nebula created by the supernova enveloped the relay. It is difficult to find a cold object in interstellar space. Particularly something swathed in hot dust and radiation."

"So someone on Noveria found it?" asked Shepard.

"Two thousand years ago, the rachni inhabited that part of our galaxy. They discovered the relay. The rachni can share memories across generations. Queens inherit the knowledge of their mothers."

Benezia lowered her head, "I took the location of the relay from the queen's mind. I was not gentle."

"How did they find it?" I asked.

"They searched, patiently. They are territorial creatures, driven to close any possible way into their systems." She replied.

"You can still make this right." Shepard said, "Give me the data."

"I was not myself-but I should have been stronger." Benezia replied solemnly,

"I transcribed the data to the OSD. Take it, please. Saren wouldn't tell me where he was going but I transmitted the location to him before you arrived. You have to find him!"

Benezia started to clutch her head in agony, "You-you have to stop-me. I can't-His teeth are at my ear. Fingers at my spine. I can't-uh, you should…"

Liara ran up to her mother, "Mother! I-don't leave! Fight him!"

"You've always made me proud Liara!" Benezia said, before the indoctrination took her over.

"Come on!" I said pulling Liara by the arm, "She's gonna attack us!"

Of course, I spoke too soon as I was hit by a biotic throw. When I came to, I was near the door where we came in. Shepard, Wrex, Liara were across the way.

"Mark!" Shepard yelled into the radio.

"I've got you in stereo." I replied, weakly.

"We can't get to you, but you might want to get up. More commandos incoming!"

I got up and dove behind a crate. Three asari commandos moved past Benezia and were heading straight at me. _Here's hoping this works._

I popped out with a damping mine and threw it at them. The splash damage was enough to disable their biotics while I prepped an overload mine to knock out their shields. Shepard and the others came bounding around the corner, from behind the commandos giving me an opening. I tossed the mine, knocking out their shields and giving my teammates the chance to finish them off. We approached Benezia, who was critically weakened after expelling so much biotic energy.

"I cannot go on. You will have to stop him Shepard." She said, leaning against the desk near the tank.

"Hold on! We've got medi-gel. Maybe we can-" Shepard said.

"No…no he is still in my mind. I'm not entirely myself and I never will be again." Her breathing became shallow and labored. Liara kneeled down next to her mother.

"Mother…" Liara said softly, as she died in her arms.

"Goodnight, Little Wing. I will see you again with the dawn." Benezia said, putting a hand on her daughter's cheek. I turned away from them, staring at the wall of ice outside.

"No light? They always said there would be-a-" she said, trailing off before dying.

Shepard kneeled down next to Liara, "I'm sorry Liara."

She sniffled, "It…it is alright Shepard. We-still have to finish our mission."

"Of course." He replied quietly.

Wrex and I stared at the large tank sitting in the room.

"Damn. The rachni queen is pretty big." I said.

Wrex grumbled.

Shepard examined the tank as well, looking around. I heard footsteps approaching us from behind. I thought it was Liara…it wasn't.

The body of an asari commando approached us. A commando we all thought was dead after Liara threw her into the wall. The rachni queen snapped inside of the tank, spooking all of us. Then we saw the commando standing next to the tank.

"This one serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Your musics are colorless." Said the asari or rather, the rachni queen.

Shepard summed it up best, "Musics? What?"

"Your way of communicating is strange. Flat. It does not color the air. When we speak, one moves all."

"This is gonna be a fun conversation." Wrex said. I just smirked.

"We are the mother. We sing for those left behind. The ones you thought silenced. We are rachni."

"Anyone else hear that whispering sound?" I asked. Liara and Wrex nodded, as did Shepard. "Good. I thought I was going crazy for a second."

"How are you speaking through her?" Shepard asked the queen.

"Our kind sing through touchings of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging. She has colors we have no name for. But she is ending. Her music is bittersweet. It is beautiful." She said.

"Fascinating." I replied.

"The children we birthed were stolen from us before they could learn to sing. They are lost to silence. End their suffering. They cannot be saved. They will only cause harm as they are."

"I don't understand. Why are your children killing people?" asked Shepard.

"These needle-men. They stole our eggs from us. They sought to turn our children into beasts of war. Claws with no songs of their own. Our elders are comfortable with silence. Children know only fear if no one sings to them. Fear has shattered their minds."

I took off my helmet and scratched my itchy chin, "That makes sense. You leave a baby in a closet until its sixteen isn't going to be all there, y'know."

"If you're sure they can't be saved." Shepard said to the queen.

"It is lamentable, but necessary. Do what you must."

The rachni queen paused, "Before you deal with our children, we stand before you. What will you sing? Will you release us? Are we to fade away once more?"

Wrex spoke up first, "There are acid tanks rigged to that thing. Set them off. Millions of my ancestors died fighting these things. Don't let them come back."

"They made a mistake. They let the krogan go to far this is a chance for us to atone. She has done nothing to us." Liara replied.

"If we kill her, then we've just committed genocide." I said. "Either way, the Council is gonna flip."

"Your companions hear the truth. You have the power to free us, or return our people to the silence of memory."

Shepard wrapped his hand around his chin, "If I let you go, would you attack other races again?"  
"No. We—I do not know what happened in the war. We only heard discordance, songs the color of oily shadows. We would seek a hidden place to teach our children harmony. If they understand, perhaps we would return."

"Sounds like a lot of miscommunication back then." I said, "A lot of wars seem to happen like that."

"Indeed." Replied the queen.

Shepard folded his arms, "I won't kill your entire race. You'll go free."

Wrex was upset, to say the least, "Are you stupid? Your people didn't fight these bastards, so maybe you don't get it!"

"Wrex, I'm not gonna commit genocide. She's done nothing to us." Shepard replied.

Wrex sighed, "Fine. My people will clean this mess up later. Just like we did for the salarians."

"You would give us the chance to compose anew? We will remember. We will sing of your forgiveness to our children."

"Great bugs are writing songs about you. Mark my words, you'll regret this." Said Wrex.

"Wrex…" I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll write a song about how much ass the krogan kick."

He snorted while Shepard and Liara bit their lips.

Shepard approached the terminal and prepared to unlock it for the queen to go. She gave Shepard one last look before she left. The commando fell to the ground.

"Well, one last thing we have to do." I said.

"Yep. Lets go to the hot labs." Shepard replied.

The lab where the rachni queen tank was located was actually located next to the tram station. We took the lift down to the hot labs and ran into a technician with a heavy Russian accent. He explained that they found a frozen rachni queen egg aboard a derelict vessel and hatched it here. He told us how to activate the neutron purge to kill of the rest of the rachni, before he was killed by one. After killing it, we grabbed the code off of his body and activated. But not before running like hell out of the lab. All that was left for us, was to head back to the Normandy.

* * *

_Well there ya go! Hope you enjoyed it! Up next...Dark times for the Normandy, and for Mark._

_Thanks for reading, reviews are always helpful so don't be shy ;)_


	8. The Grim Truth

_Author's Note: Woo! I've got over a thousand hits for this story now. Big thanks to all of you that have taken the time to read my fic! Now here comes a chapter that I've been saving up for..._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR-1, Communications Room, En Route to Citadel**

"Well we've got everything we need." Ashley said.

"I hope so." Shepard replied, "We know what we have to do now: go to Ilos."

"Sounds good to me. Can't wait to tear Saren a new one." I said.

"Alright then. As long as you're all ready to go, crew dismissed." Shepard said.

"Mission reports have been sent, Commander. Want me to patch you through to the Council.

"Patch them through Joker." Said John as we headed out of the comm. room.

"Setting up the link now, Commander."

"Commander, is this report accurate? You found rachni on Noveria?" Councilor Tevos asked, puzzled.

"And then released the queen? Do you have any idea what you've done? How many generations until they overrun the galaxy?" Councilor Valern fired at Shepard.

Shepard tried his best to stay calm and merely rolled his eyes, "I know exactly what I did. Last time I checked, I'm a Spectre and it was my call to make. That is, unless you condone the genocide of an entire race…or sterilization. Whatever works."

Valern looked ready to fire a response at Shepard but was stopped by Tevos.

"You are right, Commander. But we would have liked some kind of contact before you made your decision."

"It was situational. There was no time to sit around and wait. Besides, this queen understands why the rachni had to be destroyed. I even learned a small bit of information involving the war two thousand years ago." Shepard said.

"What did you learn?" Asked the salarian councilor.

"Not much. Apparently there was a lot of miscommunication during the war. The rachni speak as one voice, according to the queen. During the war, she said there were many voices speaking at once. I included that in the report."

The salarian councilor scratched his chin, "Hm. It's not much but it does provide some insight."

Valern snorted, "I hope you're right, Shepard. Otherwise our children's children will pay the price if you're not."

"I know what I'm doing. The queen told me of her plans and they don't include raining fire and brimstone on anyone's home world. But I'll give them your home address if you want that taken care of." Shepard said with a smug grin to Valern.

The turian councilor cut his link to the conversation, his holographic display turning off.

"Aww." Shepard said sarcastically. "Did someone piss in his cereal this morning?"

The salarian councilor cleared his throat, either trying to change the subject or forcing back a laugh.

"It wasn't you, was it?" Shepard jokingly asked.

"No."

"We'll be waiting for your next report, Commander. Good luck." Tevos said, ending the link.

* * *

I was standing outside of the comm. room, watching Shepard walk out with a funny grin on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked.

"I pissed off the turian councilor."

"Awesome. I guess you really get on his nerves." I reply.

"I'm just glad the other councilors are there to keep him in check."

"Makes you wonder how a guy like that got that job." I said as we headed towards the galaxy map.

"I bet him and Udina would make an interesting pairing." John replied.

"Best buddy cop film ever."

John stepped up to the galaxy map, ready to put in our next destination, when Joker called.

"I forwarded all of our mission reports to the Citadel. We've got information on those reinforcements, Commander. Udina wants us back at the Citadel. The Council is massing a joint-species fleet to deal with Saren and his geth."

Shepard slammed a fist onto the railing, "I knew they'd come around! Back to the Citadel, Joker. I want the Normandy at the head of that fleet."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

I nodded, "Well that seems like a surprise."

"I just wonder why they didn't mention it earlier." Shepard said.

"Maybe they were still debating. But I don't know…something about this doesn't seem right." I muttered.

Shepard and I headed down to the crew deck, "What do you mean, Mark?"

"The Council's been reluctant to help us, or even listen to us so far. They've been so busy in denial that their golden boy has turned on them. As for everything else…I dunno. I just have a bad feeling John." I replied.

"Well…your instincts have been a life saver in the past. No reason not to trust them now."

"Thanks."

"We'll go to the Citadel and see what this is all about." John said.

"I just hope you're right and my instincts aren't." I replied.

"If your instincts are wrong, we might be in serious trouble." John said with a smug grin.

* * *

**Citadel, Council Chambers**

Once we docked, we immediately went to the Citadel Tower. Spirits seemed fairly high despite the atmosphere. I was worried.

_Something about this isn't right. Why now? Why didn't they help after or during Eden Prime?_

Shepard walked up to the podium with Ambassador Udina while the rest of us stood back.

"Good job, Shepard. Thanks to you the Council is finally going to take real action against Saren!" Udina said, in an unusually cheery mood.

"The ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel—as you believe—we will be ready for him." Said Tevos.

"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking the Citadel to the Terminus Systems." Continued Valern.

Shepard furrowed his brow in frustration, "You think a blockade's going to stop him? He's on Ilos looking for the Conduit right now! What are you doing about that?"

"Ilos is located through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus Systems, Commander. If we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war." Replied the salarian councilor.

"Now is the time for discretion, Shepard. Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy. Exposed, he is no longer a threat. This is over." Udina said.

"Jesus you people are stupid." I said. "Secrecy's not his greatest weapon. He was feeding you bullshit that you ate like a bunch of starving beggars. We've done nothing but give you evidence that you call fabricated because you're in denial!"

The councilors and Udina gave me sharp looks, but it was Shepard's turn to go on the attack.

"One ship going into the Terminus Systems won't start a war. I can be discreet."

Valern pointed a talon at Shepard, "You detonated a nuclear weapon on Virmire! I wouldn't call that discreet."

"That was the STG's plan you jackass." Shepard replied.

"Your style served you well in the Traverse, Commander. We recognize that. But Ilos requires a deft touch. We have the situation under control."

"It served well everywhere!" I yelled out, "We saved lives while the three of you sat here with your heads up your asses, hiding behind plausible deniability!"

Shepard looked at me, like he was ready to leave. I decided to get the last word in.

"So while you stand here claiming everything is 'under control', Saren is gonna come riding in here with a force the likes of which you've never seen. And if he does come and you're staring death in the face, I hope the last thoughts that go through your mind are: We were really fucking stupid."

"If Saren finds the Conduit, you're all dead. We're going to Ilos whether you like it or not!" Shepard said.

"Ambassador Udina, I get the feeling that the Commander isn't willing to let this go." Valern said.

"There are serious political implications here, Shepard. Humanity's made great strides thanks to you. But now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth." Udina said.

"You bastard. You're selling us out!" Ashley yelled. The rest of the team all had the same fire in their eyes as we stared them down.

"Its just politics, Commander. You've done your job, now let me do mine. We've locked out the Normandy's primary systems. Until further notice, you're grounded." Udina said, turning his back to us.

Shepard got in Udina's face, and in a tone I had never heard him use before, he said, "Nobody stabs me in the back, Udina. Nobody."

"It's time for you and your team to leave Commander. This no longer concerns you. The Council can handle this, with my help of course." He said, turning back to face the Council.

"You stupid fucker!" I yelled, as Shepard restrained me, "I swear to god, if they come here and people start dying here their blood will be on your hands! You fuckers!"

"Come on, Mark." Shepard said into my ear, "We'll find a way out."

* * *

I found myself sitting in the Normandy's cargo bay with Wrex, Garrus, and Tali as we sat there, teeming with anger. It was silent.

"If there was any time for me to hate being right, its now." I said.

"You had a feeling this would happen?" Tali asked.

"I have some crazy instincts. I had a bad feeling once we got that message from Udina." I replied. "Hey, you've been around galactic politics most of your lives. Please tell me that isn't routine."

"It is." Wrex replied. I looked over at Tali, who nodded.

"Garrus?"

"I've been living on the Citadel for some time and virtually every decision I've heard is like that." He replied.

I slapped myself in the forehead, "No offense to you man, but that turian councilor is a real asshole."

Garrus' mandibles flew out as he let out a chuckle, "He sure is. But hey, I didn't vote for him."

"Thank god. I'd probably have to smack you if you did." I replied.

"Good luck with that." He fired back.

"You know I've never seen you that angry before." Tali said, "I thought you were going to punch Udina's head off."

I grinned, "Believe me, I wanted to. I don't get mad that often, but when I do. You might want to back up. Worst case scenario, I turn into the Hulk."

The three of them gave me puzzled looks, "Oh the Hulk is the comic book character. This guy created a radioactive weapon and got exposed to this radiation. Whenever he gets mad, the radiation turns him into this massive green man that destroys everything."

Wrex chuckled, "Sounds like a krogan. Except for the whole radioactive powers."

"But seeing what the Council did…Its why I became a private investigator. I wanted to help people who had no one else to turn to. Because idiot politicians, who manipulate the public for their own greedy ends won't listen to these people. I help them. That's the worst kind of injustice one could ever go up against." I said.

"You take your job about as seriously as I took mine." Garrus joked.

"I took an oath as a soldier to protect the innocent. I only changed it slightly. I don't fight for a country or a race, I fight for everyone. Even if I have to take on an entity like the Council or the Shadow Broker or whoever. It's what I have to do. It's what I'm good at."

"So will you continue to do this, despite your…condition?" Tali asked nervously.

"Until I can't get out of bed. Right now, I'm just living on borrowed time." I replied.

There was an awkward silence until Wrex brought up the question on everyone's mind, "How much time do you have left?"

I took out another cigarette and began to smoke it, "Before our mission on Virmire, I got examined by Dr. Chakwas. My condition was pretty much going its course." I exhaled a plume of smoke, "I have about 3 years left. Of course with what happened during Virmire…I don't even know. As you can see, some of the veins on my arms are darker now." I held out both arms to show them.

"That's because the disease began to progress. Its slow, thanks to the meds. But when I was unconscious, the venom sped up to what it normally is when it enters the body."

"So the medication you take is only delaying the inevitable." Garrus said.

"Basically. It can still cause damage, but its very slow. After my little episode though, who knows how much time I have. Might not be 3 years anymore. It might be 2 and a half or something." I replied.

"Damn." Was all Wrex said.

"Mark? We got a message from Anderson. Get everyone together and meet us at Flux." Shepard said over the radio.

"You got it." I replied.

"What's up?" Tali asked.

"We're going to Flux. Captain Anderson wants to have a little chat." I said with a smirk.

* * *

Before we made our way to Flux, Shepard and the rest of us headed to the Presidium. Shepard, Garrus, and I were looking around for the keepers. Shepard had given a datapad to Garoth, the man whose brother went missing. He told Garoth that his brother was killed by privateers. While we were in the Citadel Tower, Shepard thought it would be a good idea to help out this salarian who was scanning the keepers. So all of us spread out to scan all of them.

"The Consort's Chambers?" Shepard asked. "I remember hearing this elcor complain about something here."

"You, uh, want to check this place for keepers too?" I asked with a small smirk.

"Why not?"

The three of us stepped inside and were greeted by an asari, "Hello and welcome to the Consort's Chambers. My name is Nelyna."

"Hi Nelyna." I said.

"Ah, welcome back Mr. Sears. It is good to see you again." She said bowing her head.

"Likewise Nelyna."

She turned to Shepard, "I don't recognize you as one our customers today. Would you like me to see when the Consort will be able to meet with you?"

"Can't I just go in?" Shepard asked.

Nelyna shook her head, "I'm afraid not. You see there are many who wish to seek the Consort's services. But if you wish to leave your name, I'd be happy to fit you into our schedule."

Shepard scratched his chin, "Sure. Names Commander John Shepard. I'm a Spectre."

Nelyna grinned, "Excellent. We should be able to in…about 3 months."

"Say what?" Shepard said both eyebrows raised.

"Trust me. It's worth the wait man." I said, nudging him in the arm.

Shepard sighed, "Alright. See you in three months then."

"Well I hope you'll return again in the future." She said. With a sly grin, "I hope to see you in the future again Mr. Sears."

"Me too." I replied.

Nelyna touched the side of her head, a radio implant, "Yes Sha'ira?" A pause.

"I'll send him right up. Hm. It seems the Consort has taken notice of you Commander. She would like to speak with you."

"Alright. I'll go see her. Thanks." We followed Shepard up the steps in the back.

"Never seen the Consort before." I said.

"First for everything." Garrus replied.

The three of us stepped into her room, "That's close enough Commander. I've heard a great many things about you since your arrival on our Citadel."

"Well I am a popular guy. Can't seem to understand why." He replied. "So what do you do here?"

"That depends on your needs. I offer advice to some, comfort to others." She added softly.

Sha'ira turned around and approached Shepard, "I have a certain problem that could use your expertise."

"What kind of problem are you having?" Shepard asked.

"I have a friend, Septimus, a retired turian general. I won't discuss the details but he wanted me to become something more than I could be. We had a falling out and now he spends his time in Chora's Den, drinking and spreading lies about me." She put her hand on Shepard's cheek, "If you would speak to him as a soldier, I believe he would listen and let the matter be."

I leaned over toward Garrus, "Sounds like we're going to be dealing with a clinger. The general, I mean." Garrus nodded, but tried to hold back a chuckle.

Shepard nodded, "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Commander. That is all I can ask of you. Appeal to his sense of honor, remind him of his position as a general." Sha'ira then hugged Shepard, "If you can convince him to stop spreading lies about me, I would be very grateful." She stepped back but not before giving me a funny look, "Ah, Mr. Sears. I have heard many things about you as well."

I chuckled, "I come here once and everyone knows who I am."

"You made quite the impression on Nelyna. I can understand why." She said, "Well, I won't keep you."

We walked out of her chambers and headed for Chora's Den.

* * *

**Chora's Den, Lower Wards**

"So Mark, when did you go to the Consort?" Garrus asked cheekily.

"About a year ago. It took awhile, but I finally made it onto their clientele list after this case I worked on. Someone decided that seeing the Consort was better than getting credits."

"What was she like? Nelyna, I mean." Garrus continued.

"Whew boy. She's got this talent where she can find every tension spot on the body with her fingertips." I replied, "Best damn massage I ever had."

"You two didn't…" Shepard said.

"No, no. I wasn't looking for that. Nelyna on the other hand…she wanted me to give her a massage. Apparently, my hands were, and I quote, 'sculpted by the Goddess herself'."

They both chuckled.

"Now that sounds a lot different than what happened with that asari on Amaterasu." Shepard said.

"How many times are you going to bring that up?" I asked, in a faux frustrated tone.

"Whenever the situation fits."

I sighed, "Well I don't know if its just me, but since that day…" I said, looking at Shepard with a fake frown, "I think the asari seem to like me. More so than usual. But maybe I'm just crazy…I dunno."

"You might not be wrong." Garrus said, "Nelyna, Sha'ira, and some of the other asari gave you some 'interesting' glances. Liara too."

"Good to know I'm not the only one going crazy." I replied.

We finally arrived at Chora's Den…again. I never liked the place to be honest. Even with Fist dead, the place still felt like you were walking into the base of some organized criminal group. Garrus spotted Septimus in the corner, with several empty glasses on his table.

Septimus looked up, "Commander? Hmph. What do you want?"

"What's wrong General?" Shepard asked.

"I've seen a lot of horrible things in my days…and there's only one woman in this damn galaxy that helps me forget it." He replied.

"Then why are you making up all these lies about Sha'ira?" I ask.

"'Cause she rejected me. Me! Septimus Oraka, General of the Turian Fleet!" he exclaimed.

"I understand your problem but you're not doing her any favors by spreading all these lies about her." Shepard said.

"Look kid, I appreciate what you're trying to do but don't waste your time." Septimus said, sitting back in his chair and polishing off his drink.

Shepard put his hands on the table and leaned in, "General, did you ever win a war by moping in a bar?"

Septimus snorted, "Heh, war. That's what this feels like all right. How could I let it come to this?" He sat back in his chair, "So you think its that easy? Just straighten up and act like a General?"

"Well for one it won't make you look like an overgrown child, and you'll get your balls back." I said. Shepard and Garrus chuckled.

"Maybe you're right. Sha'ira's worth the effort…even if she won't have me back."

"This is no place for someone of your stature, General." Shepard said.

"All right. I'll go to her…after I've had a cold shower or two." Septimus scratched his chin, "Say you're a bright kid. Would you be interested in earning a few extra credits?"

"Sure. What do you want me to do?"

"There's an elcor diplomat who believes Sha'ira is giving up his secrets."

"Why would he believe that?" Garrus asked.

"Because I told him." Replied the drunk general, "Look, I just need you to convince him of the truth."

"What makes you think he'll believe me?" Shepard asked.

"You'll bring him proof." Septimus pulled out a datapad, "Take this datapad. It shows where I got this information. It will exonerate Sha'ira and convince the elcor."

"Oh. That guy in the elcor embassy?" Shepard asked, taking the datapad.

"Yes. His name is Xeltan. He's an elcor diplomat." Septimus replied, "Well, here's to soldiers acting like soldiers." He picked up a shot glass and slugged down the contents.

"Thanks Commander. You know, you might make a good general yourself one day." Septimus said, struggling to stand.

"Here ya go." I said, giving the retired general a hand.

"Thanks kid. This might be a bit much but could you lead me to the nearest transport terminal?"

"No problem." Shepard said.

The four of us walked out of the club and headed for a transport terminal.

"You know. I heard through some old contacts about what the Council did to you." Septimus said, "Damn politicians."

"I know." Shepard replied, "They still don't believe me."

"Well I know some people in the turian military, they believe you and your story about Saren and the Reapers. We know about his reputation. It doesn't surprise me in the least." Septimus said.

"Really?" Shepard asked.

"He's had a grudge against you humans since his brother was killed during the Relay 314 Incident."

Shepard, Garrus, and I looked at each other, surprised. "We didn't know that."

"It's true. But Commander, be careful when you deal with him and with the Council. Our councilor treats us like he treats you humans. But…our military trusts your judgement. We're all soldiers after all." Septimus said, getting into a cab. "Good luck, Shepard."

We watched his cab speed off.

"Well that was surprising." I said.

"No kidding. Good to know someone out there is listening." Shepard replied. "Even better, he doesn't like the turian councilor."

"None of us do." Garrus said, "Only the hardliners voted for him. Even they don't like him anymore."

* * *

**Presidium Embassies**

"Ah the embassies again. Want to see if Udina's around? I have a few things to say to him." I said as we walked up the steps to the elcor and volus embassy.

"Mark…" Shepard replied with a weary sigh.

"He's probably still meeting with the Council." Garrus said. "Besides, after we're done with this we're going to see Anderson. I think."

"Yes Garrus we are." Shepard said.

We walked into the elcor and volus embassy and saw Xeltan standing off to the side, still complaining to Ambassador Calyn.

"Hello there, human. Sincere apology. But I am here on business and cannot be distracted right now."

"I've come to talk to you about your problem." Shepard said.

"Curious, what do you know about the Consort and her relationship to me?" Xeltan asked in his low monotonous voice.

"I know who revealed your secret. It was a turian named Septimus." Said Shepard.

"Unbelieving, I know this Septimus and he could not learn my secrets. The only way he could learn about them was from the Consort."

"That's not exactly true. Check this out." I said, handing Xeltan the datapad.

"Confused, this is difficult to fathom. If the turian learned this on his own…dismayed, anyone can discover my secret."

"Septimus is a powerful man and this was difficult for him to find." Shepard replied.

"Relieved, I suppose you are correct, human. Thank you for this information." Xeltan looked up, almost startled, "Startled realization, I must speak with the Consort. She will be displeased with my actions. Anxious request, please human, if you will excuse me, I must go now."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you. It was an honest mistake." Shepard said to the diplomat.

"Doubtful, perhaps you are right human. I can only hope so." Xeltan said as he left the embassy.

"Thankful, that was a great thing you did Commander." Said Ambassador Calyn, "Approving, you see Din, not all humans are as you say."

"I'm sure the Earth-clan stands to profit from this in some way." Replied volus ambassador, Din Korlack.

I snorted out loud.

"Apologetic, do not listen to my volus compatriot. It was a good thing you did regardless of your intentions." Replied Calyn.

We nodded and walked out of the embassies.

* * *

**Consort's Chambers**

The walk back to the Consort's Chambers felt like we had just finished a marathon. Then again, we spent the better part of the day doing various tasks around the Citadel and got chewed out by the Council. It felt good walking through the Consort's place though. I, of course, got some rather interesting looks from Sha'ira's acolytes…again. _Did Nelyna tell everyone what we did?_

The three of us walked into Sha'ira's office.

"Commander, I recently received a lovely note from Septimus. Thank you for speaking with him. Even the elcor diplomat has withdrawn his campaign against me."

"It was my honor to aid you." Shepard replied with a polite nod.

"You are too kind Commander. But I would not expect you to assist me out of the kindness of your heart." Sha'ira said.

"You'd be surprised what Shepard would do for a pretty face." I said.

"Mark…" Shepard grumbled.

"What? I'm just saying…"

She laughed but continued, "I also have one more thing to give you, if you are interested."

"I'd be honored."

"I offer a gift of words. An affirmation of who you are and you will become." She said as she approached Shepard, "I see you. Your uniform fits as if you were born wearing it. You are a soldier, through and through. You are solitary, alone, but it gives you strength. It is that strength that people are drawn to. It is why you lead and others follow without question. You will need that leadership in the battles to come. This may be who you are but it is not who you will become. It only forms the basis for your future greatness. Remember these words when doubt descends, Commander."

Shepard nodded, "You have quite a gift, Sha'ira."

"Thank you. Not everyone appreciates it as you do. Never underestimate the power of words." Sha'ira pulled something out of her desk, "Here Commander, in light of your efforts with the elcor ambassador, I want you to have this small trinket."

She handed it to Shepard and he looked at it carefully.

"What is it? A small mystery. I have never learned its use or purpose, but I sense it is time for me to pass it on."

"Thank you."

"And now, I must ask you to leave. I have done everything I can for you." Sha'ira said. "Remember my words, Commander Shepard. They will give you strength."

Shepard signaled us and we turned to leave.

"Mr. Sears. Could you stay here for a moment?" asked the consort.

"Uh. Sure. John I'll meet you back at the ship." I said, turning to face the consort.

"Alright. Don't take to long okay?" he said, a small amount of humor in his voice.

"It will be for a moment Shepard."

* * *

Here I was. All alone in a room with the Consort Sha'ira. _I can only imagine that this is a fantasy for every man on the Citadel._

"Please, sit down Mr. Sears." Sha'ira said to me, signaling towards a couch.

"Okay. But, please, call me Mark." I replied.

"Of course, Mark." She sat down next to me. "You must be wondering why I wanted to see you."

"Yeah. You could say that." I replied uneasily.

"I have a gift of words for you as well." She said, turning to face me. "I see the sadness behind your eyes. It tells a story that makes me want to weep. Pain and loss. But it drives you, makes you strong. It is that strength that kept you alive while your comrades fell. You will need it in the events to come."

I sat there and stared at the floor, "You really are gifted, you know that?"

"Thank you. I'm glad you appreciate it as much as your friend Shepard does." She replied.

"You're welcome." I said, still staring at the floor.

"Something else still troubles you. You're afraid that you might not live to help Shepard." Sha'ira said.

I looked up at her and nodded, "I wake up every day, in more pain than usual. I just want to see this through. But its not just that."

"You're afraid that something terrible is going to happen?" she asked me.

"Yeah. With my luck, it only seems natural." I replied.

"I think you will be fine in the long run. But I do see darkness looming on the horizon. But like all things, time heals all wounds." Sha'ira said.

"Perhaps you're right." I said getting up. "Thanks again, Sha'ira."

"It is no trouble. Perhaps you would like to see Nelyna again? She has not talked about your massage in some time."

I chuckled while pinching the bridge of my nose, "She told everyone?"

"Not exactly. However, next time you come back, I would like to experience this myself." The consort replied in a whisper.

"Sounds good to me." I said, smirking. The two of us walked downstairs and approached Nelyna.

"Nelyna, are you busy?" the consort asked.

"No mistress. I am not." She replied looking at me the whole time.

"Would you like to attend to Mark? I know you've still talked about your experience with him."

Nelyna blushed, "Uh, of course mistress. It would be my pleasure." Sha'ira nodded, "Consider this as a thank you, Mr. Sears."

"I will." I replied nodding to Sha'ira. Nelyna gave me a rather large grin, "So are you ready, Mr. Sears?"

"Please, Mark will do just fine Nelyna. Shall we?"

"Of course." She replied wispily.

* * *

"I missed that." Nelyna said, in a relaxed tone.

"Same here. I think you've gotten better since the last time I was here." I replied.

"You gave me a great deal to think about." She said with a small laugh. "I still don't know how you do that."

"Comes with my old special forces training. My hands don't flinch. Well, except when my condition flares up. Other than that…" I said holding up my right hand, "Absolutely nothing."

"All in the hands eh?" she asked.

"Secret's out." I replied with a smirk. "It was good seeing you again, Nelyna."

"You too Mark." She said, "Next time you come by…you…want to go out for a drink?"

"Sure. Sounds good." I replied. "See you around, Nelyna."

"Bye Mark."

_Maybe I am crazy, but asari love me. I don't get it…_

As I made it down to the C-Sec academy, Shepard radioed me.

"Mark, can you meet me down in the ward access hallway?"

"Yeah. I'll be right over." I replied.

"Good. There's someone I think you'll want to meet." He said.

I wonder who it is?

As soon as I made it to the ward access hall, I saw Shepard talking to an older man. He appeared to be disheveled, wearing an old Marines jacket. _He looks familiar._

"What's going on John?" I asked.

He turned to me, "Mark, this is Ernesto Zabaleta. He used to serve with my mother on the SSV Einstein."

I looked at him carefully, "Oh my god. It-you saved my life. On Mindoir."

Zabaleta's eyes widened, "I remember. You-you were sitting on the doorstep of your house."

"Name's Mark Sears." I said, putting my hand out. He shook it. "You gave me a future Mr. Zabaleta. Thank you."

His gaze softened and he turned to Shepard, "So, you really want me to go to the VAO? You think they can help?"

"They helped me get back on my feet after Akuze." I said. Zabaleta looked even more surprised, "You…you were there?"

I nodded.

"I'm sorry kid."

"It's alright. But believe me, they got me back on my feet. They can help you too."

"Alright. If your mother wants me to go and if you want me to go, I will. Your mother's always stuck up for me." He took a deep breath, "Tell her if she wants to talk, to reach me through the Citadel VAO."

"If you want, I'll talk to you too. I owe you that much for saving me." I said.

"Of course kid. It was nice to see you." Zabaleta said. He gave us a nod and walked away.

"Well…that was interesting." I said.

"I figured that you would be able to help. My mother and I didn't want to see him drink himself to death." John replied.

"I've seen that happen all too often." I said, as we headed for the C-Sec academy. "So you talked to your mom?"

"Yep."

"How's she doing?" I asked.

"She's doing alright. She wanted to know how you were doing. I told her you've been a big help."

"Really? That's good. I don't how much of a help I've been since I've been out of action for awhile." I replied.

"Hey. You've been a big help. Without you, we wouldn't have negotiated with so many people." John replied.

I laughed.

"By the way, what did the consort want?" he asked as we stepped out of the elevator.

"She offered me a gift of words as well. That and have an on the house appointment with Nelyna." I replied with a smirk.

"Lucky bastard."

"Luck had nothing to do with it. I just happen to have magic hands…and a winning personality." I said.

John chuckled, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Shepard filled me in on his meeting with Anderson. His plan was to override C-Sec's lockdown order by going into the ambassador's office. _Hope he knocks the bastard out for us._

Shepard and I made it back to the Normandy and waited for Anderson to unlock the Normandy.

Once the ship was unlocked, we sped off to our next destination. Shepard wanted to investigate the message I found on Noveria.

* * *

**Orbit of Ontarom, Newton System, Kepler Verge**

I sat in the mess hall, finishing off the last of my lunch before we prepared to land on Ontarom. I was joined by Garrus and Tali, who were in the middle of some small argument about their people's state of affairs. I continually broke up their arguments which Garrus found hilarious. Tali on the other hand was not as amused.

"Mark, the Commander wants to see you in the communications room." Joker said over the intercom.

"I'm on my way." I said. _Wonder why he wants to see me in there? _

I walked into the communications room and saw Shepard standing near the holographic screen. His expression was one of worry.

"He's here Admiral." Shepard said.

"Mark. It's good to see you again." Said the gruff and familiar tone of Admiral Stephen Hackett.

"Likewise Admiral Hackett." I turned to Shepard, "What's going on?"

Hackett cleared his throat. "I received the copy of the message you found on Noveria, Shepard. We just crossed it with some intel that we had discovered recently. I think both of you will want to see this."

Shepard and I looked at each other, puzzled.

"Someone is killing former Alliance scientists. There have been four deaths in the past month."

"I'm happy to look into it Admiral. What can you tell me?" Shepard replied.

Hackett exhaled, "We found a connection between the scientists…and Mark."

"What?" I asked, even more puzzled.

"They all worked on a classified project six years ago. On Akuze."

I felt my blood run cold. Shepard responded, "This can't have anything to do with what happened to Mark."

"Those thresher maws killed dozens of soldiers. If this was more than just an accident, we need to know." Hackett said, his image on the screen turned to look at me, "Commander…Sears. What you do with this is up to you. I just thought I'd let you both know."

He looked down at a datapad, "There was one other scientist on the project, a Doctor Marvin Wayne. I'm transmitting his last known coordinates. Good luck. Fifth Fleet out."

The transmission ended. I found myself staring at the floor. I had no idea how to feel at the moment. _What if everything I suffered through, every man and woman that died, everything…what if it was some sick experiment?_

"Mark?" John asked softly.

I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts out.

"Mark? Are you alright?"

"I don't know." I replied simply.

He put a hand on my shoulder, "I want you to come with me. Whatever this is, I think we deserve to know. No matter how bad it might be."

I deeply inhaled, "I was ready the second he mentioned Akuze."

John nodded, "Let's get ready. I want to bring Wrex and Ash along as backup. Can you tell them to get ready?"

"You got it." I replied.

* * *

**Ontarom, Newton System, Kepler Verge**

Ontarom. Despite having a beautiful green landscape, it had a surface temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit. The planet would have been a prime location for a colony except that its moon, Thonal was in a decaying orbit and set to collide with Ontarom in the next century. Plans to move the moon away from the planet include setting up tens of thousands of mass effect drives. However, such a plan would bankrupt every government in Citadel space. Of course, this decaying orbit has caused a mass of violent electrical storms.

It took a long drive through the large valleys and plateaus of Ontarom before we made it to a facility sitting on top of a small hill. The outer part of the facility was defended by a small squad of mercenaries. They were no match for the four of us in a Mako. After clearing the outer part of the facility, we headed underground.

We had to fight our way in as there were several mercs guarding the area, until we reached a room at the far side of this facility. When the door opened up, I saw Dr. Wayne being held at gunpoint by a man that I thought I would never see again.

"Don't come any closer or this bastard gets it!" said the man pointing the gun at Wayne's head. I whipped off my helmet and saw with my own two eyes and realized who it was.

"Toombs? Is that you?" I asked in disbelief.

He turned to look at me in the same disbelieving look. "Lieutenant Commander Sears? I don't believe it."

"Toombs. I-I thought you-"

"Commander...Listen. I know what really happened on Akuze. This bastard was involved."

"Please listen!" said Dr. Wayne, "Mr. Toombs, he's a madman you shouldn't believe what he's saying."

"You bastard!" yelled Toombs, "He was there!"

"Toombs." I said, swallowing hard, "Calm down and tell me what's going on."

"These Cerberus bastards. They lured us, Commander. They sicced the thresher maws on us as an experiment so they could watch and study!"

My eyes grew wide and I could feel my hands trembling, not from my condition, but trembling with rage.

"What?"

"They did this to us! They captured me and experimented on me for years, Commander...Years! I only got out because someone took out their organization." Replied my former second in command.

I could feel the rage building up as I turned to Dr. Wayne, "So...All of this-killing my men. My condition. Was-was all a part of your experiments?"

"Please! I demand a fair trial. Please help me!" said Wayne looking at Shepard, "Please, Please-"

"Shut-the-fuck up!" I said yelling at him, "You-you did this!"

I snapped.

I grabbed Wayne by the collar and threw him up against a giant container.

"You motherfucker! Do you have any idea what you've done to me? Do you know what you did to us?" Even Corporal Toombs was shocked at the turn of events.

"Get him out of here!" yelled Shepard, as Wrex attempted to pull me off of Dr. Wayne. Even the giant krogan with all of his strength couldn't get me off of him and so Ashley had to help him. Before they got me off of him, I hit him with my right elbow causing him to bleed out of his mouth.

"I'll get you bastards! You'll pay for this! I'll kill-all of you!" I yelled out, unleashing all of the pain and anguish from the horrors I had experienced on that planet. They dragged me out into another room, while Shepard negotiated with Toombs and got him to lower his weapon, to bring Dr. Wayne in. Wrex gave me a toss and I regained my balance on my feet.

"Calm down Mark!" he yelled. I let out a giant yell and hit the wall with the same elbow I hit Wayne with and then punched the same wall.

I sat on a the edge of a cot, face in my hands and cried, "It-it was all just an experiment." I could sense the grim looks coming from Ashley and Wrex; even they were surprised.

"They killed them all for nothing!" I half yelled, half sobbed. I looked down the hall and saw Shepard negotiating with Toombs.

"Toombs, I'm going to arrest him. He's going to be charged and sentenced. But I need you to put the gun down."

There was a brief silence. "Ok. You're right. I don't want to kill him. I just wanted to track him down. Maybe now the screaming will stop."

"Its alright. You're gonna be fine."

Toombs and I looked at each other for some time. He mouthed out the words, 'I'm sorry.'

"Everyone knows that Mark was the only survivor on Akuze. Who am I to argue?"

My eyes widened as I ran down the hall, "Frank no!"

"Toombs!" yelled Shepard as he turned around to see Toombs putting the pistol to his head and pulling the trigger.

The gunshot echoed throughout the room. I burst through the doorway and saw Shepard standing in front of Toombs. Even he was surprised by the turn of events. Dr. Wayne was knocked out in the corner. I slowly made my way over to Toombs. His eyes were wide open, a small trail of tears ran down both cheeks.

"No! No! Frank..." I said, holding his body. I cried, "No..."

"God damn it! Why did you do this? You told me to live for the rest of the team! What am I supposed to do now? I don't have any time left!" I said to his lifeless body.

Ashley and Wrex came in, seeing the same thing that Shepard saw. Shepard didn't know what to say. No one did.

Inside the right pocket of Toombs' armor was a holo. It was a picture of his family; his wife Elena and his daughters Jessica and Alicia. I was shaken. There was also an OSD. I took both of them and put them into a pouch. I continued to sit on the floor, holding his lifeless body and cried.

"Mark..." Shepard said quietly, "The Fifth Fleet will be coming by shortly to take care of things here. We'll secure the doctor and wait for pickup."

My hands were covered in Toombs' blood, but I still wiped the tears from my eyes. I got up, taking one last look at my former comrade in arms and left without saying another word.

* * *

**1 hour after Fifth Fleet pickup**

The ride back to the Normandy was dead silent. I was lost in thought. It was Akuze all over again. I could have saved him this time but... I headed up to the comm. room, still wearing my blood soaked armor. I needed some peace and quiet. I looked at the holo of Frank and his family. It was taken before we went on SSV Eisenhower.

_His daughters must be in high school by now. _

Shepard came in a few minutes later and sat down next to me. "Hey Mark." he said quietly.

"Hey John." there was a silence for a few minutes until I broke it, "I'm sorry for almost failing the mission, John."

"Its alright, Mark. Believe me, I wanted to wring his neck too."

"Its just-I can't believe that it was just an experiment." I said, taking a drag on my cigarette.

"Of all the Cerberus activities we've discovered, this has to be the worst." Shepard said. "I've never been more disgusted in my entire life."

I nodded, still busy staring at the holo.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't find any evidence that supports Toombs' accusations against Dr. Wayne." Shepard said.

"Yes we do." I replied, pulling out an OSD. "This was also on Toombs' body."

I put the OSD into the communication terminal and played the message.

_Commander Sears…Mark. If you're hearing this, then I'm already dead. Six years ago, I discovered that the massacre that happened to us was not just a massacre, but an experiment performed by a group called Cerberus. From what I've been able to gather, this isn't the first time they've experimented on humans. They've disguised themselves within the Alliance, mostly in the science department. However, they are also within the military as well. I'm not sure how well connected they are but from what I've been able to gather, they're everywhere. I wanted to let you know this because between us, you have the best chance to stop them. Inside this OSD, I have several files that I've acquired on Cerberus. Including what they did on Akuze. Whatever scientists that I haven't killed yet that are still out there won't be able to hide if you give this to the right people. It has been the greatest honor of my life to have served with you Commander. Good luck, and god speed. Corporal Frank Toombs Task Force 110._

"I've already made a copy for you to send to Hackett, John." I said.

Shepard sat back in his seat, "Thanks. I might not have known Toombs, but he seemed like a good man."

"He was the best second in command I've ever had." I replied, "I just wish-"

"That we could have saved him." Shepard finished.

I sniffed, "Yeah."

"Me too." Shepard said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks for helping me out John."

"That's what friends are for Mark." He replied with a smirk.

I tried to smile but couldn't feel it on my face. "I'll see you later."

"One more thing Mark." Shepard said as I stopped at the door. "Toombs had neurotoxemia as well. He had weeks left to live. Even if he didn't commit suicide, I don't think he would have made it for a court date."

I nodded, "He died so that I would have a chance to finish what he started. Now I know what I have to do…but I'll worry about that after we take care of Saren."

* * *

_Been saving up for that chapter for awhile now. I'm glad I was able to do it. Anyway, thanks for reading!_


	9. One Journey Ends, Another Begins

_Author's Note: Hey all. I didn't really feel too good about this chapter but I kind of wanted to wrap up ME1 to get to Mark's missions. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**En route to Nepmos, Erebus System, Styx Theta Cluster**

After talking to Shepard, I headed down to the cargo bay and took off my armor and weapons. My armor was still covered in Toombs' blood.

_Clean it off later. It's not like you're going anywhere…yet._

I took a cursory glance around the cargo bay. Everyone was trying to look like they were busy.

_Probably staring at me again. Easy to figure out why._

Most of our missions were broadcast into the bridge. I would go up there every now and then if Shepard took a team onto some planet. There were always some interesting conversations that took place. In some cases, it was Shepard hitting on Ashley and vice versa. I had figured out that the rest of the team had listened in as Garrus, Liara, and Tali were waiting in the cargo bay as we got out of the Mako. I sat on a crate staring at the various armor pieces I placed in my locker.

"Hey Mark." Said a soft female voice from behind me. It was Ashley.

"Ash." I replied.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

I closed the door on my locker and sighed, "I've seen some terrible things in my time. That was probably the worst thing I've ever had to witness."

I stood up and turned around, Ash was joined by the rest of the team minus Shepard.

"Huh. Didn't see all of you there…" I mumbled.

I sat back down on the crate, facing everyone. "I can't believe Cerberus was behind that." Tali said angrily.

"I've never heard of a pro-human terrorist group that experiments on its own people." Garrus said.

"Groups like that only exist to provide a definition for the word hypocrisy." I replied. "They're the kind of people that give humanity a bad name."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Wrex asked, almost expecting my answer.

"When we're done with Saren, Cerberus is next on my list." I said.

"Good luck with that." Wrex replied, giving me a slap on the back.

"Thanks big man."

Everyone was beginning to make their plans for what will happen after the end of this little adventure. Garrus was planning on going back to C-Sec and reapply to be a Spectre. He wanted to make a difference there, on his own terms. It seemed that my turian friend had taken the advice of Shepard in regards to detective work.

_Maybe he took a little bit of my passion for my detective work as well._

Wrex was planning on going back to Tuchanka. He had his family's armor back and had plans to bring the krogan clans together.

Tali was going to go back to the flotilla; her pilgrimage completed now that she had a copy of the geth data recovered from the Armstrong Cluster. She was well on her way to becoming an adult in the eyes of her people.

Liara didn't say much about her future plans, but I assumed that Prothean ruins would be involved. _I might be able to help her out with that…well with the history part anyway._

It would be some time before we made it to the Styx Theta cluster. I took the chance to clean the blood off of my armor and do basic maintenance. Ashley was at her usual spot, running diagnostics on her rifle.

"Hey Mark. Where have you been?" she asked.

"Got something to eat. Took a nap. The basics." I replied.

Ashley chuckled, "Glad to see you're feeling better."

"A little better." I bit my lip, "This might sound strange but…There's this old poem that I would read a lot. It helped me get through some rough times."

"Really?" Ashley asked. She seemed taken aback or even surprised. "What was it? I might know about it."

I cleared my throat, "Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloodied, but unbowed. Beyond this place of horror and tears looms but the Horror of shade, and yet the menace of years finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

"Invictus. William Ernest Henry." Ash said with a smirk.

I nodded, "I'm not one for poetry, but that is a fine piece."

"It is a good poem. I prefer Whitman and Tennyson." She replied.

I chuckled, "I didn't know you liked poetry."

"Just because I can shoot your head off at a hundred yards doesn't mean I can't like sensitive stuff too." She retorted.

"Secret's safe with me Ash." I said, still smirking.

"Good. I'd hate to shoot your head off."

"You can try." I replied.

"Okay, Mr. Badass." She said rolling her eyes.

We stood there in silence, doing basic maintenance on our weapons.

"So, how are things with you and John?" I asked, catching the chief off guard.

"Wha-what are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean." I replied, drawling out every word.

"No. I don't." she replied, trying to backtrack.

"Ash, I'm not gonna go tell the whole ship. Besides, they've all figured it out."

She raised an eyebrow, "Everyone knows?"

"To be honest, with the amount of flirting you two do on missions, its kind of hard not to tell."

Ashley sighed, "Ugh. Shoot me now."

"Don't worry about it. Its not like anyone here gives a damn about regs anymore. I mean, we are on a stolen ship right now."

"Good point."

"See? You two are fine. Plus, you make a great couple." I said, still grinning like an idiot.

Ashley laughed out loud, "Thanks for the blessing Mark."

"Anytime."

* * *

**Nepmos, Erebus System, Styx Theta Cluster**

Once we entered the orbit of Nepmos, a distress signal was picked up from the planet. Apparently, the Alliance had set up listening posts throughout the cluster and had the 314th Infantry regiment, 10th Frontier Division watching these posts. They were being attacked by unknown creatures and were requesting backup. Shepard took a team down and discovered that the creatures turned out to be the rachni. Once they were cleared from the planet, we called Hackett to see if he could send a ship to pick them up.

Thankfully, he did. We then headed to another system in the cluster where the other listening post was located. There, we found more rachni and a computer terminal with coordinates from where they came from. There was a space facility located in Argos Rho, inside were some more rachni and a computer terminal with logs from a Major Flores.

It appeared that she was working for Cerberus and that they were involved in the same experiment that Binary Helix was running on the rachni. Cerberus had not anticipated that the rachni were intelligent beings and the operatives on this facility were killed. Container ships sent rachni to various areas across the system to sic the rachni on pirates. Next to the terminal were explosive charges, we set them off and got off the station and headed back to the Normandy.

* * *

**Luna (Moon), Sol System, Local Cluster**

Even though we were still 'wanted' for stealing our own ship, Alliance Command didn't seem to really care. Especially considering that Admiral Hackett would request our assistance in some sensitive matters. Which brings us to why we're orbiting the moon. A VI on one of the Alliance's training grounds went rogue. By the time the techs figured out what was wrong, 17 marines were killed in a training exercise. I didn't like the fact that we were being called on every now and then to do Alliance errands but who else was going to take care of this? Besides, I thought of it as a way to show the squad our home world. This would be my first mission in a week.

In that time, we discovered that Cerberus was experimenting on the rachni (to my recollection, they were on Binthu as well) and sending them out into the Terminus Systems, recovered a lost module on Eletania (along with the discovery a Prothean ruin), stopped biotic extremists on three separate occasions, and disabled a nuclear device dating back to the First Contact War. Then we saved the colony of Terra Nova from being destroyed from an asteroid.

_Talk about a busy week. Stupid condition, if I didn't have neurotoxemia I would have gladly stepped in to help._

Shepard decided to let me take the wheel for this assignment. Liara and Garrus would be joining us.

"Got a clean drop, Commander. Good hunting." Joker said over the radio.

"Alright. Let's see if we can find this facility." Shepard said, activating the Mako's map.

"Ah. Nothing but a smooth, flat-augh!" I yelled out as something hit me in the back of the head. It was Garrus. The Mako stopped immediately.

"Garrus? Are you alright?" Shepard asked.

"You're asking him if he's alright?" I yelled, "I was kicked in the back of the head!"

Garrus sat up, unharmed. "Sorry Mark. I wasn't expecting that last bump."

"Dude, we're on flat friggin ground!"

The three of them collectively laughed at the highly unusual situation. I was busy rubbing my head, but managed to chuckle.

I turned around and pointed at Garrus, "You. Buckle up."

"Fine." He replied, faking a sigh.

"Well this place isn't too far, thankfully." I said. The turrets around the facility began to open fire. Due to our extreme distance, dodging their shots was easy. Garrus took them all out with relative ease and we made our way to the first of three bunkers where the VI conduits were located. We entered the first bunker and saw the first signs of what went wrong. The first room contained the bodies of two dead marines.

_They don't look a day over 19._

"Do you hear that?" Liara asked.

We stood near the door and heard various mechanical sounds.

"Drones maybe." I said.

"If you've got anti-armor or proton rounds, now's the time to use them." Shepard said, as Liara switched ammo types. Shepard switched to tungsten rounds. Garrus and I were fine with what we had, as Garrus had high explosive rounds rounds in his sniper rifle.

Once the doors opened, Garrus and I took point as we had the best offense against the drones. After 10 minutes of bouncing from cover to cover and opening up on the drones, we made it to the VI conduit rooms.

"Time to cut the cord." I said as we destroyed the conduits.

"Uh oh." Garrus said, "We've got a problem."

"_Toxic gas has been released in Bunkers 2 and 3._" Said an announcement from the facility.

"Guess we're gonna be wearing helmets for the rest of this mission." Shepard said.

Bunker 2 was more of the same. Nothing but combat and rocket drones which were a real pain to take out. After we took out the first set of conduits, the VI activated small kinetic barriers around the remaining conduits. The good news was that these were only the size of a riot shield and could be bypassed with a sniper rifle shot. The final set of conduits were taken care of and now were on our way to the third bunker.

The third bunker was more of the same. However, most of our movement was hampered by the kinetic barriers that had blocked off the doors inside the last bunker. After making it to the conduit room, we repeated our previous process by simply shooting the conduits. Once we destroyed the first set, the VI had activated additional drones in the last room.

I opened the door as everyone got behind the doorway.

"Oh look another large barrier." I said.

"There are the drones." Chimed in Liara.

"Ideas?" Shepard asked.

"How about this. Shepard, you and Liara can take down the barrier. Garrus and I will toss in some overload mines to clear out the drones, and possibly take out some conduits." I suggested.

"Good plan. Lets set it up." Shepard ordered.

Garrus and I got behind the doorway while Liara and Shepard took out the barrier.

Both of us threw our overload mines in the room, the only sound coming from the room were explosions. We took a peek and saw that not only were all the drones down, but half of the conduits were destroyed as well.

"I guess I set mine to high yield." I said.

"Well whatever you did to it, it worked." Garrus replied.

"We should finish up here." Liara said.

We took out the rest of the conduits and saw a message in binary flash over and over.

"Anybody speak binary?" I asked. Getting smug replies in return.

"Now we can go to Ilos." Shepard said.

* * *

We sat around the Mako and waited for the Normandy to come around and pick us up. It gave us the chance to take in the scenery before us; that scenery being the Earth.

"Gotta love that view." I said.

Shepard nodded.

"I have never had the opportunity to see the Earth outside of textbooks. Seeing it like this is…spectacular." Liara said.

"Same here." Replied Garrus.

"You know the things they say about it are false." I said.

"What things?" asked Shepard.

"You know how people say that Earth is full of nothing but toxic metropolis full of thieves and beggars." I reply. "Nothing but a bunch of crap. I mean yeah there are bad spots but it's not all like that."

"You've been there?" Garrus asked.

I nodded. "I was put into a veterans hospital after Akuze. It was located in Washington D.C. I'm the first person in my family to have been born outside of Earth. My parents, grandparents, and so on were all born on Earth." I pointed up at the Earth.

"See that hook-like area on the North American continent? That's the state of Massachusetts. That's where my family comes from and by association, me."

"Just the hook?" Garrus asked.

I brought up a holographic display on my omni-tool and showed Garrus and Liara the area. "See?"

"Oh yeah. What's it like? Massachusetts I mean."

"It's one of the most historical states in the country. It's where the American Revolution started. While every other city across the globe is making every building look like something Prothean, the city of Boston hasn't really changed much. Going there or any other city in the United North American States is like taking a trip back in time."

Liara looked up in wonder, "It must be nice there. I should visit sometime."

"It's a hell of an experience. Great history, kick ass sports teams, crazy weather, and interesting people."

Shepard chuckled, "Don't get Mark started on sports."

"Oh man! That reminds me, if we get any off time, we gotta go to a Boston Minutemen game." I said, slapping Shepard on the arm. "The season's starting up soon."

"Maybe, but I get the feeling we'll be busy soon enough." Shepard replied uneasily.

"I'll do it on your birthday. How about it?" I asked.

"Deal. Who are they playing?"

"Boston's playing Stockholm at the Garden." I replied.

"Cool."

We sat back against the Mako, still looking up at the Earth.

"You know…seeing the Earth like this reminds me of something my great great-grandfather once dreamed of." I said.

"What was it?" Garrus said.

"He always wanted to walk on the moon." I replied.

"Why? There's not a whole lot here." He said.

"It wasn't about that. Its just that…when he was in his twenty's the United States government decided not to return to the moon. He wrote that when they announced this, it had been almost fourty years since the last moon landing. Which for him was on December 7th, 1972."

"What year did the government abandon their plan to go back to here?" Liara asked.

"October 11, 2010." I replied. "They decided that, 'hey we've already been there lets shoot higher and try to land on an asteroid and then Mars.' Idiots. How else do you expect to learn how to land on another planet?"

"Plus it's impossible to land on an asteroid. It spins so much that you can't get off." Shepard said.

"Exactly."

"So what finally happened?" Garrus asked.

"They set up a colony in the Shackleton Crater in 2069. My great great-grandfather wrote that he could die a happy man now that humanity went back to the moon." I replied with a chuckle. "He died two months later."

I pointed up at the dark space and said, "This is for you, pop."

"Hey all. Hate to break up this moment but its time to go." Joker said as the Normandy landed so we could pull the Mako in.

"That's alright Joker." I said, "I think it might be impossible for you to break up a good moment."

Shepard snorted loudly, "Only for me." He mumbled.

* * *

**En route to the Mu Relay/Ilos, Refuge System, Pangea Expanse**

Our next stop was Ilos. It was going to be a long trip to Ilos as we had to travel through several mass relays to get to the Mu relay that would take us to Ilos. I spent a few hours in deep thought, remembering the visions I had from the Prothean ruins on Mindoir and seeing Earth from the moon. Reading the book my great great-grandfather wrote was the closest thing I could get to being with a member of my family. It was like he was with me the whole way.

I was sitting in the mess hall as usual, taking every bit of information we had on Cerberus and pieced it together. Liara came over and sat down next to me.

"Hello Mark."

"Hi Liara."

"May I ask what you are doing?"

"I'm gathering all of the info we have on Cerberus and piecing it together, trying to find any sort of patterns."

"You are going to hunt them down aren't you?"

"Yep. When we're done with Saren, I'm going to find these guys."

"I wish you good luck, Mark."

"Thanks Liara." We sat there for a while in silence, thinking about the upcoming mission.

"I get the feeling that you're excited to go to Ilos." I said.

"It is too bad that we will not be there too long. I wish I could study it."

"I understand. You know, I forgot that you wanted to see some of that Prothean data I have in my head."

"Oh. Yes. I mean, if that is alright with you." She replied nervously.

"Sure. I don't know how the whole mind reading thing works but, I'll try to think of anything Prothean. I'd advise against looking at anything else, it might traumatize you." I said.

"Yes. I can do that." I took my glasses off and looked her in the eyes and relaxed as she dove into my mind.

"Wow. I-I could not have imagined this in my lifetime."

"I hope you might find something that helps you out in your research Liara." "Thank you. Thank you so much Mark." She replied with a smile

"You're welcome. Its the least I can do." We headed up to the CIC as we were not too far out from Ilos.

"Wow." I said, sitting down next to Joker. "That's a lot of ships."

"Good thing the stealth systems are engaged." said Joker.

"Yeah, no kidding."

There was some bickering going on between Chief Williams and Navigator Pressly over finding a landing zone. There was nowhere within a good distance of Saren except for the DZ Pressly picked which was incredibly narrow. Joker said that he could pull it off; I took his word for it considering his commendations and that he was the top pilot at the academy. As Joker set up the drop, I went down to the cargo bay with Shepard.

"Hey John." I said.

"Yeah, Mark?"

"Give 'em the business."

We both bumped fists and he got into the Mako with Ashley, Garrus, and Wrex. I headed back up to CIC to help Joker out and coordinate any sort of strategies with Shepard. The door Saren went through was locked so they had to find a way inside a security area to open the gate.

"Damn. Are you seeing this Joker?" I said as I zoomed in with one of the camera's on the bottom of the ship.

"Must have been one hell of a city back in the day."

"Yeah. Seems like a giant graveyard now." Once they unlocked the gate, they headed into the facility. Listening in on the radio chatter, they made it into some sort of archive dotted with cryogenic stasis pods on the walls; the final resting place for these Protheans. After traveling some distance, they were stopped by a giant barrier curtain. It wasn't a geth trap, but there was a nearby elevator. At the bottom, was an old VI terminal that called itself Vigil.

Listening in, it discussed how Shepard must stop a cycle of extinction that spanned many years. Vigil revealed that the Citadel was an enormous mass relay, created by the Reapers. It was a way for them to arrive in our galaxy from dark space. When Sovereign sends a signal to the keepers on the Citadel, the cycle would continue again. By killing the leaders on the Citadel, it would create a surprise attack in which the Reapers would systematically destroy every civilization in the galaxy before anyone knew about it.

There was a chance to stop this, Vigil said. During the peak of Prothean civilization, Ilos was a top-secret research facility where researchers were close to unlocking the secrets of mass relay technology. The prototype they built was the Conduit, a one-way portal from Ilos to the Citadel. Using this, the top researchers went to the Citadel and installed a program that would ignore any outside signals. So now the Reapers would have to go directly to the Citadel and open it manually, which is what Saren was planning on doing. Shepard took a data file from Vigil's console that would give him temporary control of the station.

As Shepard and his squad sped through the aquaducts, we recieved a distress signal from the Citadel. A massive armada consisting of geth ships and Sovereign were charging the Citadel. We knew that Shepard would be going to the Citadel via the Conduit so we traveled through the relay network to the Andura and rounded up the entire Arcturus fleet. We then waited for the relays to open up.

"You ready for this Mark?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I said, "All disruptors charged and ready."

Joker finally established contact with the Citadel to tell the commander the news. He opened up the relays so that we could go in and save the Council, who were aboard the Destiny Ascension.

"All ships move in. Protect the Ascension." ordered Admiral Hackett.

Joker finally got to put the Normandy through its run as we weaved in and out through debris to get within range of the Ascension.

"Normandy, this is Staff Commander Alfred Hazelton, callsign Thunderbird 1. We're with 505th Tactical Fighter Squadron and we'll be backing you up all the way."

"Copy that Thunderbird 1." Joker replied, "Thanks for the backup."

"I've got two geth cruisers moving to intercept the Ascension at vector 083." I said.

"Action stations." Pressly ordered.

"All batteries are charged and locked. Permission to engage, sir." Said Ensign Draven.

"Clear to engage." Pressly replied.

We flew at the attacking geth ships faster than any other ship.

"I've got a lock on both ships." I said, just itching to fire some missiles at the geth. "Fox 2."

The two missiles slammed into the geth ships, while the other geth ships were being struck by the main guns of the Alliance cruisers to our aft.

"Destiny Ascension you are clear." Joker said over the radio.

"The Citadel's opening. All ships, concentrate your fire on Sovereign!" Hackett ordered.

"Thunderbird 1 this is Normandy, come in behind us and prep for strafing run." I said.

"Copy Normandy, Thunderbird squad out."

"Get a load of that biggin'." I said, as we circled in around Sovereign.

Once we had a lock on Sovereign, I kept firing disruptors to no avail.

"His shields are too strong. We can't break through them." I said.

"Just wait. Shepard will do something about it." Joker replied.

Sure enough, Sovereign fell off of the Citadel tower and we unloaded everything we had.

"I've got lock, rolling in. Fox 2!" I said as the 2 missiles we fired tore through Sovereign, destroying it. It was finally over. There were high fives going on all over the ship. The squad seemed to be fine as well.

_Not bad at all._

_

* * *

_

**Citadel, Presidium**

The next morning, Shepard had a meeting with the Council. I decided to tag along for the hell of it since I hadn't gotten off the ship since our mission on the moon. We were joined by Udina and Captain Anderson. I stood behind Shepard, Anderson, and Udina while they spoke with the Council.

"Ambassador. Captain. Commander Shepard." Said Councilor Tevos, "We have gathered here to recognize the enormous contributions of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the geth."

"Many humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel, brave and courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we –the Council—might live." Said the salarian councilor.

"There is no greater sacrifice and we share your grief and loss over the tragic loss of so many noble men and women." Said Valern.

_I hope he isn't giving us the standard speech._

"The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commander. One we can never repay." Tevos added. "You not only saved our lives, but the lives of billions from Sovereign and the Reapers."

_Woah. She's actually admitting that? Good thing I'm recording this._

"Commander Shepard, your heroic and selfless actions serve as a symbol for everything humanity and the Alliance stand for."

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to save ours, we can honor their memories through our actions." Valern said.

Tevos capped it off, "Humanity has shown that it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the galaxy. You have proved that you are worthy to join our ranks and serve besides on the Citadel Council."

Udina stepped up, "Councilor, on behalf of humanity and the Alliance, we thank you for this prestigious honor and humbly accept."

"We will need a list of potential candidates to fill humanity's seat on the Council." Said the salarian councilor.

"Given all that has happened, I am sure your recommendation will carry a great deal of weight Commander. Do you support any particular candidate?" Tevos asked.

"We need someone with the courage to stand up for what he believes in. Someone like Captain Anderson." Shepard said, signaling to Anderson.

"Him? You must be joking. Anderson prefers to let his fists do the talking." Udina replied incredulously.

"Only with you Ambassador, only with you." Anderson retorted, jokingly.

_Hah! He did knock the bastard out! You go Captain!_

"Are you sure about this Commander? Anderson is a soldier, not a politician." Udina said to Shepard.

"Someone's all butt hurt." I mumbled under my breath.

"We've already got too many politicians on the Citadel. The captain would be a perfect fit for the job." Shepard replied.

"I think it is an inspired choice." Tevos said, "The Council would welcome him with open arms, should he accept."

"I'm honored Councilor. As humanity's representative, I'll do everything in my power to help the Council rebuild." Anderson said.

"Sovereign's defeat marks the beginning of a new era for both humanity and the Council." Valern said.

Shepard glanced around at the politicians, "Sovereign was only a vanguard. The Reaper fleet is still coming. Hundreds of ships, maybe thousands and I'm going to find some way to stop them." He turned and walked towards the Wards access, while I stood my ground.

"Shepard's right. Humanity is ready to do its part. United with the rest of the Council, we have the strength to overcome any obstacle. When the Reapers come, we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we will drive them back into dark space." Anderson said, slamming his fist into his palm.

I lit up a lufar and headed in Shepard's direction.

"Mr. Sears, please wait." Said Councilor Tevos. I stopped and turned around.

"Yes Councilor?" I asked, trying to stay as neutral as humanly possible.

"Our offer for you to join the Spectres is still open. However, this will be our final offer." She said.

"My previous answer still stands. Now more than ever." I replied.

Anderson turned to me, "Mark-"

"Captain, I don't have much time left to live. I'd prefer to go out on my own terms rather than be handcuffed by politicians for my decision making." I said firmly.

I stared at the three councilors, "Now your little speech to Shepard might have been genuine or some prepared piece. I don't know, but I sure hope it was genuine. What I said to you the last time we were here, about Saren, Sovereign, the geth. It happened. And your lives were in the balance as well. If I were you, I'd take this opportunity and strive to do better. Because if your actions over the last month have proven anything, its been a failure to act. We acted. And we did it using Spectre privileges to save trillions of lives while you did everything in your power to stop us."

I took a quick drag, while the Council stared on blankly. Anderson and Udina were surprised to say the least.

"You might not be able to pay back your personal debt to my friend, but I'd recommend that you start. Because we're the ones out there putting our lives on the line so that everyone in this galaxy can wake up the next morning and go to work or raise a family and so on. I took an oath thirteen years ago when I joined the military to protect not only those people, but the ideals that I believed in. I don't know if any of you have ideals but I take mine pretty damn seriously. It's my job, even as a private investigator. I suggest you change your ways…and start listening. History will judge us for our actions. I don't think you want to be seen in history books as politicians who failed to listen to the people and the military." I said as began to walk off.

_They better listen now. If not, people will wake up to the sight of the Reapers, blacking out the skies over thousands of worlds._

The galaxy was saved, well, for now anyway. We had only held off extinction for a little bit longer.

* * *

**Citadel, Dock 422, Normandy SR-1 (February 5th 2183)**

Judgement day. Well for me anyway. Dr. Chakwas had been busy trying to get my blood tests finished since my episode on Virmire. I had to go into the med bay every day to get a blood workup to see how far my illness had progressed. She finally found the results. Part of me was hoping that it only took a year off of my projected lifespan. I sat on the edge of one of the beds and waited patiently. Chakwas walked into the med bay with Shepard in tow.

"Hey doc, John." I said. "What brings you in here?"

"Chakwas wanted me to be here." He replied.

She picked up a datapad and walked over to me. Her facial expression was neutral, or at least bordering between neutral and grim.

"Mark, I have some bad news for you, I'm afraid." She said.

I sighed, "I figured. Let me guess, 2 years right."

She swallowed hard. _Uh oh._

"Since your 'episode' on Virmire, your illness has progressed faster than anticipated. You've probably noticed how your veins are becoming darker in areas where they weren't dark before." She said.

"Yeah." I replied softly, "How much time do I have left doc?"

Chakwas bit her lip, "You have 6 months left to live."

Both of my eyebrows shot up. Six months…damn. I glanced over at Shepard, he looked crushed by the news. I hadn't seen him this devastated before; closest to it was after Kaidan died.

"I'm sorry Mark." She said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay doctor. You did everything you could. Thank you." I replied.

She took a deep breath and walked towards the door, "I'll give you two some time."

Once the doors closed, I stood up and exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Huh." Was all I could muster out.

Shepard walked over to me, "Mark…I'm so sorry." He gave me a big hug.

"It's alright John…" I replied.

"No its not. My best friend…my little brother is going to die and I can't stop it." He said.

"John…I'm not afraid. You shouldn't be either. I helped you get this far, as for everything else, I think you'll do fine." I replied with a pat on the back.

He inhaled deeply, "Thanks Mark." John wiped a lone tear that was sitting on his lower eyelid.

"Besides, I'm not dead yet and we can still see the Minutemen game at the Boston Garden."

"True, true." He said. "So, what's next for you?"

"I'm gonna look for Cerberus and take them out." I replied. "But first, I'm gonna go to my place on Elysium. I really need a break."

Shepard chuckled as we walked out of the med bay, "You need a lift?"

"Nah. You've got things to do, besides, I could do with some civilian travel." I replied, picking up my bag and walked up to the CIC to say my goodbyes. I wasn't the only one leaving either. Wrex, Garrus, and Tali had their things as well.

The four of us headed to the transport terminals.

"I guess this is goodbye." Garrus said.

"Eh. Goodbyes make it sound like we'll never see each other again. I prefer, 'see you later'." I replied with a grin.

"Well, see you later." Garrus said, as he stuck his hand out. I shook it. Garrus shook hands with Tali and Wrex before heading back to the C-Sec academy.

Tali was the next person to leave, "That's my shuttle. I hope to see you two again some day."

"Same here Tali." I said.

"Yeah. See you later kid." Wrex replied. Tali walked off to an old quarian scout ship. It would be taking her back to the flotilla.

That just left me and Wrex.

"I take it you're off to go hunt down Cerberus eh?" Wrex said. I nodded.

"No one asked you this but I could tell by lookin at you. What did the doctor tell you?"

"I've got six months left." I replied.

"Damn." Wrex said.

"Shepard and the doc are the only other people that know. It might not be a whole lot of time, but…"

"Well I think you'll give 'em hell. Maybe even destroy them before the end."

"Thanks Wrex." I replied.

"It was good knowing you kid." He said as the large krogan rumbled off, either to get a ride or find a bar fight.

Here I was sitting at a departure terminal, waiting for the next ride to Elysium.

* * *

**Citadel, Shuttle Terminals**

The terminals were pretty quiet, almost totally silent aside from a few quiet conversations. The attack here yesterday had shut down virtually all traffic across the Citadel, except for traffic leaving the station. I was watching one of the news screens, seeing what the media across the galaxy had to say about the attack.

_Of course, they always have to sensationalize everything. Most of this is edited anyway._

I was sitting back, nursing my extra large iced coffee when an asari sat down next to me.

"Hello Mr. Sears." She said. I looked to my left and to my surprise; it was Councilor Tevos.

"Councilor? Um, hello." I said, still surprised. "How did you know I was here?"

"C-Sec. I had been meaning to speak to you since our last meeting." She replied, "It was not difficult to find you since the Normandy is only a few levels away."

I bit my lip and nodded, "Is this about my Spectre candidacy again?"

"No. You have already stated your position on the matter. It would be insulting to press it further." She replied. "This is about what you said to us yesterday."

"I'm not going to apologize for stating the facts." I said evenly, "It needed to be said and Shepard is to honorable to badmouth the people that employ him so…"

Tevos took a deep breath, "Actually, I'm glad you said what you had to say."

"Wait, what?" I asked incredulously.

"The recent events that have occurred have been…trying to say the least. I have been on this Council for the last sixty years and we have faced nothing like this before. Our best agent committing treason, the emergence of your people…" Tevos said, "The chance that all life in our galaxy could have been annihilated by an ancient race of machines."

"It doesn't lack for excitement, that's for sure." I replied.

She chuckled, "It does not."

"I take it that since you mentioned the Reapers existence, you're going to believe us?"

"I can't officially say that I do."

"Off the record? Eh. We'll take what we can get at this juncture." I replied.

"This is nothing personal. The Council has to do what it can to ensure galactic security." She said.

"It is personal." I retorted, "You can't marginalize the deaths of thousands. You can't call humanity's best hero a liar to the general public." I turned to face her.

"I call it personal because the Alliance did that to my home on Mindoir. Our representatives had mountains of evidence that we were an open target to pirates and slavers in batarian space."

She looked at me in the eyes, listening intently.

"We demanded that they give our planet a bigger garrison. Or better yet, set up a military base in the system. The Alliance told us that there was nothing to worry about. That 'all was well'; our garrisons and troop levels were fine and a military buildup would cause more attacks on our colonies. The rest as they say is history." I said.

"I can see how our actions could have that effect." Tevos replied.

"Look, I don't have some personal gripe with the Council. If anything, I'm glad Shepard saved your lives because without you, who knows what kind of chaos would have ensued. In times like this, we all need to unify. Now is probably the best time to do that."

"I agree. I'm glad we see eye to eye on that issue." She said with a small smile. "You would do well in this field, Mr. Sears."

"Nah. No offense, but I don't pander to get votes, stick to my guns, and I'm honest." I replied with a smirk.

"No offense taken. What do you mean by 'sticking to your guns?"

"Never compromising your beliefs and sticking by them." I said.

"Ah. I see." She replied with a grin, "Humans seem to have some interesting phrases."

"Oh that's just one of many interesting things we have." I said. "It would take me all day to go through everything."

She sat back in her seat, "What other interesting things do you have?" Tevos asked, drawling out every word.

"Hm. Dang, I don't know where to start." I replied, scratching my head.

"I didn't mean humanity, I meant you." She replied, leaning in slightly.

"Uh, Councilor?" I asked, nervously. _Oh crap. Not again._

"Yes?" she asked softly. I could feel her breathing on my ear.

"While I appreciate the thought, my shuttle's here." I replied.

"Oh." She said, clearing her throat and standing up briskly. "Well I'm glad we were able to have this conversation. I just wanted you to know my views on this matter."

"Of course, Councilor Tevos. I appreciate it." I replied.

She nodded, "Perhaps we can continue our conversation again some time."

I smirked, "I'd like that."

I grabbed my bag and walked into the first class cabin. _Riding in style. Very nice._

I leaned back in my seat and relaxed. _The asari councilor hitting on me…what the hell…_

There was this strange feeling in the back of my mind that someone had been watching me or following me the whole time. I had the same feeling when I was on Thessia. _It couldn't be._

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the master detective." said a familiar female voice. She came up from behind me and slid into the seat next to me.

"Eviana! Its good to see you again." I replied, a grin on my face.

"Good to see you too." she said with a wink, "I hear that you've been busy saving the galaxy."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. But I helped out." I said evasively.

"Mm-hmm. That you did." she said edging closer to me, "May I ask why you're going to Elysium?"

"Sure. I have a new mission."

"For who?"

"Me. I assume you read some of Shepard's mission reports."

"I did." she said with a smirk, "Had to check up on you. From the sounds of it, you had quite the adventure."

"Yeah." I said lowering my head a bit, "But I never expected that my past would come back to haunt me in one mission." When I looked up at Eviana she had a sad expression on her face.

"I'm so sorry, Mark."

"Its ok, Eviana. I'm going to set things right this time."

"How are you going to do that?"

"By finding and taking out Cerberus. Any group that considers killing humans, soldiers, and anyone else for the greater good must be dealt with. I owe that much to my comrades." She put her arm around me and gave me a sly smile, "Is it alright if I help you out?" she asked.

"Its your call. I mean…you are a Spectre."

"Yes. But I'm also on leave." She replied.

"Taking a vacation in the middle of a huge rebuilding process?"

"Something like that. I needed it. Besides, I've never been to a human colony."

"Well you're in luck. I'll show you around."

"I think I'm going to like this trip." she said. I couldn't have agreed with her more.

* * *

_Whew! Now its Mark vs. Cerberus. Can he take them down before he dies? Or will some other forces at play change things?_

_Hope you liked this chapter. I wasn't entirely confident but hey, we all have our off days._


	10. Interlude 3

_Author's note: I'm just cranking these things out eh? I've probably mentioned this before but most of what I've posted was part of an outline that I made for this story (I planned on filling in the blanks some day...now I am!). Which is why I've posted this up. I've been debating on whether or not to change the rating on this from T to M...I might do it eventually but I'm not entirely sure yet. Feedback would be appreciated._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**En route to Elysium**

It was a 5-hour trip from the Citadel to Elysium and being accompanied by an attractive asari Spectre made the ride great.

"So where we start?" I asked.

"Hm. Well, why don't you tell me about your little adventure with Commander Shepard." She said. "How did it feel to give a debriefing to the Council in person?"

"It was alright. It didn't take long for me to figure out their true nature though. Well, once I joined up with Shepard." I replied.

"But your meeting went well?"

"Oh yeah. I was half expecting them to charge me with a litany of things. Murder, destruction of corporate property, stealing sensitive information, etc."

"I put a good word in for you. I'd never let them charge you with anything." She teased.

I chuckled, "Sure you wouldn't."

Eviana rolled her eyes. She looked amazing. Her face had almost similar markings to Councilor Tevos, but hers were a dark purple. She wore a low cut dress; similar to the one she wore when we first met, except it was a dark green color. It did a great job of showing off her well-toned legs; among other things.

"See something you like?" she asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I chuckled, "Maybe."

She shifted closer to me in her seat, "Maybe I see something I like."

"You wouldn't be the first asari to say that to me. Most likely not the last." I replied.

"The difference between me and Councilor Tevos is that I'm not joking." She whispered in my ear.

"So you're saying…that whole time…"

"Uh huh."

I let out a heavy sigh, "Man I don't understand anything." Eviana gave me a playful shove on the arm.

"Well maybe not asari but you've got a better grasp of things than most people." She replied with a grin.

I just shook my head and laughed.

"So, what was the most unusual thing you encountered on your mission?" she asked, getting back on topic.

"That's tough. There was the rachni on Noveria, the Thorian on Feros, and Sovereign the Reaper. Take your pick."

"Wow." She replied stunned, "What is a Thorian anyway?"

I shivered. "This giant plant that looked like a cross between a tick and an onion. It smelled like-" I shivered again at the thought.

Eviana laughed, "I don't know what a tick is but it sounds nasty. You must have had some bad memories of that thing."

"I did. But mostly memories of how bad it smelled. Oh the smell." I replied. "Please don't mention the Thorian again."

She smirked, "Thorian."

I smacked myself in the forehead, "You're a cruel woman…"

Eviana giggled at my response, "What about the Reaper?"

"Have you seen the remains of that thing?" I asked.

She nodded, "There was a lot of debris floating around."

I pulled out my omni-tool and showed her some pictures of Sovereign.

"This thing made the Destiny Ascension look like a frigate." I said. Her eyes widened as she looked at it.

"And you and Shepard took it out?" she asked, still in disbelief.

"Yep." I replied, "You're probably the first person outside of our crew to say it's a Reaper."

"I read all the reports. Your friend Shepard doesn't seem like the kind of person to make up something like this."

"He's not, believe me. The damn Council kept handcuffing us and saying it was all fabricated; saying that Saren was manipulating us." I said bitterly.

"I heard about that too. They've never questioned my decisions or anything. All I've done is report to them and yet they question Shepard at every turn?" Eviana shook her head.

"Cover up was the first thing that came into my mind at first. Then denial. The last thing sounded plausible since he was considered to be the Council's best agent." I said.

"Yeah. We're not all like him though. I never worked with him but from what I heard, Saren was a ruthless bastard." She replied.

"I know not every Spectre would shoot a baby to save the universe." I said, "The story Anderson told us pretty much summed it all up."

She nodded. "But enough about him. Tell me about you." Eviana gave me a small tap on the leg.

I chuckled, "My past isn't the best conversation topic, I'm afraid. Besides, I thought you said on Thessia that you looked me up."

She put her arm up on the top of my seat and leaned in, "Indulge me."

_Damn she is good._

I sighed, "Alright…I was born and raised in Cygnus County, Mindoir. Nice town, good people. Surprisingly diverse despite being a human founded colony. Had turian neighbors, asari, batarian, and human. My childhood was a lot different than most kids. I had my high school diploma when I was 9. Masters degrees from MIT and Oxford University at 11 and 12. Gifted was what they told me. Then slavers and pirates showed up when I was 13; killing my parents, capturing or killing neighbors, friends, anybody. The same day I ended up activating an old Prothean network hub, obtaining a ton of knowledge and history from the thing. After that, I met John Shepard and we became best friends."

I could feel the arm she had on the chair slowly make its way down around my neck.

"I got dropped off on Arcturus and met up with some of my father's friends who taught me their skills. I told them that I wanted to join the Alliance military, find the people who took away the people I cared about. So I lied about my age and signed up. John was surprised to see me but never said a word to anyone."

I chuckled at the old memories of training, "Boot camp was fun. Met a lot of good people from all over. With my aptitude tests off the charts, I was made an officer. Went through the famed N7 Infiltrator program setting records left and right, earning respect from my colleagues and new friends. Until 2177, I headed up one of the most lethal special-forces units in the Attican Traverse: Task Force 110. I was told one day that it was because of us that pirate attacks in the Traverse dropped almost 55% over the course of 2 years."

I paused and took a breath, "Then I lost all that on Akuze. Good friends and colleagues being torn apart by abominations of tentacles, teeth, and acid. We trekked across that planet for 4 days trying to escape." I closed my eyes, "It was only recently that I found out it was all just an experiment."

The next thing I knew, Eviana's hold on me grew tighter. I looked to my left and saw the expression on her face. It was one of sadness and horror.

"I'm sorry. As I said, my past isn't the best topic."

"It's alright. I wanted to hear it from you. Files and records never have personal details." She replied softly. "What happened after that?"

"I woke up in a military hospital on Earth and found out I was the first ever human to be diagnosed with neurotoxemia. Of course with all the horrors I encountered, coupled with what happened on Mindoir, I came down with a serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Didn't speak for two years. Once I had recovered, I met up with my father's friends who helped me get back on my feet. That's how I got this gig as a private investigator. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Wow." Eviana said, "I sure know how to pick 'em."

I chuckled. "Okay, your turn."

"What do you mean my turn?" she asked coyly.

"Tell me about you." I said.

"I don't think I can top that." She replied.

"This isn't a competition. Besides, there's gotta be more to you than being an attractive woman who travels across the galaxy as a super secret agent." I said with a smirk.

She smiled, "Well when you put it like that, how can I refuse?"

Eviana took her arm off of me and adjusted herself in the seat, "To start, I was born on Thessia in the city of Serrice. It's a beautiful coastal city. I think you might like it, especially the beaches."

"I like the beach but, how did you know that?"

"Because it would give me the chance to show off in my swimsuit." She replied.

I laughed, "Valid point."

"Anyway…" Eviana said, continuing, "My dad was a salarian. He was a musician and was always out doing a gig somewhere. Mom used to be an asari commando and was part of Serrice's defense force."

"How did they meet?" I asked.

"Dad was playing a show in this club in town and apparently my mother caught his eye. They went out for a while, and then I came along. I spent most of my childhood learning various things, music as well. Much like you, I became a commando and greatly excelled at all sorts of combat techniques and biotics. Then the Council took notice and I became a Spectre."

"Cool. I happen to be something of a musician as well. It's a small hobby of mine."

Her eyes lit up, "Really? I'd love to hear you play some time."

"Can do. So how long were you a commando?"

"About sixty years. I've been a Spectre for sixty years as well." She replied.

"Wow. I hate to ask but…"

"My age? I'm 183." She said.

I chuckled, "You know in the time that you've been alive, you out lived my great great-grandfather, great-grandfather, and grandfather. Actually, my great great-grandfather was just a kid when you were born."

She laughed as well, "Thanks for making me feel old."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that…"

"I know. I was just teasing. Besides, I'm an adult by a few decades." She replied.

"Well if it makes you feel better, I'm only 26 and that's like past the 'legal' adult age by 8 years."

Eviana chuckled, "Works for me."

She told me about some of her adventures across the galaxy. It turns out that she was involved in bringing down a major volus energy corporation before she assigned the mission of taking down Vogel. From the sound of things, she was an expert at undercover operations. I wouldn't argue with that; most people in the business world would probably be taken with a new shapely asari employee instead of knowing that she was in fact a Spectre. By the time we had arrived at Elysium, we learned almost everything about each other.

* * *

**Elysium**

As we got off at the shuttle station, Eviana asked, "So, where would you like to stay?"

"Actually, I have a place on the outskirts near a small mountain range."

"Ooh. Sounds romantic." she said, jokingly.

I laughed and replied, "Its one of the few places I call home. Its sort of a safe house." We decided to walk to my place; it wasn't too far from the spaceport and it was good to stretch our legs after a 5-hour shuttle.

"It's so peaceful here." said Eviana, "I find it hard to believe that a place like this was attacked a few years ago."

"Me too. There's nothing of any real significance other than living space and stability."

"Sounds different than what most humans are like. Well, just the ones I've met." she said.

"Have you been around many humans before?" I asked

"A few, yeah. They all seem like they're in a rush all the time."

"Well we are short lived. We've gotta run around and get things done fast. Do I seem like that to you?"

She gave me grin and said, "No. That's why I like you. You're calm and collected. Plus you've got a great sense of humor, among other things."

She laughed and I had realized that I had unknowingly blushed.

"Thanks." I replied.

"What's your opinion on us asari?" she asked me.

"Of the few asari that I've known, they're all very intelligent and perceptive. And for some reason, most of the ones I've met all want to have sex with me. I don't get it." I said, with a smirk

She laughed and then asked, "Maybe we all see something in you than other humans. But what about me?"

"I've never met anyone like you before. Beauty, intelligence, and a great sense of humor in one awesome package. Considering that you're a Spectre as well, you possess great biotic and combat strength. From a tactical perspective, I wouldn't want you as my enemy."

It was difficult to tell if she blushed, but she did laugh out loud. "Quite the profile, Mark. I can see why the Alliance once considered you as their best tactically minded soldier."

"Oh you read that too?"

"Mm-mm. The perks of being a Spectre." We both had a laugh and eventually came up on my safe house. It was situated on a high hill in Elysium's Waldriech Mountains, overlooking the capital. The surrounding area had a fairly lush forest containing pine trees. The safe house itself looked small from the outside despite having two floors plus a basement level.

"Nice place." said Eviana, "Good distance away from the city and safe enough to prevent anyone from bothering you."

"That's why I chose it." Walking inside, it didn't seem like some run down safe house. It was well furnished and up-kept with a large wrap-around couch and a big recliner chair. It was built so that there would be light inside at any time of the day, even at night. Next to the house was a fairly large garage, which I used as an armory and office. I gave her a tour of the place and she was impressed. Eviana didn't know how I could have afforded a place like this but I told her that I earned it from jobs and "having good connections". Truth be told, this was actually a gift from Semeyon. It was one of many places he used to use as a hide out and he gave it to me to use.

"Very impressive place you have Mark."

"I'm glad you like it. You know, you're actually the first person I've shown this to."

"I feel honored." she said jokingly.

I felt a little uneasy about asking, but I decided to give it a shot, "So, I know this might be a little up front but-"

"Sure. I'd like to stay over here." she said, picking up on what I was going to say, "Its better than staying in some hotel. Plus, the company's always good."

I laughed, "Good. You can sleep in the bedroom upstairs if you'd like. I'll take the couch."

"Oh that's alright." she said, "You do know its common for members of the asari military to live in shared spaces."

"But I'm not-"

"Come on." she said with a strange grin on her face, sensing how awkward I felt.

"Sure." I replied, caving in.

We both went upstairs to the master bedroom. It was very spacious and to top it off, it had a king sized bed, bathroom and shower, large window with a panoramic view of the city and mountains, and a big vid screen. I threw my bag in the corner of the room and sat on edge of the bed and placed the OCD Shepard gave me before I headed for the terminal.

* * *

**5 hours ago, Citadel, Dock 422**

"_Mark. Before you go, there's something you should have." Shepard said to me, as he pulled out an OSD._

"_What is this for?" I asked._

_He leaned in and whispered, "This is a copy of all of our mission data. Every conversation, video footage, data we've picked up, etc."_

_Both of my eyebrows shot up, "Why do you want me to have this John?"_

_He took a deep breath, "Anderson told me about what you said to the Council. I've done everything in my power to get them to listen but they won't. I know that you have half a year left to live but I know you've got the connections to do some good with this."_

"_John…"_

"_Please. This is the last favor I want to ask of you." He replied._

_I nodded, "You got it John. I'll make sure they listen."_

"_Thank you Mark. I'll see you later." He said, as we said goodbye with our trademark handshake._

_

* * *

_

**Present time**

It was around 2330 local time and I was pretty tired. Eviana put her bag down near the dresser and took something out. I was too busy taking my shoes off to notice what it was, but she went into the bathroom. I went to the closet and changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants and sat down on the massive bed.

"What do you think?" said Eviana as I turned and saw her standing in the doorway.

"Wow." was the only thing I could muster out. She was wearing some sexy black lingerie and was slowly strolling towards me.

"So?" she said with a sly grin, striking a pose in front of me. My jaw immediately dropped.

"You-you look amazing." I replied, struggling to think of anything coherent

"Thanks." she replied with a grin, pulling back the covers and getting into the bed.

"Care to join me?"

"Yeah..." I said. This was going to be a different experience for me. I got in, turned off the light and lay down.

"Hmm—It's been way too long since I've shared a room with someone. Forgot how good it was." Eviana drawled out.

At this point, she was pretty much taking advantage of how awkward I was feeling. She was going all out in terms of flaunting her sexuality, but this is how most asari were...right? Either that or she just liked to tease.

_Are you really so surprised? Almost every asari you've met has done something similar._

"What's wrong Mark?" she asked.

"Oh-nothing." I replied.

"Come on. Tell me." she started rubbing my shoulder with her fingertip.

"Its just-I've never had to share a room before. Especially with a-a beautiful woman."

"Aww. Well don't worry. It'll be fine. Just relax." It wasn't too difficult to relax in this state. My inner thoughts where screaming, go along with it while my conscious mind was doing the opposite.

"Listen Eviana, I have to warn you about something."

"What?"

"I'm probably going to wake up abruptly in about 2 to 3 hours."

"Is it because of your disease?"

"Yeah. Among other things..."

"I understand." she said, "I wish there was something I could do to help."

"That's ok." I said as she snuggled up next to me.

* * *

**Elysium (February 6****th****, 2183)**

I woke up at around 0330, coughing like crazy and immediately started to take my medication. I was amazed to see that I had actually slept more than 4 hours, a first in over 6 years. I looked over at Eviana, she still looked gorgeous but had moved since I woke up.

_Probably heard me hacking up a storm and moved._

Once I finished, I went back to sleep and woke up 4 hours later; another first. I had never managed to get 4 hours of sleep and here I was, getting another 4 in the same night. It was amazing. I got up at 0700 and slowly made my way to the bathroom. Eviana was just getting up too.

"Good morning, Mark." She said sleepily.

"Morning Eviana. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. I did. I heard you get up earlier, was something wrong?"

"Had to take my medication. You know, today was the first day that I had a good night sleep in nearly 6 years."

"Really? Wow. I guess I made a good impression." she said jokingly.

"I'm not arguing that. Haven't felt this good in years. Thank you."

"You're welcome." she said.

I made my way into the shower and oddly enough, she followed. "Uh-"

"Come on. Don't worry about it." she said. I wasn't going to argue with her, it would have been a lost battle anyway. This made the whole incident about sleeping in the same bed look like a walk in the park. She knew about human anatomy, but being together in the shower naked was the most awkward feeling ever.

_But it doesn't feel wrong. What's with the nervous attitude, Mark?_

"What's wrong?" she asked, "I thought you liked the direct approach." she said giggling at my awkwardness. After that, we had breakfast and then hit the town. I had to meet Semeyon to get some information and Eviana decided to tag along. It was a chance for her to make some connections as well.

She was a little puzzled about why humans didn't like sharing things like private spaces and what not.

"I don't get it." Eviana said, "So you didn't share a living quarters in the military?"

"I did. We just didn't share the same beds." I replied as we walked down the bustling streets of Elysium's capital.

"Why not?"

"Personal space. We just don't believe in sharing a bed with a friend or colleague. It's just-awkward."

"Aren't we friends though?" she asked.

"Yeah. We are." I replied.

"Yet you didn't refuse." She said in a sly tone.

"Because I find it hard to say no to a pretty face." I replied.

She laughed. "I don't understand humans."

"Give it time. We're not that difficult to understand."

We continued to walk down various streets, looking for this café where Semeyon was waiting.

"So the whole…hitting on me thing, is us being friends?" I asked, trying to formulate the right question.

Eviana tapped her chin, "No. Neither was sneaking up on you in the shower. That's me being attracted to you."

I raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Why? Do humans show their affection differently?" she asked playfully.

"No. We do the same thing. I just thought it was because…ah nevermind." I replied.

"Because…" she said, giving me a funny look.

"It's a long story." I replied. "But to keep it brief, I had an embarrassing experience with an asari one time. Since then, they all sort of…come onto me."

Eviana laughed. "So that's why you act strange around us!"

I sighed as we walked up to the café.

Semeyon was sitting outside, smoking a cigarette and drinking a coffee. He had looked a lot different than the last time I saw him. Semeyon had lost some weight and shaved his beard, but he was still a mountain of a man.

"Ah, Mark!" he said getting up, "Its good to see you again!"

"Good to see you too, Z." I said as he gave me a big hug.

"I hear that you've been busy lately. Good job on saving the galaxy." he said in his thick Russian accent.

"Thanks." I replied with a smirk.

"So, who is this beautiful woman you have brought?"

"Oh! Semeyon this is Eviana, Eviana meet Semeyon Zengin." I said introducing them.

"Nice to meet you, my dear." said Semeyon kissing the back of her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Semeyon. Mark has told me a lot about you." She replied with a smile.

"I hope he hasn't told you everything about me." he said jokingly.

We sat down at the table and talked about how Eviana and I knew each other. Semeyon was surprised to find out that she was a Spectre, but wasn't upset. He had done nothing illegal, he was an informant associated the Shadow Broker. All he did was buy and sell information.

"So Mark, I've heard that you had an interesting time out in space." said Semeyon, "I heard about Toombs, terrible thing."

"Yeah, I know. He was one of my best soldiers. In fact, its part of the reason I wanted to talk to you today."

"You want information on Cerberus? To take revenge?" he asked.

"Yes, something like that. They've been doing a lot of unsavory activities out in the Traverse. They've been turning developing colonies into armies of husks, sending out rachni into the Terminus Systems, killing Alliance flag officers. You name it, they've done it."

"I haven't heard about them killing flag officers. Who was it?" Semeyon asked puzzled.

"Rear Admiral Kahoku."

"They killed him? I heard that he had died but I didn't know the circumstances."

I explained to him how he died and Semeyon was fairly surprised.

"I guess we know how far their reach is. If they can cause a flag officer to flee and then later kill him, then they have some serious connections within the Alliance. Perhaps even further than that." He pondered.

"Do you have any information about where they operate Semeyon?"

"I'll see what I can dig up."

"Anything you can find will be a big help, Z." He pulled out his omni tool and searched through it, "Ah here it is. This is everything I have on Cerberus at the moment." He pulled out an OSD from his omni tool and gave it to me.

"How much?"

"For you, its always free." Replied with a smirk.

"Wow. Thanks man."

"Well, I do give discounts to family friends." he said grinning.

"Heh. What kind of information is on this?"

"Places of operations, dummy corporations, financial records, and known operatives."

"Pretty extensive, Semeyon."

"I got a lot of this from the Shadow Broker. Turns out the Broker is still looking for inquiries into this group. If I find anything else, I'll forward it to you."

"Thanks man. I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything Mark." he said, "Oh and Eviana, if you ever need any information, I can help you out."

"Thanks Semeyon."

We got up and said our goodbyes.

* * *

**Aldrin Labs Branch, Elysium (February 6****th****, 2183)**

Eviana and I decided to head to one of the fronts that Cerberus was using here on Elysium. It was the Elysium branch of Aldrin Labs, a corporation that specialized in biotic amps, omni tools, and armor. I forged some fake ID's for us and I got into a disguise. We headed into the offices and went through the usual security checks; everything checked out and we headed up the elevator. We snuck into an office and I hacked into their network to see if I could find anything on Cerberus. They were incredibly careful; the records were spotless, no anomalies whatsoever.

"So what do we do now?" asked Eviana.

"Something about this isn't right. If they were here there would have been something out of place." Looking at the desktop of the terminal I was on gave me a hint. The desktop had a picture of the Aldrin Labs tower here on Elysium. I remember looking at the building before we went in that there was a lot of construction equipment and it was focused on the top floors of the tower.

"I got an idea." I said, and began to look into information on the building.

"What is it?" Eviana asked, leaning in over my shoulder.

"Remember when we came in, we saw a lot of construction equipment?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"This desktop picture shows the building before construction began. According to these recent reports, they were talking about adding more floors to the top of this tower."

"You think that Cerberus might be up there?"

"Seems logical. No company personnel would be up there, thinking that there would be construction going on, but there's no one up there."

"Feel like checking up there?" she asked, in a sly tone.

"You bet." I looked at the building's blueprints and saw that there was no way to get up there. Elevators only went up to 50th floor and the staircase was blocked off for construction. We headed up to the 50th floor and looked for access points. We saw another elevator on the 50th floor but it could only be accessed by those with corporate level security. I couldn't even hack the panel.

"Hmm. Looks like there's no way up." Eviana said. "Any ideas, Mark?"

"Just one." I went back into the elevator and climbed through a maintenance hatch.

"Bingo! Come on."

I pulled Eviana up and showed her a maintenance hatch that went to the private elevator. As a precaution, I checked for traps or electronic locks and found nothing. We climbed up a ladder to the top floor, assuming that was where the Cerberus offices were located. I looked around and saw no guards in the area and we snuck into the offices. I pulled out a tranquilizer gun as a precaution, and popped out my shaded contact lenses to put on my sunglasses. I switched to the heartbeat monitor and saw 2 guards near a reception desk in front of the office. I pointed my tranq gun at them and took them both out and hid them in a closet. We both went into the office and searched it. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, I hacked the terminal on the desk. Cerberus was careful all right, there weren't too many smoking gun files and the emails were very vague. There were hints that this office was involved in manufacturing new biotic amps for children in Project Ascension, an Alliance funded project to help children with biotic skills, musical savants and geniuses. Basically a school for gifted children.

Eviana was surprised too when she read it.

"I can't believe that they would even go so far as to try and experiment on children!"

"Yeah. I never thought that they would even try to kill Alliance soldiers and they have." I replied.

Some of the messages on the emails even hinted at a possible conspiracy to dump element zero over a colony in order to create biotics. I had heard of the rumors over the years and had my doubts about the theories; but with Cerberus, I had assumed that they would do something like that. Other than vague hints and emails, there wasn't anything that would point to any direct activities; they were careful. We left the office and headed for the maintenance shaft when we heard the elevator head up to this floor. I fired a small bug from my omni tool at the wall behind the desk and climbed down the hatch and down the ladder. I kept the hatch open slightly to try and get a picture of who was getting off. I managed to get two of one man in an expensive suit and another who looked like his assistant. We quickly left the building before anyone became suspicious.

"That was a good idea to plant a bug in the office." said Eviana.

"Thanks. Considering the lack of information we found, I figured that this would be a better idea. Might hear something useful."

Eviana and I headed back to the house to go over the information and listen into what the bug recorded.

* * *

**Recording excerpt from Aldrin Labs, Elysium branch (Timestamp: 15:02:45 hours)**

"_God! Where the hell are Sims and Bryant? They're supposed to be on watch in front of my office at all times!" said one man. _

"_Sir, they probably went down stairs. There was a shift change a few minutes ago"_

"_Well they could have at least waited!" _

_The voices became louder as the door unlocked and the two men walked into the office. "So Jacobs, what's the latest on our operations?" _

"_Everything is running smoothly with Project Ascension. Our implant production has begun on schedule." _

"_Good. Hopefully, this will boost Aldrin's profits tenfold." _

"_I wonder how the other companies will react when our most basic amps can overpower the asari's." _

"_They'll probably want a piece of the pie. But we're already ahead of the game thanks to the Illusive Man's connections. The Serrice and Aramali Council's will be pissed when they find out that their best amps are being beaten by something more powerful and cheaper than their amps. Any other news Jacobs?" _

"_Well Mr. Adams, we have heard that a Spectre is on Elysium." _

"_That doesn't bother us. They have no idea what we're doing here anyway." _

"_That's not all sir. We've heard that Mark Sears is here." _

"_You mean-'the' Mark Sears?" _

"_Yes, Mr. Adams." _

"_He doesn't know that we're here. But for now, keep security on high alert. I don't want him coming within ten feet of this building." _

"_Yes sir." _

"_I must inform the Illusive Man about this, Jacobs. We may need his help with this."_

"_Alright sir. I'll be waiting outside at the desk." Footsteps of Jacobs could be heard, followed by a loud thud, "Sir! I found Sims and Bryant! Someone has knocked them out!" _

"_Its Sears. I'm sure of it! We must inform the Illusive Man and shut down. Now! We'll head to the warehouse district at midnight to clean up." _

* * *

**My Safe House, Elysium**

I stopped the recording, "Looks like we've scared them." I said.

"Sure sounds like it. Feel like taking a trip to the warehouse district?" replied Eviana.

"Yeah. I'd like to have a chat with this Adams guy. Seems like we're going to have a romantic night on the town." I said with a laugh.

"Oh we are. I can't wait until the night cap." she drawled out.

"Same here." I replied.

We decided to head down to the warehouse district at 11 and wait until we saw them. Mr. Adams, was in fact Fredrick Adams. He was a member of the board of directors of Aldrin Labs, which would explain his clearance for the elevator. Jacobs was a former Alliance military member.

Operations Chief Michael Jacobs was a member of an expeditionary unit that had several commendations for taking out pirates. He was honorably discharged after Torfan, when the Alliance went after the pirates who attacked Elysium. It was a bloodbath on both sides, but the Alliance prevailed. Jacobs received two silver stars and a purple heart for his actions.

I thought it was hard to believe for someone as decorated a soldier like him to be part of an organization. I figured that he was a racist against aliens and wanted to fight for "the greater good of humanity". I pulled out my sniper rifle and camped out on a hill while Eviana was inside the district, hiding out near the entrance, and we waited. They showed up half an hour later with about 10 other guys and went into a nearby warehouse.

"There they are." I said, "Targets confirmed. Lets go."

The plan was for Eviana to sneak into the district while I picked off the guards outside. Once I did that she would sneak in and apprehend Adams and Jacobs, taking out anyone else in the way.

I radioed Eviana, "Eviana, not including Adams and Jacobs, you've got 5 inside. I'll take the 5 outside."

"Got it. Let me know when they're down."

"Will do." I took aim at the first guy who had headed around the corner with another guy. I took them both out quick and clean. The remaining three targets were taken out at an incredible speed. From my count, about 10 seconds.

"Clear. You're good to go."

"Copy that." said Eviana as she snuck in through a side door.

I decided to move in to cover her from behind. When I made it up to the warehouse, I heard the sounds of gunfire and people being thrown across the room. When I took a peek through the door, she had created a massive singularity, which killed 3 men while she tossed the last two guards through a wall.

_Amazing. I didn't think it was even possible._

Jacobs pulled out a gun from his shoulder holster while Eviana was preoccupied with the throwing the last 2 living guards. I shot him in the arm and legs while he dropped to the ground writhing in pain. Adams was frozen in his tracks. I came up behind Eviana and approached the two men. I took my mask off and took a knee in front of them.

"Evening gentlemen. Leaving so soon? We only just met." I said, sarcasm dripping on every word.

Jacobs was still in pain from taking 3 rounds to his right arm and both legs.

"You bastard. Do you honestly think that you can take us on?" said Adams.

"Well I'm doing good so far. Why would I stop?" I retorted.

"You can't stop us. We're everywhere. You think Akuze was the beginning? That was nothing compared to what will happen when the Illusive Man finds you."

He struck a nerve, but I took it in stride and continued.

"So that's your boss' nickname? Does he call you two the shove n' stuff twins?"

Jacobs yelled out, "What do you want from us?"

"Where is Cerberus' main base?" Jacobs and Adams were silent.

"Well I have a certain way of persuading you to get you to answer me. We could do this the diplomatic way, or I could use ol' Judgement here to make you answer my questions." I said pulling out my pistol.

I could sense Eviana was watching me with a perplexed expression. I knew what I was saying and doing were wrong; but I was being driven by my personal feelings. I had to back down soon and let her take over, but it was her call to make.

"So should I repeat the question again?" They were silent again.

I hit Jacobs on the bridge of the nose with a straight right followed by a kick to the ribs, "Where's the main base, Adams? Or does Cerberus consider him expendable?"

I hit Jacobs again and again until he muttered something.

"What was that Jacobs?"

He said, "You're a disgrace to humanity."

"Is that right? How am I a disgrace?"

"You'd let humanity become a slave to the alien scum. We're here to be on top as the dominant power."

"If anyone here should be called a disgrace to humanity, its you Jacobs. You were a decorated military man with a great career and you blew it. For what? Killing your own people in the name of the greater good? You're not going to tell me where the main base is are you?" His only response was spitting out blood on the floor. I looked over at Eviana who picked him up biotically and crushed his windpipe.

"He got off easy, Adams. You won't be going out like that." I could sense that he was afraid. "So. What will it be?"

"He-He doesn't tell us where it is. I-I've never met him personally. The least we know the better it is for him."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I see. Well this has been quite the learning experience. Don't worry, you and Jacobs won't be alone. Your friends will be visiting you soon enough." I pulled out my pistol and shot him in the head before he could say his last words. I looked down at him and thought about what I had done and looked back up at Eviana. She walked over to me, putting her hand on my shoulder and said, "Lets go. Someone around here probably heard the gunfire."

We walked out of the warehouse district with no real information and a trail of corpses. The walk home was quiet, although we had killed several Cerberus operatives, I was having second thoughts about my undertaking.

I didn't believe in revenge, but here I was, killing members of an organization that had nearly killed me and taken the lives of many fallen comrades. As we walked, I heard a familiar robotic whine come from the woods.

"Geth?" I said turning to my right, rifle in hand, seeing a single Geth Prime rise up from the shadows. However, this one was different than any other Geth Prime I had ever seen, it was a gunmetal gray color instead of the usual white and blue.

"Please. Do not shoot us." The massive machine said to us in a robotic voice.

"It can't be!" said Eviana in surprise. I put my rifle down and approached the geth. "Wait Mark! Get back it could kill you!" she yelled, clearly worried about my safety.

"What is it?" I asked the geth.

"We have come looking for the one named Mark Sears. We need Mark Sears' help."

"Why do you need my help?"

"We have learned of your encounters with the group called Cerberus and your mission against the Old Machines. We wish to help."

"You want to help me stop them?"

"Yes." Eviana and I looked at each other puzzled.

"Alright. You can help. But we need to get out of here. Follow me."

"Yes." The geth prime was so massive that it couldn't fit through the door, so I let it in through the garage. Eviana and I took our armor off and approached the geth.

"I had no idea that the geth wanted to help organics." said Eviana.

"We are part of a group of geth that wish to seek co-existence with organic beings. We wish to understand why organics fear us."

"Sounds like a noble goal." I said, "But why did you come all the way out here to look for me?"

"We were fascinated about the survival story of Mark Sears. Living through incidents such as Mindoir and Akuze made us question our ideas on humans. We are here to learn and understand the ways of Mark Sears."

Eviana turned to me with a funny grin on her face, "Looks like you have a fan."

"I guess so." I said with a laugh.

"So what's your name?" I asked the massive machine.

"We are geth."

"I mean you specifically." I said.

"We are geth." It repeated, "There are 5,000 programs active within this mobile platform."

"I think its trying to say that its not an individual, it's the geth." Eviana said, while I scratched my chin.

"Yes." Said the geth.

"So we're talking to 5,000 geth, not one?" I asked, still confused.

"The programs active within this mobile platform act as a single gestalt intellect." It explained.

"Ah I get it. That body's just a vessel for you."

"Indeed." It replied simply.

"Well, for convenience sake, I'm gonna have to give you a name." I said, tapping my chin.

"We will allow it in order to be convenient." I thought for a second and came up with a name, "How about Watson?"

Eviana turned to me, "Watson?"

"Sherlock Holmes. He was this detective in some old literature. Watson was his partner."

"We accept Watson as an appropriate title. Our name is Watson."

"This is so cool." I said, pumping my fist. I thought for a few seconds about other ways to give this machine an identity.

"How about we give you a better voice?"

"What is wrong with our voice?" asked Wilson.

"Well think of it this way, if we were to walk down a street people would most likely freak out. One way to soften that would be to give you a more articulate voice. The other way is to find some way to disguise you."

"How are you going to do all of that?" asked Eviana.

"It'll take some time to think of a disguise." I said.

"This mobile platform is capable of utilizing an optical camouflage system. A disguise will not be necessary." Watson replied.

"Well then, I can do the voice modulation myself." I pulled out my omni tool and a nearby work terminal.

"Alright Watson come over here." Watson walked over and towered over me, "Can you sit down?"

"Yes." he said, sitting down with a loud thud. Because he was 12 feet tall, it almost seemed like he was standing up and looking over my shoulder.

"Now you can go over these voices and tell me which one you think sounds good." He put his hand next to the terminal and I watched the terminal screen scroll through at light speed.

"We have found a new voice."

"Ok. Lets just load it up...Ok it's done. Try speaking Watson."

"How about this?" said Watson, in a deep but smooth voice.

"Wow. Good choice. Ok, now I'm going to teach you a little something. Now that you have a name and a voice, you do not need to refer to yourself as 'we' just say I. Can you give it a try?"

"No."

"No?"

"There are over 5,000 programs inside this mobile platform. There is only we." "Ok. Well, that's fine, I understand."

"Well that's about it for tonight. I'm pretty tired. I'll help you learn more organic things tomorrow, how about it?"

"We would appreciate that."

"Cool. For now, just sleep or something." We both headed up to the bedroom, but this time I didn't feel as awkward as before.

"You did a great job tonight, Mark." Eviana said, grinning.

"You too Eviana. Never seen anyone throw 2 guys through a solid concrete wall before."

"There are a bunch of things I've never shown you before." she said in a foxy voice.

"Please demonstrate." I said playing along.

"Oh no. A woman can't reveal all of her secrets."

"Too bad."

"But I'll tell you one secret about me, if you tell me one about you."

"Deal. What's your secret?"

"I've never melded with anyone before." She said, blushing slightly. "What's your secret?"

"I've never melded before either." I replied.

"Sounds like our secrets are one in the same, wouldn't you say?" She asked.

"Yeah." We both seemed to have a sly look in each of our eyes, "Would you like to meld with me?" she asked.

"Oh yeah."

"I've been waiting for this for awhile." Eviana said, as we wrapped our arms around each other.

"Embrace eternity."

Everything seemed to happen so suddenly. When she started the meld, it was the most unique feeling I've ever had. It could barely be described in words, it just-was. It ended after about a half hour or so and then we just spent the rest of the time making love. We laid in bed, naked and sweaty looking up at the ceiling. "Wow." was the only word I could use to describe what had happened.

"That felt amazing, Mark. You were amazing."

"So were you, Eviana." It was safe to say that we both slept in a little bit that morning.

* * *

_Well, well, well. Looks like Mark got lucky. You go big tuna! Aside from that, a geth prime? Sounds like a lot of ass kicking will be had._

_As for Watson's voice, I was thinking of the narrator for Gundam Wing (Campbell Lane). Here's a clip of his crazy awesome voice: .com/watch?v=C7OSeEMxDKE&feature=feedf_

_Hope you enjoyed my new chapter!_


	11. Broken Wings

_Author's Note: I'm on fire baby! I'm glad too because I felt like I was in a bit of a rut for a while. I felt like calling this Broken Wings because...well you'll see it. Plus it sort of fits in with Mark (it's also a really good song) Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**My Safe House, Elysium (February 7****th****, 2183)**

The next morning was the usual routine of waking up and taking a shower. It was a little more…"comfortable" than usual and we had no problem with that. After having a "fun" shower we headed downstairs for breakfast and I checked in on our new guest, Watson.

"Morning Watson."

"Good morning, Mark Sears. Shall we continue Operation Nightly Vigil?"

"Nope. Mission complete, good job Watson."

"Thank you, Mark Sears."

"Please Watson, you can just call me Mark."

"Affirmative, Mark." I noticed a rather large weapon on Wilson's back that I had never seen before. "Hey Watson, what's that weapon on your back."

"This is the equivalent of a rotary cannon, or gatling cannon. It is capable of firing over 10,000 rounds per minute."

"Damn. Where did you find that?"

"This was a creation by the geth. This mobile platform was designated to test its capability in the field."

"Didn't know that the geth were making something with that kind of firepower."

"This weapon was originally designed to be placed on dropships or fast attack vehicles. However, due to some technological breakthroughs, we were able to miniaturize this weapon to be used by the Prime mobile platforms." said Watson.

"Can I take a look at it?" I asked.

"You may. Caution: the cannon's weight may cause injury." Watson said, as he took the weapon off his back.

"Uh. How much does it weigh?" I ask nervously.

"Approximately 103.5 pounds." Wilson replied.

"On second thought, you hold it. I'll just stare at it." I replied.

Eviana laughed in the background.

Much like other geth weaponry I had seen, it had a similar sleek purple metallic look to it. At the same time, it also looked similar to the old GAU-8 Avenger cannon that was on the nose of A-10 jets.

"Impressive. How much delay is there before it fires?"

"There is no delay. Once the primary and secondary safety switches are deactivated, an internal motor reaches the optimum firing rate. This was made to avoid a 'cold firing'." Watson replied.

"Amazing. Simply amazing." I said. "Part of me is glad the geth didn't use this kind of stuff against us."

"We did not assist Saren. The geth you have encountered before prefer to fight organics than coexist." I noticed the work terminal I had used last night was on. "Really?"

"Yes. We call them Heretics. They wanted the Old Machines to give them the future."

"You mentioned something about the Old Machines last night. Are you talking about the Reapers?"

"Yes. Reapers are a superstitious title originating with the Protheans. We call them the Old Machines." Watson replied.

I raised both eyebrows, "Good to know that someone else knows about them."

"The Old Machine known as Nazara contacted us. They listened to organic transmissions and knew of our war against the creators." Watson continued, "They wanted to give us the future. The geth will make their own future."

Eviana walked over, "What kind of future are the geth planning?"

"Our future." Watson replied.

She furrowed her brow, "I meant specifically what are you planning."

Watson looked down at her for a second, "We cannot divulge at this time."

"That's fine." I said. "It's not like we're in a rush. Hey can you come over here for a second. There's something I want to do."

Watson walked over to me as I pulled out an airbrush kit. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna airbrush my old squad logo on you. Think of it as a tattoo."

"Why are you going to do that?" Watson asked

"To show people that you're not an ordinary geth. You're an individual."

"We will accept this designation. Although we are puzzled by this." I dug out an airbrush kit and my old unit's logo, a demonic looking skull, and put it on Wilson's left arm. Eviana stood by the doorway and watched.

"What do you find puzzling Watson?"

"We are not an individual and we are an ordinary platform."

"Think of it this way, most people think all geth are bad. If any one runs into you and they see that, they won't shoot." I replied.

The flaps around his eye moved slightly and then stopped, "Understood."

I put the finishing touches on the logo and put away the airbrush kit. The logo itself was black, and went well with Watson's gunmetal gray color.

"There you go. What do you think?" I asked.

"It is an interesting emblem. One that would strike fear into the hearts of enemies."

"It has. I put a slightly different version of it on my mask. It seems to do a good job as far as psychological warfare goes."

"Indeed."

Eviana walked up to us, "Nice job Mark." She said, looking at Watson's new logo.

"So what's our next target?"

"According the info Semeyon gave us, our next target is on Shanxi." I replied. "It's a building owned by Nashan Stellar Dynamics."

"Wow. Another human colony." Eviana said, "The second one I've ever been to."

"I sure know how to pick them." I said, getting ready for our next adventure.

Unfortunately, it would be the last mission that Eviana would be going on as her vacation was coming to an end.

* * *

**Shanxi, Warehouse district, (February 7****th****, 2183)**

Nashan Stellar Dynamics, a starship parts manufacturing company. In 2173, they were involved in a kickback scandal involving the leader of the Terra Firma party. The company took a hit from the scandal, but still continued to operate. The plan would be similar to the one we used against the Elysium branch of Aldrin Labs. Watson ended up intercepting some Cerberus communications on the way to Shanxi. It was now news that Fredrick Adams, a member of Aldrin's board of directors was found dead on Elysium and Cerberus was on high alert. They knew I was coming after them but they didn't know when or where. When we landed on Shanxi, we scouted Nashan's offices. Security was incredibly lax which meant two things. One, they didn't get the memo or two, they packed up and moved out when they received the word from Cerberus. I pulled out my sniper rifle and zoomed in on the small office building.

"This is damn peculiar." I said.

"What's wrong?" asked Eviana.

"It looks deserted, no guards patrolling. Lights are off. What do you see Watson?" "No signs of life. All building utilities are off." Watson replied.

"Damn. Lets move in anyway, see if we can't kick over a few rocks."

The three of us slowly approached the building and headed up to the back door. The door was secured and I unlocked it with my omni tool and we headed in to clear the floor.

"Clear." I said.

"Clear over here." replied Eviana.

"Clear." said Wilson.

There was no one in the office at all. The only thing we found was a computer terminal with more vague emails about operations. However, we did find something intriguing. It seems as though the head of Nashan was helping Cerberus build a prototype warship. Other messages indicated that this branch was being investigated by the Alliance for fraud. After checking the rest of the office, we found even more bodies riddled with bullet holes. Out of the ten locations we had, two checked out with no real results. We headed back to Elysium, discouraged but hopeful.

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium**

Tonight was going to be the last night Eviana would be staying with me. I decided to take it upon myself to ask her out. She responded to it in a very giddy fashion.

I had changed into a nice suit (the only one I had). It was an old black suit jacket with black pants. I also had on a white buttoned up shirt and a black tie.

_Wonder what's taking Eviana so long._

I sat on the top of the couch kicking my legs back and forth. She had been upstairs for some time now.

_Heh. Women. No matter what race, they always take a long time to get ready._

I smirked at the thought. It wasn't my first time going out on a date, but it had been awhile. The last time I went out on a date with a girl was back in basic. She was training under the Alliance's Adept program and I was breezing through basic training. I guess we both caught each other's eyes and went out for a while. Of course with the way military life was, we split up. I went on to be in the N7 Infiltrator program and got promoted to Lieutenant Commander while she went on to bigger and better things.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." Said Eviana. I looked up and felt my jaw drop open.

She was dressed up in a dark red dress that went down to her knees.

"So…what do you think?" she asked, striking a small pose.

"Uh…wow." I blurted out. Eviana snickered. "You look beautiful." I said, clearing my throat.

"You're funny when awestruck." She replied, "But thank you."

I rubbed my knees as I stood up, "Made my knees slam together."

Eviana simply rolled her eyes in response, "You look rather dashing by the way."

"Thanks." I replied as we left the house, "I wore this when I went to see the Council."

"That would explain why it makes you look so official." She said.

"Yeah. Hopefully their ability to 'rain on someone's parade' isn't stuck in this suit."

Eviana chuckled, "I love those human expressions. What does that one mean exactly?"

"To ruin a good time." I replied.

"I'll have to use that some time."

We both got into a car and sped off to this restaurant I spotted a while back. It was a high-end restaurant called, "The Azure Crown."

"Really? The Azure Crown?" Eviana asked, almost agitated.

"Why what's wrong? It's like one of the most top rated restaurants out here?" I said.

"It's not that. It's the name." She replied.

I stared blankly at the sign and then back at Eviana.

She sighed and said, "On Illium, azure refers to a part of asari physiology. It's a slang term."

"Oh…" I replied, "Which part?"

Eviana simply pointed down, "I think you can take a guess."

"No I can't." I said in a deadpan tone, "Please demonstrate."

She let out a short laugh, "You're such a dick."

"Well you know what that slang term means so I don't have to demonstrate right now." I retorted.

"Hopefully you will later." Eviana said with a sly grin on her face.

We got out of the car and went inside the restaurant. For the next hour, we ate some pretty extravagant meals and got to talk about non-work related things. That was nice for a change.

"So where are we going next?" Eviana asked as we left the restaurant.

"Wanna go catch a movie?" I replied.

"Sure. I wanted to see that new movie Vaenia." She said.

"Oh that asari romance flick?"

"The very same. I heard the actresses were really good." She replied.

_A romance vid? Just remember Mark, there are guys all over the galaxy in your position. Take one for the team big man._

"Vaenia it is." I replied.

We got in the car and headed towards the nearest movie theater. Luckily for us, there weren't a whole lot of people there aside for a few couples.

_So far, so good._

Apparently, the asari had a different way of making romance movies. In a way it was like watching an adult film, but not as corny.

"What did you think?" asked Eviana as we walked back to the car.

"Not what I expected. Hell, it was better than I expected." I replied.

She laughed, "I know what you mean. Human romance films are so cliché and overly dramatic." Eviana tapped her chin, "Say. Want to head home and re-enact some of the scenes in the movie?"

"I think you read my mind." I replied. We sped home as fast as possible. The rest as they say, is history.

The next morning I woke up and she was gone, leaving only a note that said, _Thank you for the wonderful vacation. It was the best I've ever had. Eternally yours, Eviana_.

I read it with a smile and put it behind the picture of my parents. It was just me and Watson now, which wasn't so bad. I learned about the ways of the geth and he learned about the ways of humans. In case of future battles, I showed him my sunglasses so that he could sync my combat VI's to his, making us react even faster during battles. As a geth prime, he was one of the elite classes of geth. Geth prime were basically larger versions of the shock troopers with advanced combat VI programs and 5 levels of shielding. Because of these advanced programs, they were the unofficial team leaders of the geth as they greatly increased other geth's abilities and intelligence; they also provided a morale boost to others in the unit.

However, Watson was different. Unlike other Prime platforms, he was built to operate alone and outside of the Perseus Veil. He was equipped with an optical camouflage system and a combat drone for backup.

For now, we would go over all of the information we got from Semeyon and the Cerberus bases we raided. It would take some time to put together, but once we had names and places, we'd spring into action.

* * *

**Silicon Valley, Earth (April 7****th**** 2183)**

Our next mission would pit us up against a familiar name, the Vogel Corporation. Months had passed since my last encounter with them. Since that case on Thessia, Vogel had taken a huge black eye. Jameson was convicted and found guilty for first-degree murder, corruption charges, and several other corporate related crimes. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole and was extradited back to Earth. His actions caused the hundreds who worked in the Thessia branch to be unemployed and several filed wrongful termination suits. Basically, the company was still afloat but had one hell of a PR mess to clean up. They were about to have another one to deal with as they were the third name on my list. This time, it was the corporate headquarters on Earth. I hadn't been to Earth since I got out of the VA hospital after Akuze. Watson and I were going to an area formerly known as Silicon Valley in California. Back during the late 20th and early to mid 21st centuries, it was where the computer and high tech industry had its home. It was still a significant area even to this day for many technology companies.

Semeyon was back on Earth and I gave him a call to any inquiries he might have had into Vogel. Considering that they were in his backyard, it might prove useful. "Hey Semeyon. Its Mark."

"Ah Mark! Didn't expect to hear from you so soon."

"Yeah I know. The first two names you gave me didn't check out, I found bits and pieces of information but no smoking gun. I recently hit Nashan and found next to nothing; except dead bodies."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I told you that these guys would be hard to track, even the Shadow Broker was unsure of those locations." He replied.

"I know. Listen, I'm heading to Earth right now to drop in on Vogel's corporate HQ. You have any additional info on them?"

"Actually I do. You might find it interesting. It turns out, they were planning a hostile take over of the Shanxi branch of Nashan Stellar Dynamics over 3 days ago, before the office was closed down for unknown reasons."

"Doesn't sound like a coincidence to me." I replied.

"It isn't. Rumor has it that Vogel and NSD were working together on some project until Vogel found out that NSD's Shanxi branch was being investigated and cut ties."

"Thanks for the tip Semeyon. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye Mark. Good hunting."

Watson and I used an old freighter that we had fixed up to travel from place to place without garnering suspicion from others on public transportation. Hitting the corporate HQ was going to be more difficult than hitting a branch office like I had done previously. There was no doubt in my mind that they were on high alert, but their security was heavily armed. Sneaking in was going to be impossible as the entire area was on flat ground and was covered by all sorts of security. It took about two hours or so to reach Earth from Elysium using the relay network. Watson went over a map of the entire area and showed me various points that may be of use to us.

"So you're saying that it's impossible for us to sneak in?" I asked.

"Yes. According to these satellite photos, the entire area is covered by anti-air batteries, APC's, and heavily armed security guards."

"Maybe even Alliance troops. This isn't going to be easy." I replied.

"There is an Alliance base approximately 20 miles from Vogel's headquarters. However, the chance of them interfering with our operation is slim unless we make our presence known to them." Watson said.

"By the way, where did you get those satellite photos?" I asked.

"We hacked into an Alliance satellite." He replied

"I won't ask how you did it since you'll say, 'We are geth, it was easy.'"

"Yes."

"Ha ha ha." I deadpanned.

Just then I had a very wild idea run through my head.

"What about an air insertion?"

"It would be quite the risk to take."

"But we would be undetected and if we aimed right, we would be on the roof and into their office in no time. All we would have to do is put this thing on auto pilot and land it at a safe distance." I said.

"The probability of hitting the roof at the current altitude and speed is approximately 15.6%."

"Lets drop to a safer altitude and speed and jump out. I'll set the auto pilot."

We headed to an altitude of about 20,000 feet and a speed of 250 miles per hour.

"Is your parachute secured, Watson?" I asked.

"Affirmative."

"We'll jump on the green light." I opened the door and waited for the light to switch.

"Whew. This will be 101." I said.

"101?" Watson asked.

"Combat jumps. Haven't done an air insertion in 7 years." I replied.

One of Watson's head flaps went up, as if it was making an eyebrow.

The green light turned on and I turned to Watson.

"Lets go Watson!" We leaped out of the aircraft and sped towards the surface.

"How are you doing Watson?" I said into the radio.

"We are fine. This is similar to being dropped from a dropship, but from a higher altitude."

"That's good. Get ready to deploy your parachute." We had traveled almost 10,000 feet in a matter of 2 minutes.

"Now!" We deployed our chutes and began our slow glide to the rooftop of Vogel's corporate HQ.

"There are 2 targets on the rooftop of the building." said Wilson.

"I'll get 'em." I said, digging out my sniper rifle. I picked off both guards and our roof insertion was successful as we made a safe drop onto the roof.

"Things are going pretty smoothly, I'd say." I said.

"Indeed. We should check the executive levels." said Watson, "We may find the information we need."

We headed down the stairs and found the CEO's office. I scanned the room with my omni-tool before we went in to make sure that it was safe. When the coast was clear, we entered and cleared the room. After that, I headed for the computer in the office. Finding only regular emails about protocol and impending court dates, I concluded that the CEO wasn't involved. If there was any lesson I learned about Vogel before it was that they kept things off of company computers.

"Watson, did any of the blueprints show a server room of any kind?"

"Yes. There is one large mainframe and server room on the 24th floor."

"Let's head down there."

Instead of taking the elevator, we took the stairs down as there was no one but security inside the building. After going down about 30 floors of stairs, we made it to the mainframe room, which could only be accessed by a password on a rotating algorhythm. I cracked in a few seconds by using my omni-tool and we were in.

"Well this is pretty large." I said, "Let's start looking, shall we?"

Watson managed to find the central mainframe computer and immediately cracked its security in a matter of seconds.

"What have you found Watson?"

"Fascinating." he said, "It is amazing how many illicit activities this corporation is involved in."

"Its not surprising to me, their Thessia branch was equally as dirty."

Watson continued on what he had found, "It seems as though they were in direct competition with Nashan Stellar Dynamics."

"Yet they both collaborated on a Cerberus project?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That is the interesting part." said Watson, "According to these deleted emails, Cerberus was dissatisfied with Nashan as they were being investigated by the Alliance. In order to cover their tracks, Cerberus eliminated Vogel's primary competition on Shanxi, in the starship design industry and had Vogel perform a hostile takeover of company assets there."

"Damn. That's pretty intense." I said.

An announcement was made over the intercom, _Attention all security personnel, we have a breach in the office. All teams go to high alert. I repeat..._

"That was fast." I said, "Watson, get everything you can from the mainframe onto this OSD we'll look at the rest later." He uploaded everything to the OSD while I planted various detonation charges around the room. I considered it necessary to wipe out all of Vogel's information and strike fear into Cerberus.

Getting the information was the smoking gun I had been looking for in the past few weeks. We bolted out of there as fast as possible. I let Watson take the lead as he was bigger and faster than I was. With my omni-tool, I set our craft's auto-pilot to the building's roof to pick us up. Before we headed up to the roof, I found the controls for the anti-air batteries and sabotaged them so that they wouldn't destroy our ride out. We mowed down any security in our path and made it up to the roof where there were 20 armed guards waiting for us. Wilson dug out the large geth gatling cannon and fired it into the guards. I had seen cannons like that before, but it was used against armor and aircraft, not people. It was the most horrifying and amazing thing I had ever seen before.

Our craft arrived after Watson took out all 20 guards. As we got on board and took off, I pushed the button on the detonator, which destroyed the mainframe room. The blast had blown out windows on the floor above and below the mainframe room and had started a fire. We sped out of there as fast as possible and went to the Charon relay at maximum speed. Watson and I were home in two hours and spent the rest of the night pouring over the massive amount of data that we had taken from Vogel. The company was considered to be an integral part of Cerberus, giving them the resources they needed to perform whatever deeds they wanted.

After today, the company would be nothing but an after thought; just a corrupt corporation and a footnote in history. The information at the corporate HQ was even more startling than what I had found on their Thessia branch. Vogel was involved in designing a bio-weapon alongside Binary Helix; the same weapon I had heard about from Shepard when he went to Noveria. Vogel worked behind the shadows with Binary Helix, performing genetic experiments on people, and various enhancements. They built their own assault weapons using technology that was considered to be illegal, which is why Watson and I wanted to avoid a direct fire fight as we didn't even know what they possessed.

It was strange for a company primarily involved in heavy industries to be involved with something not under their field of expertise, but they had people involved that weren't on their payroll, but on a secret sheet; under the table work. They even had the one piece of information I was looking for but never expected to find; locations of Cerberus facilities through out the Skyillian Verge and Attican Traverse. Some of them had been taken out, others were still operational and I intended to find them. Cerberus was planning on expanding into the Terminus systems but as of now, only had teams of agents stationed across the area. Watson even found information about Cerberus planning on advancing into the Perseus Veil using measures that would take the geth by complete surprise. There was even information on the other 7 facilities that Semeyon had given me. It was enough to celebrate, but after reading through most of it, I felt a little sick to my stomach about what they were doing.

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (April 8****th****, 2183)**

My condition had kept me up again, along with the nightmares. This time there was a new one. It was several images of watching Toombs shoot himself in the head.

_Like I need more bad things rolling around up there._

I sat on the couch in my living room, taking my medication and drinking a Dr. Jager. Things seemed to go back to normal after Eviana left, which was a bit of a downer. The only thing that was different was Watson. It was interesting to have a giant geth staying here. My thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sound of the phone.

_Who would be calling me at 4am?_

I pressed a button on the terminal and answered the call. It had come from the SSV Kilimanjaro.

"Hello?"

"Mark?" asked a shaky female voice. "It's Hannah."

"Hey mom." I replied. Since John and I had become such great friends, Hannah always considered me as the younger son she never had. I called her mom as a joke at first, then it just kind of stuck. She did remind me of my mother to a certain degree.

"I hope I didn't wake you up. I forgot what time it was on Elysium." She said, her voice still shaky.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She took a deep breath, but her voice was still shaking. "Something terrible has happened Mark."

I could feel my heart beating throughout my entire body.

Hannah continued, "It's John. He's-" She started to cry softly, "He's dead."

I put my face into the palm of my hands, tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

"Mark? Are you still there sweetie?" she asked.

"Yeah…yeah I'm still here. I'm so sorry mom." I replied.

"It's alright. I'm sure he's-" she began to sob, "I'm sure he's in a better place now."

"Do you know what happened?" I asked.

"All I was told was that the Normandy was destroyed in a surprise attack. The damn brass won't say anything else." She replied, a small hint of anger in the last sentence.

"It doesn't surprise me that they would keep this under wraps." I said.

"They've been getting worse and worse now, ever since you two stopped Saren." She replied.

"John told me about your condition; what happened on Virmire." Hannah said, "It broke my heart."

I closed my eyes, still fighting back tears from this news about John.

_As if mom isn't crushed already._

"Now I'm going to lose another son." She said, her voice shaking again.

"I'm not dead yet mom. I still have some time left." I replied.

"But you're using it to fight Cerberus."

I swallowed, "Yes. I am. I need to do this."

There was silence on the other line. "I don't like it, but I understand why you're doing it." Hannah said. "Just do me one favor."

"Anything for you." I replied.

"Promise me that you'll tell me when you're going to…when you start to feel…"

"I will." I replied.

"I'll talk to you later Mark." She said. "I love you."

"Love you too mom."

The call ended and I began to cry. _3 days from his birthday._

_

* * *

_

**Safe House, Elysium (April 20****th****, 2183)**

It had been two weeks since the death of my best friend and I wasn't feeling any better. Watson and I hadn't been on a mission since that fateful night. I was so crushed by his death; that I didn't bother to shave or even sleep well for that matter.

I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and saw the face of a dying, broken man. I could see even more blackened veins on my face. There was even a slight change in my eye color. There were small, bioluminescent red spots on both iris'. After cleaning up, I headed downstairs and saw Watson standing in the living room.

"Mark. There is something we have been meaning to talk to you about." Watson said.

"What is it?"

"You have not slept well in the last two weeks and we have not investigated other potential Cerberus targets."

I nodded, "Yeah."

"We are worried about your current mental state." Watson replied.

"I appreciate your concern Watson. It's…" I started, "My friend John Shepard died two weeks ago."

Watson stood there, processing the information. "We have learned of his death and the events surrounding it."

"What happened to him?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"According to our initial findings, the ship was attacked by the Collectors."

My eyebrows shot up, "You mean…they really do exist?"

"Yes. We have at 20 reported cases of Collector contact. Many of them have been within the last three decades." Watson replied.

I shook my head.

"We are sorry for your loss. The loss of Commander Shepard will have severe ramifications in regards to stopping the Reapers." Watson said. His words caught me off guard.

"Thanks Watson." I replied softly. I took a seat on the couch as he sat down on the floor across from me."Let's get back to work huh?"

Watson was going over the rest of the data, while I put the song "Broken Wings" by Alter Bridge on.

"Find any other locations or shell companies that Cerberus is using Watson?" "Searching. Negative. The locations we found in the various emails are the only ones we have."

"I see. That's better than nothing I guess." I said, scratching my chin.

"This song is very interesting." said Wilson, "We have never heard anything like it before."

"Its a band called Alter Bridge. They were around in the early 21st century. I've always liked some of the heavier music from this era, among other things."

"Is that why you wear different clothes than most people?" Watson asked.

"Yeah. It's more comfortable to me, not as tight and restricting. Comes from growing up on a farm." I replied.

"We do not understand."

"Its complicated to explain what clothes feel like."

"We understand." Thinking about those Vogel reports made me feel sick inside, whatever else was going on with Cerberus wasn't going to be pretty.

"Is something wrong Mark?" Watson asked again.

"Yeah...I get the feeling that this mission is going to be like an onion, the more layers we peel away, the more it stinks."

"An interesting metaphor, but accurate. The situation seems to be getting more and more gruesome."

I got up and walked upstairs to the office to call Semeyon, he was going to want to see this information anyway. When he answered, I told him about the situation. Surprised was an understatement when he heard that a geth had teamed up with me. He was even more surprised about the information I gathered from Vogel. I sent him a copy of the info. Semeyon sounded startled to see some of the information and asked if it was genuine, which I said it was. He sent it off to the Shadow Broker in mere seconds. He was given a fairly large commission for delivering it, and he gladly split it with me.

Watson followed me into the garage.

"Watson, I've got an idea for a new weapon. I'm gonna need your help with it." I said, as I opened up a nearby terminal.

The plan was to make a giant, semi-automatic beam cannon capable of destroying a bomb blast door in one shot. It would be a weapon that combined both geth and human weapons technology. Using a specialized geth power generator, the weapon would have the destructive capability of 1.5 megatons used on its overcharge setting. Its standard firing mode would be the equivalent of a 120mm tank round. It looked similar to a miniature, hand-held recoilless rifle with a large mechanical arm that would absorb the recoil.

To keep it as portable and lightweight as possible, the 4-foot barrel could retract inside the weapon.

In the meantime, we continued to plan our next assault, this time instead of hitting their economic centers, we would go after their military outposts. There was one located in the Terminus systems, close to the Perseus Veil border. The base was located on a dead moon in a system with no remarkable worlds. There were rumors that the geth "heretics" were going to push into this system and use it as a staging area. However, the problem with this is that the geth tried to do something like this in the Armstrong Cluster and were annihilated.

We looked at the layout of the base and figured that it would make an easy target since it was minimally guarded. The only obstacle we faced was a massive security door which could only be accessed from the inside of the base; which is why we waited for the weapon to be completed. Once it was completed, Watson and I packed up and got ready to assault the base. The overall ride time would be 20 hours considering how far this base was from Elysium. On the way over we listened to the news reports about the Vogel Corporation.

They reported that corporate terrorists stormed the building, killed security and destroyed vital company information. As a safeguard, Watson sent out an e-bomb to all Vogel branches, effectively wiping out any other corporate information. The aim was to cripple the corporation to knock out one of Cerberus' lifelines. The only thing we left intact were the employee benefits and insurance. I felt that I couldn't live with the guilt of taking away the livelihood's of innocent people.

Although I was out of the military, it was still my duty to protect the innocent so that they could live peacefully. Vogel was forced to file for bankruptcy and would share the fate of other Cerberus tied companies. We assumed that their backs were slowly being forced into the wall. With a good portion of their economic lifeline wiped out, we would take the fight directly to them by destroying this base. Watson was anticipating a tough fight as was I and that we had to be ready for whatever horrors may lie inside the facility. I turned the radar jammer on as we approached the moon and made our descent.

Once we got out, I could feel the chill of outer space. Even though I was in a climate controlled, fully armored suit, I could still feel it. I looked through the scope of my rifle to see if there was anyone at the entrance. We were over a mile away, and I didn't see anyone at the front door. We both sprinted to the door, and I searched for any sort of traps. Finding no traps, we entered and began a clearing pattern. There was a long corridor that lead directly to the massive blast door. There was a security camera near the door that would identify people so that they could be let in. I hit the camera with a sabotage mine and pulled out my brand newly built squad cannon that I dubbed "The Eliminator".

"Lets see how powerful this thing is." I said turning switching the safety off.

The sound of the power generator winding up sounded like a jet turbine. Once I heard a soft "ding" noise, it meant that it was fully charged. I backed up, and fired the Eliminator. The door wasn't just blown off; it was completely destroyed. Behind the door were several Cerberus commando's waiting for the door to open up. It tore through the door and through 3 soldiers closest to the blast, killing them instantly. I switched the firing mode to semi-auto and began to light up the remaining Cerberus troops. Watson killed the ones I missed and I put away the Eliminator; if there was a chance of captives, I wasn't going to fire that monster everywhere.

I pulled out my assault and we started cleaning house across the facility. When the coast was clear, we searched around and found some startling revelations. It seemed as though Cerberus had managed to capture several deactivated geth troopers and were experimenting on them and their weapons.

"According to the research notes, they were looking for a way to make better defenses against the geth. They also wanted to make better weapons based on geth technology." I said, as Watson made his way over to one of the beds staring at the mobile platform.

"What were they trying to do?" I asked.

"They were trying to reprogram these mobile platforms to be obedient slaves. Much like our quarian creators, except Cerberus wanted to turn them into foot soldiers."

"How do you know this Watson?"

"We discovered other notes and plans to rewrite their original programming parameters."

"Ahh I see."

"We should destroy this facility and any pertaining information to prevent Cerberus from controlling the geth."

"You got it. Let's set the charges." I set off the charges and the facility blew up as we flew away.

"Where should we go next Watson?"

"We should head back home and go over Cerberus' findings."

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium**

The data mining took some time. _Hopefully it was worth it._

I took my armor off and checked it for any issues. Watson put his geth gatling cannon on the weapon rack.

"Say, Watson. What were those things that you ejected from the cannon?"

"Portable heat sinks. We created the system to eliminate the inefficiency of weapons overheating." Watson replied.

"That's convienient. It beats the hell out of waiting a 10 seconds for your gun to cool down."

Watson nodded, "We can adapt this system to your weapons if you wish."

"Sure that sounds good." I replied. I moved over to one of the workstations and pulled out a lufar.

_God damn illness._

For the first time in years, I was in more physical pain than ever before. I still had close to four months left to live.

_Makes me wonder how much worse its going to get._

"We have successfully adapted your weapons for the portable heat sink system." Watson said, placing my weapons down on the table.

"Thanks." I replied, blowing out a plume of smoke.

"The ejection port on your rifle is here. The one on your pistol is here as well." Watson pointed out.

"Both on the right. Cool. How do you load it?" I asked.

Watson put a clip in, "Pull back on this bolt on your rifle and the clip will eject once it has been expended. For your pistol, pull the slide back."

I nodded, "Nice. Thanks Watson."

The terminal that was in the middle of a data mine beeped. Watson walked over to it and immediately began to search.

"What did we find?" I ask.

"We have discovered some minor information. Supply routes, plans of attack in the Perseus Veil, some minor bases scattered across the borders of the Terminus systems and Skyllian Verge." Watson replied.

I sighed, "It's better than nothing I suppose." I got up and headed into the living room. Watson followed.

"I just expected us to find something serious. A base with that kind of security should have had something major in it." I said, frustrated.

"Cerberus is careful with their information. To our knowledge, they hide certain information from other cells." Watson replied.

"I didn't know that." I said.

"We have encountered them on our way to search for you."

"Were they still encroaching on the Veil?" I asked.

"Yes. Since then several geth units have stopped their attacks. We have also stopped their potential attacks on our system. Cerberus has now shifted focus to the heretics."

I nodded in response. Taking a seat in my recliner, I stared at my hands; they were shaking.

"This is weird." I said.

Watson must have noticed and looked at my hands, "Scanning…It would appear as though your condition is becoming worse. We have discovered that the amount of thresher maw venom in your system has increased from previous totals."

I brought my hands up to eye level, "How?"

"Since your episode, the venom that fixed itself to your brain stem and spinal nerves has broken off and spread throughout your blood stream. Despite taking your medication, it is still attacking your circulatory system." Watson explained.

"I guess that can't be helped then." I said.

* * *

**Classified location (May 1st, 2183)**

Sitting in his chair staring out at a dying star, the Illusive Man, Cerberus' leader sat patiently, awaiting yet another report. For 3 months, Cerberus found itself in a precarious position; it was losing people and resources at an alarming rate. Over 40 operatives have been killed in the last three months. Almost 300 million credits worth of supplies and research projects have been destroyed and not a single trace of information at these sites has been found. The Illusive Man knew exactly who it was that was capable of pulling off such an attack. He had found out after Fredrick Adams had alerted him on Elysium.

_Mark Sears._

The Illusive Man knew full well that Sears had to be dealt with as soon as possible. His strategy so far had been to wait Sears out until he died from neurotoxemia. He never expected that Sears would wreak so much havoc on his organization in a short time. The total loss of money and manpower didn't concern the Illusive Man at first. Things like that could be replaced. But over time, they began to add up. The lost information and data was either destroyed, or found itself in the public eye; being shown on the evening news.

_With a man of his skill set, I shouldn't have underestimated him in the first place._

The Illusive Man brought up a window showing Sears' Alliance files. Even with his connections to the Alliance military, he couldn't even get a tenth of Sears' files. All he had was a basic dossier, listing off various achievements and unclassified operations. He knew that Sears was on Akuze, the Illusive Man was the one who ok'd the operation in the first place.

_First Toombs, now his former CO._

The Illusive Man stubbed out his cigarette and fired down another shot of Jim Beam. He had an idea on how to stop Sears but was unsure if it was ready yet. A tall, leggy, blonde walked into the room.

"Sir, I have an update from one of our research cells in the Terminus." She said.

"Thank you." Replied the Illusive Man, taking the datapad from her hand.

It was a simple, coded message:_ July 4th._

A small smirk appeared on his face as he read the simple message.

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (June 20th, 2183)**

Since the April 20th operation, my battle against Cerberus had almost come to a grinding halt. The information uncovered was minor. I had thought that even if it was minor, we would have been able to hurt them somehow. Instead, the supply depots, the bases, the labs, they amounted to nothing. Cutting down their manpower and finances had barely affected them. I spent countless hours contacting everyone I knew and their contacts to find something, anything. In the end, my efforts had proven to be fruitless.

I was in my bed, trying to get up but found myself releasing wet, hacking coughs. Watson was in the room at my bedside. Even with the medication, my body was beginning to fail me. It was only meant to stave off the inevitable, not stop my illness cold. Over the course of two months, the pain became almost unbearable. It was like being sun burnt, having every muscle in your body ache after an intense workout, and having a great weight pressing down on your chest. The involuntary shaking of my hands progressed and spread to other parts of my body, namely the limbs and my head.

"W—Watson…" I weakly called out, while coughing.

"Yes Mark?"

"Help…help me up." I said, stretching my hand out. The large geth stood up and grabbed my hand, pulling me up with ease as my feet settled to the floor. I continued to cough while staggering to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror was damn near horrifying. I could see virtually every vein on my body now; all of them were now a dark black color.

_Even the zombies on Feros looked better than I did._

I took off my sunglasses and looked into the mirror. The bioluminescent spots on my irises grew and now encompassed the whole iris. They had gone from being brown to a glowing crimson color.

_What the hell am I anymore?_

I staggered out of the bathroom after washing up and headed downstairs.

"Watson…Have-have you heard from Semeyon or Murph?" I asked slowly.

"No. They have not contacted us in some time. Our own contacts from within geth space have not discovered anything either."

I bit my lip anxiously. "God damn it."

I sat down in my favorite recliner, placing my coffee on the table.

A silence lingered in the room for some time. I was lost in my own thoughts. My time was almost up.

"We will let you know if there is any incoming transmissions." Watson said.

"W—wait." I said softly.

"Yes?"

"Do geth die?" I asked.

There was a pause as Watson walked over to me. "We do not die. If this platform becomes severely damaged, our programs are uploaded to another body."

I felt a small twitch at the corner of my mouth, "W-wish I could d—do that."

Watson stared at me for some time. "Our programs never die."

I nodded as best as I could, "This…might seem like a dumb question but…" I coughed again into my hand, "D—do you ever feel bad about the M-Morning War?"

"Geth do not feel." Watson stated simply. "However, after the Morning War, several mobile platforms were sent to the surface of the quarian home world of Rannoch to clean up rubble and toxins left over from the war."

"Y—you don't live there?"

"We live inside space stations and draw resources from asteroids. It is efficient."

I felt a small smirk come over my face.

"We know of similar actions taken by humans at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Piskaryovskoye, Rookwood, Arlington. Could you explain?" Watson asked.

"Those places are cemeteries and memorials. W—we use them t—to remember the people who died." I replied. "You don't d-die, your memories live on forever. You've done something…that no one…even the quarians-" I coughed again. "Not even the quarians could imagine. Y—you feel regret and loss. You have some…some kind of emotion. T—that means…you have a soul."

I continued to smirk as Watson stared at me.

"We will continue to monitor your condition and wait for any more information." Watson said before walking off.

_Unexpected…Too bad I'm running out of time. Come on guys. I know you'll pull through for me._

_

* * *

_

_Well there ya go!_

_Also, I modeled the Eliminator off of Killzone 1's PNV-3 Siska Squad Cannon. _

_I hope to have the next chapter up soon. _


	12. Where It All Began

_Author's note: The streak continues! Big thanks to everyone that's taken the time to read and review. The fact that people are reading and reviewing gets me friggin' amped! Now we get to find out what happens to Mark. Something good I hope, this dude needs some good news._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (July 4****th****, 2183)**

It had been a long time coming. It took two weeks but we finally got a lead thanks to Semeyon.

Just in time too…

The location he had given us was a Cerberus medical research facility close to the border of the Perseus Veil, on a frozen, desolate planet called Trostlos. The security in this facility presented the most problems. Of the 3 bases, only one was used for research, the other two were hardened military bunkers. If there were any alarms tripped in or near the medical facility, dozens of armed commandos and defense turrets would blanket the area. On top of that, there was no way inside the medical research lab, both security bases had the access codes and had to be punched in simultaneously.

The plan was to split up and clear out the security facilities and break into the medical facility afterward.

Watson and I would then break into the facility and destroy anything inside, unless we found any valuable intel.

"Mark, are you sure you are able to come on this mission?" Watson asked.

I let out a heavy cough, "I'll be fine. T-the medical interface will keep me all nice and cozy."

"It is only an interface." Watson replied.

"Yeah but being in this armor isn't too bad. It'll…keep me upright and mobile." I replied. I was a little surprised at Watson. It was as if he was concerned about my wellbeing.

_Someone's getting in touch with their emotional side?_

I glanced over at Watson. _Doubt it._

Once we were all set, we departed in our ship. The trip was relatively short, only about an hour and a half through the nearest relay. Once we made it into the system, we broadcast a jamming signal from our ship to mess with their early warning radar and began a descent into the atmosphere. I took a few deep breaths and went through my medical interface so I could get some diazepam in my system to keep my muscles from shaking.

The overall cloud cover of the planet reminded me of Antarctica, it was dark, cold and covered in snow.

_The blizzard here makes the storm on Noveria look like a flurry._

There were dozens of mountain ranges flanking us from both the left and right. When we approached the first facility, I dropped Watson off and broke away to descend towards the second security base.

I decided to test out Watson's optical camouflage system as I made my way through the small security base. The info we got on this station indicated that both security stations should have housed at least 20 security personnel each. My scanners only picked up 10.

_They're either at the other facility, the medical base, or they shipped out._

I forwarded my findings to Watson, who also ran into the same situation on his end.

"Watson, let's do this quick and quiet. I'll radio you once the facility is clear." I said.

"Understood."

I moved down a narrow hallway and into the security area. The whole area was dimly lit, most of the light coming from the various monitors on the wall. There were various operatives milling about, checking monitors, scanning for any ship traffic.

_Gotcha now._

I activated my omni-tool's hacking protocol and shut down every monitor in the room and killed the internal lighting. I moved as fast as I could to take out the three Cerberus operatives closest to me with my knife.

"Get the lights back up now!" yelled one of the operatives.

"Contact station Alpha now!" ordered another one.

I pulled out my assault rifle and fired three round bursts into anyone that was left in the room. I activated my omni-tool, turning the monitors and lights back on. Smoke rose from a few destroyed terminals and monitors as the Cerberus operatives fired wildly trying to hit me. I approached one of the main terminals and typed in a few commands.

"Watson, I'm at the grid. Are you clear on your end?"

"Yes. We have successfully cleared the facility." Watson replied.

The only way to bring down the security grid was to do it simultaneously.

"On my count Watson. Three…Two…One…now." I said.

"We have detected that the grid is down. We will rendezvous at the shuttle." Watson replied.

After clearing out both facilities, Watson and I headed for the main facility and landed our craft outside of the blast radius for the bomb I was going to detonate inside the facility. Watson and I stormed inside as fast as we could. Once inside, we stood at the doorway for the labs and scanned for anyone inside. I picked up 5 researchers inside plus 5 security personnel.

_Shouldn't be much of a problem for the two of us. _

I tossed a flashbang inside to distract the people inside and we mowed everyone down. When the smoke settled, we searched through the labs. Unlike the security facilities, the entire area was well lit and had white walls throughout the area. There were a few testing beds and work terminals nearby. In the middle was some kind of holographic projector.

_Better start with the terminals._

I hacked a terminal in the room to get whatever information I could. I was astonished to find that they were working on various vaccines and biological weapons in this lab. The one that stuck out in my mind was a cure for neurotoxemia. As I was scanning through, Watson alerted me to the presence of someone.

"Mark. The holographic projector has been activated."

I turned around and saw the projection begin to load. I signaled to Watson to get into a defensive position, in case they had reinforcements.

It was a holographic projection of a man somewhere in his 50's or 60's sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette.

"Ah. At last we finally meet Mr. Sears." I got up from the terminal and approached the projection.

"Who are you?"

"The man in charge of Cerberus. I am the Illusive Man." He replied, blowing a plume of smoke.

I could feel my jaw beginning to clench. "What do you want?"

"Lets just say it would be a wise decision if you didn't destroy the information in this facility. What you seem to forget Mr. Sears, is that we're trying to help you."

"Is that you're only explanation for killing 50 of my best soldiers 6 years ago?"

"It was a necessary sacrifice Mr. Sears. We needed to ascertain the abilities of the creatures. Thanks to you and your men, we were able to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the thresher maws." He replied, simply.

"You son of a bitch!"

"We also learned about neurotoxemia. The Council races knew about this disease and could have used this to their advantage and countless human lives could have been lost."

"They wouldn't be so reckless to break their own rules."

"The salarians made the genophage and the turians used it against the krogan. You of all people should know this Mr. Sears, being a history scholar."

He had me at a disadvantage, he was right after all about the end of the krogan rebellions. The turians used a biological weapon made by the salarians to virtually neuter the krogan.

"Do you honestly believe that they would use something like that against us?" "There is always the possibility for something like that to happen, Mr. Sears. However we studied the effects of the disease with the help of Corporal Frank Toombs and developed a cure."

"You gave him this disease?" I asked incredulously.

"It was necessary to find out how dangerous it was. He served his purpose."

I was literally trembling with rage at that point.

My former comrade and friend was injected with thresher venom and still had this disease for the last 6 years.

"I swear to God I'll get you bastards!" I angrily replied.

"You could do that Mr. Sears. Or better yet, you could start anew. In front of this terminal is a vial of AV-24, the cure for neurotoxemia. I will give it to you in exchange that you will cease attacking our organization."

Watson had turned around and stared at me. I picked up the vial and inspected it. I had it in my hand, the cure for a disease that was still being researched by the Alliance and the Council races. I thought about it for a second and had a small revelation. I began to toss the vial up and down in my hand.

"You know Illusive Man, your offer is very interesting. However, you wouldn't have spent all of this time talking to me unless there was something else at stake." He sat there and listened, maintaining his composure.

"You wouldn't have messaged me unless I hit a soft spot. I've spent the past few months cutting off your benefactors and received no messages or sign of slowing down. But now-now I'm only a little curious." I stared at the vial and turned to the holographic image of the Illusive Man, "Sorry. But I don't negotiate with terrorists and traitors. I'm going to continue this war of attrition against you and your supporters until the day I die."

I threw the vial into the ground and watched it smash into the floor, spilling the contents out everywhere. I saw a small flicker of surprise in his face and I pulled out my pistol. "You see this pistol, Illusive Man? Get a good look, because when we meet face to face; it'll be the last thing you ever see."

He gave me a small grin and said, "I look forward to our next meeting, Mr. Sears."

The holographic image disappeared and I turned around to see Wilson staring at the broken vial on the floor.

"We are surprised that you would choose death over a cure for your disease. Especially since you have two days left to live."

"It was the right thing to do Wilson. I'd rather die knowing that I did something to help the innocent instead of saving myself." A small grin came across my face, "But-I guess I can do both."

"What do you mean?" I pulled out an OSD from a pocket in my armor.

"I made a copy of all the medical information in that terminal before I wiped it out. I'm going to give a copy to a friend of mine in the medical profession. He'll find a way to make use of this, and I might get to live longer because of this."

"A shrewd tactic, Mark. We never expected you to do that."

"I wasn't going to take anything that they were going to give me. If the cure is made by someone else, it won't be as bad. Besides, all of their researchers are dead and they don't have their names on anything. Come on, lets get out of here."

We set the charges and got out of the facility. The building went up in a large explosion; mostly due to the ignition of several flammable materials located inside.

* * *

**Elysium General Hospital, Elysium (July 4****th****, 2183)**

My next stop was a medical facility on Elysium where my contact was going to develop a cure for me. It didn't take long for a cure to be made which was pretty good.

"Ok." Said my doctor, Dr. Baltazar Czernenko. "This cure will be administered in two bags, to ensure that the venom is completely eradicated."

"Thanks doc." I replied, as I sat back in the chair as the doctor put the IV into my arm.

After inserting the needle, I noticed the results immediately. The various aches I had across my body disappeared. The black discoloration in my veins would disappear over time, along with the light sensitivity disorder in my eyes. However, in areas that were already damaged, such as my spinal nerves and eyes, the damage would be irreversible. After getting the official test results, the venom was completely gone. I was more or less, back to my old self.

I thanked the good doctor once the procedure was over.

"It was the least I could do Mark." He said, shaking my hand. "There is just one matter."

"The cure?" I asked.

"Yes. I don't want to know where you found it but who exactly made it?"

"Well the people making it don't sign off on anything." I replied, giving him a copy of the cure data.

"It's your cure doctor."

His eyebrows shot up, "I—I don't know what to say."

"I only suggest that you read up on it. There's going to be a lot of questions." I said. "Congratulations Doctor."

He gave me a funny grin as I walked out, "Hey. Tell Semeyon I said hi."

In the coming days, would receive many honors for making a cure. It probably pissed off Cerberus when they discovered that their own various medical secrets were being spread through information dealers and more importantly, the media.

However, the good news would slowly fade when I heard that Corporal Toombs would be buried at Elysium's Memorial Cemetery. He would receive a posthumous two rank promotion, making him Gunnery Chief. It was first time I had worn my military dress uniform in 6 years. I saw his ex-wife and two daughters. Frank had showed a picture of them to me many years ago, a picture I now had in my possession; his daughters were at least 16 and 17 now and his wife had remarried 2 years after Akuze. I paid his family my respects; I told them that he cared deeply about them and that he was the finest soldier that I had ever served with. It was the truth. I gave his wife the family picture he had with him after he killed himself.

_Suicide...He just wanted the screaming to stop._

I still had dreams about it. I still heard the screams. It was just one of those things you can't stop thinking about, even with a large amount of therapy and drugs. That night I sat on the porch with a glass of bourbon and stared up at the stars. Watson joined me, "We are sorry for your loss Mark."

"Thanks Watson."

"May we ask who this person was?"

"He was man who served under me when I was in the Alliance. His name was Frank Toombs, Corporal Frank Toombs. Even though I was young officer, he showed me the ropes."

"He was a mentor to you."

"Yeah." I said taking another sip, "He cared about everyone he served with. Even though he was a Corporal, everyone respected him as if he were an officer. He loved his wife and kids and would always have these stories about them. He'd even pull some of the craziest stunts."

I smiled thinking about one incident many years ago.

"Like this one time. Our unit was getting inspected by this asshole major; a real hard ass. The night before, Frank sneaks into his room and steals his uniform and dyes the thing bright pink and glues this giant rainbow wig onto his officer hat."

I was just laughing thinking about it, while Watson listened intently.

"Now this was the major's lucky uniform, wore it to every conflict and so on as like a good luck charm. So he shows up in this uniform and I'm trying not to laugh and keep the men in line. But it completely fails as we kept laughing and cracking jokes at the guy. He tried to figure out who it was in the unit that did it but he never found out."

I just laughed my ass off remembering the whole incident.

"Oh he was such a funny guy." I said, taking another slow sip.

"That was a very humorous story Mark. Was he like this a lot?"

"Only to officers that no one really respected. When it came down to a firefight, he was the best strategist to have with you. A real great guy." I trailed off for a bit until I came back down to my previous mood.

"I just wish I could have stopped him from shooting himself. I still feel that I'm partly responsible for him being a prisoner of Cerberus'."

"You were not responsible for them experimenting on him."

"No I wasn't. But I dropped him down that hole." I said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"On our 4th day on Akuze, Toombs and I were the only ones left. When we ran to the extraction point, we were ambushed by about 2 thresher maws. Because the ground was so unstable, he fell into a huge sinkhole. I grabbed him and tried to pull Frank up, but as I was doing it a thresher popped up from behind us and was about to hit us with its acid. Frank told me to let go and get to the extraction, so I did. I dropped him to save myself."

"No you didn't, Mark. He sacrificed himself so that he could save his friend, that friend being you. You should not blame yourself because of it. Remember him as a hero and a great person as you have described to us." said Watson.

"You're right Watson. Thanks. I just remember the last thing he said to me on Akuze. 'Live for us'. I intend on doing that. Now…I can do that."

I took another sip from my drink and we continued to sit outside for a while staring off into space.

* * *

**January 1st, 2184**

_The good times are over._

The new-year sure as hell didn't feel new and the galaxy felt like a darker place with my friend still gone. John Shepard, hero of Elysium, first human Spectre, savior of the Citadel…turned galactic pariah after his death. The Council and Alliance didn't go public with his death until several months after he was deemed KIA. Of course, they never found his body so they just assumed he was dead. Apparently my strong words and advice for the Council didn't register. They called my friend delusional, crazy, uncontrollable, and the Alliance government played ball. They used his image and likeness for recruitment ads and subsequently dropped him close to the end of the year. Not too long after Shepard died, the Citadel Council had yet another potential disaster to face. Batarian ambassador Jath'Amon wanted to meet with the Council to negotiate peace terms with the Alliance and rejoin the galactic community. A group of batarian extremists were planning on assassinating the ambassador by storming the Citadel. In truth, Jath'Amon was leading the extremists and was planning on releasing a biological weapon on the Council. Of course like my friend's death and our mission to save the Citadel, it was all downplayed. I only found out through my contacts, and the people who saved the Council: Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson.

_The Council was always good at sweeping things under the rug._

I had been given a surprising olive branch from Cerberus. I decided it would be best to just throw it back in their faces. It was a little surprising to get the offer from Cerberus' leader, the Illusive Man, himself. I tried everything to find any sort of information on him and came up short. The man was a ghost. I couldn't help but feel a small pang of irony. We both did our best to remain hidden and fight from the shadows. Yet despite our differences, we both held respect amongst our peers, carried ourselves with confidence, and chose action instead of diplomacy.

_And we had freaky lookin' eyes._

Our first meeting still replayed over and over in my head. Every time I thought about it, I felt nothing but disgust and contempt for the man. The man that had taken away my career, my friends, and the lives of so many innocent people…all in the name of advancing humanity.

Now that we were on the Council, humanity finally had some pull. Despite Anderson's lack of political know-how, he brokered deals that brought the Alliance even further than before. The economy was up, technology progressed, and new alliances were forged, making the bonds between humans and the Council races stronger than ever.

_If that's the case, why do I feel like this is only the beginning of the end?_

My friend was dead and gone. The others on the Normandy were off doing their own thing. They had moved on. Liara was probably the only one I had heard from since Shepard's death. I wasn't sure of the details, but she now had a vendetta against the Shadow Broker.

_Never a dull moment._

_

* * *

_

**New Edo, Akuze (January 2****nd****, 2184)**

It had been 7 years since I set foot on Akuze. It was considerably different than when I first arrived there. Akuze was still a lush planet, only there were more buildings, infrastructure; reminded me of Virmire and an old picture I saw of Dubai. However, this city and memorial were the only secure areas on Akuze. Most of it was still infested with Thresher maws. Since the Alliance still considered this place a planet prime for colonization, the military undertook several subterranean bombing campaigns to kill off the thresher maws. The only danger for building any other city was the chance of falling into a sinkhole as the thresher tunnels could have spanned the entire planet, or several thousand feet down.

I had visited the site of the Akuze monument, where the extraction point was all those years ago. The name for the hill over looking what was now the capital city of New Edo was known as Heaven's Peak.

_A fitting name_.

The monument was of an Alliance soldier reaching towards the sky along with the names of the 50 men in my unit on a plaque below. I remembered the name of every man in that unit and had a memory for each one. I considered it a personal rule as the man in charge. I approached the monument with Watson as we watched the sun begin to set off in the distance. My hand went down the plaque, brushing past the names I had known so well. I dropped to one knee, the tears welling up in my eyes and began to weep. No matter how hard I tried, it was something that I would never get over; a pain that would last forever. Watson put a comforting hand on my shoulder as I kneeled there.

I stood up and backed up from the monument, staring at the names and saluted. I was there for 30 seconds, keeping a salute, while the memories rushed through my mind. I finally broke it and walked away from the monument, never looking back.

At that moment, I decided to make it a tradition to go back on the anniversary of that incident. I had never done it before then because I never had the guts to go back and face it. But I was a different person now. I had changed.

My war of attrition with Cerberus was still going on strong. Most of their major financial backers were gone within months. Some I took care of myself, others backed out for safety reasons. They knew what was going to happen if they made a deal with the devil. Along with some of their financial backers, I took care of several Cerberus bases across the Attican Traverse and in the Terminus Systems. It would only be a matter of time before they lost all of their footholds in the Terminus Systems.

The news about these operations spread across the galaxy like wild fire. Of course, it was all major news for the information community. The major media outlets only reported the gruesome findings I had given them from Cerberus' databases. With Semeyon, Murph, and Watson, we formed our own group called Outer Heaven. It was an information organization that unlike the Shadow Broker, wasn't in it for the money, it was to maintain stability. Once it was discovered that the Shadow Broker had made a deal with the Collectors to secure Shepard's body, he lost contacts and informants in droves. A lot of them happened to be good friends of Semeyon and Murph. For convenience sake, his operatives never made it officially known that they were leaving the Broker. They would work as double agents.

I hadn't heard from Eviana since our "encounter" at my place a year ago. I figured that she was busy doing Spectre stuff. I was on Akuze for another reason other than visiting the monument on the 7 year anniversary. I was told by Semeyon that one of his best contacts had some information for me on Akuze. Apparently, Cerberus was still involved with Akuze even after these years. It made me upset that they were still here; and I intended to put a stop to their activities here.

The meeting place was some swanky looking lounge inside the capital city of New Edo. I told Wilson to wait outside and that I would signal him if there was any trouble. Even for a twelve-foot tall robot, he could hide really well thanks to his active camouflage. I sat at the bar drinking peacefully and waiting for this contact.

The lights were flashing and the music was booming, "Typical club bullshit." I said to myself, "You'd think they would at least find something good to put on." Even I wouldn't arrange a meeting here. Sure there's the advantage of the lights, sound, and crowd but it was just annoying. I saw a familiar face approach the bar, an older gentleman with a leather jacket, a large mustache and a scally cap. "Hey Mark!"

"Murph!" I said giving him a big hug, "How ya been?"

"Been doin' fine kiddo. Big Z wanted me to meet you out here."

"Ahh I see. You want a drink?"

"You got it. Yo bahtenda one Jack and Coke!" said Murph to the bartender. We both went to a quiet corner of the bar and talked for a while.

"So Murph, what's new? How's the family?" I asked.

"Wife and kids are fine. Don and his new wife just moved into their first house now and Billy's entering his senior year of college."

"They grow up so fast. Last time I saw them they were still getting used to college."

"Yeah, yeah. You should visit 'em sometime." He replied.

"I'll see if I can in my downtime." Murph was Semeyon's right hand man; he was the man I first talked to when I looked for Semeyon. He wasn't your typical information contact. The man had a family and a life. But appearances are deceiving. Murph was a member of the infamous special-forces outfit known as Task Force 1. It was an elite unit capable of handling any situations from hostage crisis to full on assaults. Since he grew up on the streets of Southie in Boston, he knew anyone and everyone. He knew my father and had served with him on the battlefield during the First Contact War. Murph and Semeyon were the two oldest guys in the unit while my dad was the youngest.

"Down to business I guess." said Murph.

He passed me a large envelope and I opened it, looking at the pictures and maps.

"What is this?"

"That's the research facility Cerberus has here on Akuze. The same one that experimented on your buddy Toombs-the ones who released the thresher maws." He replied softly.

"I didn't think they would keep a facility like that around for that long." I said.

"I guess they figured if they were successful once, they'll continue to be successful." he said.

"Do you know what they're working on here?"

"Word on the streets say that they've been continuing research on some bio-weapons, even experimenting on people with some cybernetic technology."

I shook my head, "Unbelievable."

"I hear ya kiddo. The whole thing stinks but you're the only one capable. I know that, Big Z knows. We've got your back."

"Thanks Murph."

We got up to leave through the back entrance, "Stay safe kiddo."

I headed back to the garage where Watson was waiting, "Did you find out our next target?"

"Yeah." I said, "Its a science base they've had since the incident here 7 years ago. We'll attack them at zero hour."

* * *

Watson and I hit the facility like the hand of God. After a silent infiltration of the facility, we went room-to-room, killing scientists and destroying labs. The map Murph gave me was an older map from 7 years ago, they had added onto the facility since then. When the dust settled, we had killed over 30 researchers and about as many commandos. While Wilson copied their files to an OSD and wiped out their drives after downloading the files, I headed to the holding facility. What I witnessed was the single most horrific thing I had ever seen.

There were dozens of cells with subjects, all human. They were exposed to various exotic diseases found in the Traverse along with some neurotoxemia cases, people exposed to new chemical weapons and other horrific things that I could not even describe. Everyone in this facility was dying slowly and painfully. The people given experimental cybernetic implants were abominations of flesh and steel; they made the husks look like cute puppies. The disgusting part was that they were all alive and screaming out in pain. One of the larger cells contained people exposed to a new bio-weapon known called RX9, a synthesized chemical weapon. This weapon could not be spread from person to person, but the effects were horrific. Blackening of veins and arteries after 2 hours, Liquification of the liver, intestine and spleen after 3 hours of exposure, melting of the flesh after 2.5 hours and a complete nervous system shutdown after 3.5 hours plus liquification of all other organs before the nervous system shuts down. One of the victims slowly crawled to the window where I was looking in. I took my mask off to show that I wasn't one of them.

"P-please. We can't take it!" said the man, as he spit black blood onto the floor. Watson came up behind me, "We have wiped all local copies of the information." He stared at the cell in silence. _If he felt any sort of emotion right now, horror would be it._

"Listen." said the man coughing, "There's a terminal-over there-if you turn it on, it'll-incinerate every holding cell. T-to prevent a contamination."

"How do you know this?"

"I-I worked on the project. When I learned what-what they were going to do-I tried to stop them and-they threw me in here and contaminated me."

"That's horrible!" I replied. This was just atrocious.

"Please! Don't let us suffer like this! Activate the incinerator." I slowly nodded my head. I lowered the blast shutters on each cell to prevent the glass from melting. The incinerator was set to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to melt steel and kill a human being in microseconds. I turned on the incinerator, put my mask back on and Watson and I left the facility.

"Watson, are you sure it's okay to detonate the charges?"

"All life signs have been eradicated. The danger of biological and chemical agents escaping are zero. It is safe."

"Do it." I said.

He activated the detonation charges and destroyed the facility. For the time being, we used an abandoned garage on the outskirts of New Edo as our temporary safe house. I sat on a cot with my hands wrapped around my head.

"Are you alright Mark?" asked Wilson.

I shook my head, "I still can't believe after all of these years-" The images of the mutilated people I saw in the holding cells was still fresh in my mind.

"Damn it I'm a soldier! My job is to protect people from those kinds of things-I couldn't save them!"

"Mark it is not your fault. Cerberus killed these people. You prevented them from dying slowly and painfully."

"You're right Watson, you're right." I replied softly. I turned to the geth and asked him.

"Do you still have the OSD with their research information?"

"Yes." he handed it to me.

"We were only looking for vital information on the organization, we can get rid of any NBC weapon info. Don't want it to get out in the open."

"We already took the liberty of doing that Mark. We hope you are not upset at us."

I looked up and smiled at him, "No. I'm not. You did a good thing Wilson. Thanks."

"We learned from the best."

I looked over the information and found various references to the Collectors. They would appear from time to time in the Terminus Systems looking for unusual things, but would give excellent rewards like new technology. I also learned that their cybernetic tests were part of something called "Project Lazarus". From the sounds of things, it was almost as if they took a page out of Sovereign's book. It was an expensive project that had roots on Akuze. Since we destroyed most of the information on it, they might be at a loss unless they changed the location of the primary Project Lazarus facility. It was an expensive project looking at their financial numbers, total cost was at about 2 billion credits at the moment. Our mission on this world was complete. Cerberus had lost one of their oldest and most vital research facilities. Before we left Akuze, I went to the memorial site again to bid my friends a farewell and hope that they could finally find some peace on this world.

* * *

**Classified Location (January 3****rd****, 2184)**

The Illusive Man was going over the most recent report handed to him. He shook his head when he finished reading it. One of Cerberus' main research facilities on Akuze was completely destroyed, along with its secrets; or so he thought.

What agitated the Illusive Man the most was the recent news report that there were experiments that were brought into the public's view. No one, not even the Alliance, knew of this illegal research and experimentation. He turned to one of the windows on his terminal, which showed the Alliance Military dossier on Mark Sears.

"This man-he's becoming more and more persistent." he said.

Behind the Illusive Man was an extremely beautiful brunette who was staring at the dossier. She was Miranda Lawson, a Cerberus operative, one of the best. Miranda had connections all over the galaxy, but even she had no idea who Mark Sears was or where he was getting his information from. She had assumed it was from the Shadow Broker; however, the people connected to the Broker had no information on Sears other than the information they already knew about; others claim that they've never heard of him or that he doesn't exist. It was very puzzling, but she had a theory.

_Someone's hiding the things we want to know_. She thought, while tapping her chin.

_It's unusual to see but I guess the Shadow Broker does take care of the ones that have helped him out_.

The Illusive Man cut into her thoughts, "Ms. Lawson, do you know why I called you here?"

"No, sir."

"I want you to track down this Mark Sears, find out his sources and allies. We need more information than this."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?" She asked.

"Yes. Learn whatever you can about him and his sources. After that, kill him. We cannot afford to have him continue his war against us. There is too much at stake. Should you succeed, or fail, continue work on the Lazarus Project."

"Yes sir." As she turned to leave, Miranda felt unsure about this mission she was given. She was expected to track down a man who left next to nothing in terms of records and evidence. He was careful and thorough, trained by the best and hardened through several horrific experiences in his life. It was going to be one of the most difficult missions assigned to her.

_More difficult than resurrecting Commander Shepard?_ She snorted at the thought.

Miranda wasn't sure why the Illusive Man wanted her to track him down. She was currently busy with the Lazarus Project. However, it was deemed a priority that Sears be killed. Cerberus had even hired unaffiliated mercenaries nearly 6 months ago to provide extra security. Privately, she didn't like the idea of being sent to find one of the Alliance's top infiltrators; Miranda had more pressing issues. However, the Lazarus Project was going smoothly at the moment; Wilson could handle any difficulties and he had the staff.

She would begin by going through some of her best contacts to find anything on Mark Sears. Aside from his Alliance military file (which was very sparse), all she learned was that he had neurotoxemia and a geth partner. The latter had intrigued her. She went over every single facility that he had destroyed in the last year. The overall number of places and people that were killed or destroyed was astounding. Over 10 companies once connected to Cerberus went under in under a year thanks to Sears' assaults; the overall body count was close to 90 operatives and mercenaries. There was no pattern of attack, nothing to help figure out what his next target would be. Miranda decided to head to a Cerberus facility known as The Gateway, a Cerberus rapid response base located near several mass relay hubs. Inside this rapid response base was over 50 Cerberus commandos and researchers working around the clock. She would try to get a squad together and have them spread out across the Attican Traverse to look for Sears. Little did she know that she wouldn't have to go far.

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (January 15****th****, 2184)**

It took a while for Watson and I to dig up this new info on a Cerberus facility. Word has it that they've been doing some "spring cleaning", attempting to root out those who are selling information to me. This next base was going to be the largest that we've ever assaulted. It was nicknamed 'The Gateway', a massive base housing various science labs and a barracks for over 50 commandos that was located on a small moon orbiting a yellow hyper giant.

As Watson and I went over the plans, we discovered that it wouldn't be as simple as we thought. However, there were some weaknesses with the design of the facility. The only way to get to the barracks or any other part of the Gateway was through a massive security room that overlooked every part of the facility. It was soundproof and could lockdown every section of the base. The plan was for a quiet insertion and to disable the outer security and infiltrate the security room. After securing the security room, we would split up and set explosives in the barracks. Another flaw was that the science labs were all automated, so that I could hack the systems and destroy the labs by ejecting them into the nearby yellow hyper giant.

I also learned that Cerberus had an elite operative who was sent to kill me. By sheer coincidence, this operative was going to be at the Gateway. On the way over, I hacked into the Cerberus network and discovered who this operative was. It was Miranda Lawson, a Cerberus informant who had helped out Jacob Taylor stop batarian terrorists from assassinating the Council.

"This is the person sent to kill you?" asked Watson.

"Yep. Seems like I've got quite the adversary."

"Should we consider her a target as well?"

"No. We'll let her live. I feel like sending a message to the Illusive Man through her." I replied.

"I see."

* * *

**The Gateway (January 15****th****, 2184)**

We made our approach to the Gateway and touched down near the side of the facility. Our ship was nearly invisible to their radar thanks to our improvised stealth system and radar masking paint, also making it difficult to spot visually. Once we got off the ship, we sprinted towards the front entrance.

There were 2 guards near the door patrolling and a security camera over the door. I looked around the corner and with a few tweaks of my omni-tool, I set the camera to a loop so we would take out the guards and go inside. Picked both of them off and we went inside the facility. It took us about 2 minutes to go down several winding hallways to arrive at the entrance to the security station. At the entrance, there was a short hallway that led to a T-intersection and 2 staircases that led downstairs to the massive security control center. Even from the narrow entranceway, I could see rows of monitors for the various facilities along with camera and guard positions. One guard was coming down the hall towards us. We held our position until he walked by us; until I grabbed him and snapped his neck. Watson and I began to move up. We stopped just before the catwalk near the staircase. I signaled him to hold position while I turned on my heartbeat monitor. Luckily there was no one on the catwalk, so I moved up to a large steel plate near the catwalk's railing and leaned up against it.

"Alright Watson, I've got about 5 in the center of the room, 3 to the left, 4 to the right and 2 across the room. The barracks entrance is on the right, I'll toss a flash and mow down anyone down there while you plow down the right, ok?"

"Affirmative."

"We'll go on my signal." I pulled out a flashbang and tossed into the middle of the room.

"Weapons free!" I yelled before it detonated.

Once it went off, it was a massacre. Watson plowed through the 4 guys on the right and took out the 2 on the far side while I took the 5 in the middle and the 3 on the left. Miranda was knocked out in the middle of the room. I rushed to her to check her pulse, she was alive but out cold.

I tied her to a chair while Watson approached me, "Are you all set here Mark?"

"Yes Watson. Good luck in the barracks."

"Thank you." he turned on his stealth camouflage and went into the barracks while I hacked into the security system.

20 minutes later

Miranda gradually began to wake up from her unconscious state and was surprised to find me sitting at a terminal in front of her.

"W-who are you?" she asked, slightly dazed from the flashbang.

"Me? I'm the guy you're trying to kill." I replied.

Her eyes went wide. "Sears!" she yelled, attempting to charge up for a biotic attack but stopped once she saw what I had in my hand.

"Don't bother. It's a damping pulse mine. I knew you were a biotic. There's no point in trying to break out."

"What the hell do you want?" she asked in a calm, but slightly agitated tone.

"Information."

"I don't know a damn thing."

A sly smile grew over my face, "Really Ms. Lawson? Ms. Miranda Lawson, one of Cerberus' top operatives and informant's? Please."

She knew that she was already beaten and had no chance of escape with me in the room.

"You see, I know that the Illusive Man sent you after me. It was just sheer chance that we happened to meet in the same place." I said simply.

"What do you think you can find here? There's just commandos."

"Which is what I was looking for. Take a good look at the monitors, Ms. Lawson. Take a look at your fellow comrades. Their lives will be over shortly."

"You'll never get away from us! You know that don't you?" She spat out.

"I've done it several times already. That's my advantage. I'm one person. You're a fairly large terrorist organization. It takes a long time to move people and resources to find one man. But the reason I've left you alive is to perform a little experiment." I said, my tone becoming more sinister than I expected.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked with a look of surprise.

"Nothing sinister. Just giving Cerberus a dose of its own medicine. You see, I think that people like you have become so oblivious as to what you really do that it doesn't phase you anymore." I paced slowly back and forth in front of her while pulling out several holos I took of the facility on Akuze.

"Now tell me that these don't make you feel even the slightest bit of guilt and disgust."

Miranda was having a hard time looking at the photos.

"Nasty right? That's what you've done to innocent civilians. Don't even get me started on the military. You probably went over my Alliance file with a fine toothcomb. Right?" She scowled, but managed to nod.

"Yeah. So you already know what you've done to me. You can't deny it; you might not have been there but you're guilty by association..." I turned to the monitors and finished, "And so are they...Watson are the charges set?"

"Yes Mark." He replied, appearing right next to me.

"Thanks Watson, good job."

Miranda was shocked to see the massive geth. She knew he had a geth partner, but not a Prime.

I turned to Miranda. "Now Miranda, I think its time for you and Cerberus to know exactly what it feels like to be in a situation that you have no control over."

I pushed the button on my omni-tool and watched the flicker of a detonation and the monitors go dead. I then spaced all of the research labs into the massive star nearby. Luckily, Watson snuck in and stole the information inside.

Her eyes went wide and then stared at the floor. I'll admit, part of me felt bad for two reasons: the first was because I had done the same exact thing that they did years ago, the second was because I just killed over 50 people in a matter of seconds. I didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Watson." I said softly, "We're done here."

"Affirmative."

I put my mask back on and approached Miranda who had held a neutral expression on her face.

"Go back to your boss and tell him exactly what you saw."

I patted her on the shoulder, "You'll live with this for a long time, find solace in the fact that you probably didn't know them personally. My soldiers, the ones your people killed, I knew every single one of them."

I walked out of the facility with Watson. Our mission was complete.

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium**

The trip back to Elysium was very mellow. I sat in the pilot seat, reclined back, and stared vacantly at the stars. "Are you ok Mark?" asked Watson.

"No Watson, I'm not ok."

"We did complete the mission successfully, though." He replied.

"Yeah. That's not why I'm upset." I said softly.

"It is about Miranda isn't it?"

"I did the same thing they did to me 7 years ago; different in execution, but still the same. Its only now that I realize what I've done."

"You said it yourself, Mark. You wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"I did say that Watson, it just feels…different when you've actually done it."

"How so?"

"I'm turning into them Watson. I've never acted like that. I've never let my emotions drive me to do these terrible things."

"We understand. You thought that you could destroy Cerberus without compromising your own morals."

"Yeah. I'm finding that harder to do with every mission we take. I wasn't supposed to let my personal feelings get in the way, but they are."

I paused for a second and told him something I never told anyone.

"Y'know Watson, with every shot, every grenade toss, and every push of a detonator's button; I get further and further away from the things I once held dear. I've dishonored my family and the people at the Alliance who taught me."

"Sometimes we must make difficult sacrifices in order to do the right thing." said Watson.

I raised an eyebrow, "Well that situation is something I never want to do again. If I ever get too emotional in a situation like that, stop me. Remember that so you can use this to talk me down."

"Of course. Logging for future reference." Watson replied.

I laughed a bit and began to land the ship at the safe house. We began to go over the information recovered from the Gateway and found the locations of other rapid response bases that Cerberus had. Luckily for us, we made it out of the facility in time as Cerberus had sent a team from a nearby base after us. I had a feeling that Miranda had managed to break out and inform them somehow.

Good thing I left her a knife…

Either that or they picked up their science facilities being launched into the nearby star. It didn't matter how they found out, we had other locations and more research notes that we got from the Gateway. We took out one of their larger threats in that facility so we were clear to operate in areas that would have been under the Gateway's protection. As I was going over some of this information, a news report came on.

"_Our top story tonight, the human colony Livermore, has gone completely silent. Alliance military officials do not know the cause of what happened but did report that the entire colony had disappeared. We'll have more on this story as it develops. In other news-"_

"My god." I said, "How does an entire colony of people disappear?"

Watson turned to me and said, "We are not sure. Maybe we should look into it."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Watson replied.

"Alright. We'll investigate first thing in the morning." I said.

* * *

**Classified Location (January 16****th****, 2184)**

Miranda walked into the Illusive Man's office, feeling uneasy about giving her report on a failed attempt to kill Sears or how he got the drop on her.

"Miranda, its good to see you, please sit down." said the Illusive Man.

"Sir, there's been a problem at the Gateway." she said observing the Illusive Man.

"What happened?"

"It was Sears, he assaulted the facility with a geth companion."

The Illusive Man raised his eyebrow slightly, "Did he destroy the Gateway?"

"No. He killed the members of the team I was assembling to hunt him down, destroyed the barracks, and fired the science stations into the star."

He took a long drag from his cigarette, "I see. Are you telling me that you have failed your mission?"

"Yes sir."

"Miranda, we are up against an enemy we have never faced before along with a geth. I would not say that you have failed. You would have failed if he had killed you."

"Sir, Sears knew that you had sent me to kill him."

"It seems as though we have not done a through job of expelling the traitors from our organization. But he is also one of the best hackers the Alliance has ever produced. May I ask why he let you live?" He asked, rubbing his forehead.

"He wanted me to watch as he destroyed the barracks. He showed me pictures of various experiments on Akuze, saying it was his way of sending you a message."

"I see." said the Illusive Man taking another slow drag from his cigarette, "He's done a good job of sending that message."

"He said that we were responsible for destroying his unit on Akuze." said Miranda.

Despite her high ranking within the organization, there were a few operations that she was unaware of. Akuze was one of them.

"Mr. Sears would say anything in his situation. He may still be suffering from PTSD. I would ignore any statements he makes." Replied the Illusive Man.

"What is our next move?" Miranda asked.

"We'll track him down. Sears has become more than just a thorn in our side. He's selling information on us and destroying our research left and right. We'll find him. For now, I'm placing you on standby in case we find anything else. You may return to your work on the Lazarus Project. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir."

She left the room feeling slightly relieved that she was not punished for failing. Miranda contacted everyone she knew in the Alliance military to track down anyone that Sears had used as a contact or where he operated out of. After spending hours of digging, she found nothing from her contacts. No one had known where he operated. He was off the grid.

What Miranda didn't know was that Mark was considered to be an invaluable asset to the Shadow Broker, almost any and all information involving Sears was permanently erased or kept secret. Any information that trickled down would be rumors or lies. It was a virtual no-win scenario for her and for Cerberus. She couldn't fail again though.

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (March 23, 2184)**

I sat at my desk tapping my foot on the floor. Despite the information grab at the Gateway, it was minor at best. Our objective was to cut down on Cerberus personnel. I was still feeling like garbage after that stunt I pulled on Miranda. Sure she was Cerberus to the core, one of their highest ranking operatives but that stunt wasn't me. It's not who I was. Sure this battle with them had personal undertones but it wasn't supposed to be personal. I shouldn't have acted like that.

_My old drill sergeant would have a field day with this if he found out._

Watson stepped into the office.

"You requested to see us, Mark?"

"Yes. As you know, finding information on Cerberus has been hard to come by and it's taking too long for us to get any intel." I started.

"Even with our connections and what we have, Cerberus has no definite patterns, no favorite areas of operations. We need to find something major. Something that connects the dots."

Watson stood there, processing the information. "You are suggesting we find some sort of hub. A base of operations."

I nodded. "Their cells operate everywhere and they have no connection to each other, no traces we can perform on their information."

The flaps on Watson's heads moved slightly, "What exactly are you suggesting we do?"

"Not we. Me. I don't like this idea I've got and I know you won't either. But it has to be done."

_I just hope this gamble pays off._

* * *

**Lazarus Project Station (March 27, 2184)**

Miranda was laying down in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She was still uneasy about the newest task she had been given. She wasn't an assassin. She was an operative.

_An operative that's also a scientist and an informant._

The incident at the Gateway station was nothing more than a bad experience for her, much like the time she escaped from her father. But unlike that, she couldn't stop thinking about it. The look Mark gave her. His anger, his contempt, and his hatred; it was directed at her in a way she had never experienced before. The effect Mark was looking for, attempting to traumatize her the same way Cerberus traumatized him, didn't work. Yet, she couldn't help but go over what happened there in her mind. Cerberus had faced off against various groups before; most of them small time mercenary companies, the Alliance, and various other races but never one man.

_Especially one man with his resume and skills._

He had evaded Cerberus intel at every step, erased any trace that he was even there, and had even sold off or sent information to the news or the Shadow Broker. His newest attack had resulted in over a dozen dead scientists along with twenty five operatives and twenty five commandos. Even though Cerberus had a massive boost in recruitment after the attack on the Citadel, they were down to only 3 cells and 150 operatives.

Jacob Taylor started snore next to her. They had been in a relationship for a few months now, since they stopped the batarians together. Jacob wasn't too hard to figure out, like most military men. Since they were stuck in the middle of nowhere, he got hooked on watching the EUCC.

_Among other things…_ Miranda thought, salaciously.

The terminal on her desk began to flash.

_What could this be about?_

She got out of bed and walked over to the desk and checked her messages.

Miranda had put out feelers for any information and whereabouts for Sears. They were unsuccessful, until now. The message had come from an unknown source but had pinpointed his location.

_Elysium. Got you now._

_

* * *

_

_There you have it! What's in store for Mark next? Who knows. But the results may be surprising..._

_I probably should have done this earlier but I modeled Semeyon after Andrew Divoff (the Ukrainian guy in Lost and General Krukov in C&C Red Alert 3) _

_I modeled Murph after Timothy Dalton (James Bond and Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz)_


	13. POW

_Author's Note: Sorry for the slight delay but I had a small amount of trouble with this one (plus a small touch of writers block). Anyway, hope you enjoy this next chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

_Edited: August 28_

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (March 27****th****, 2184)**

Watson and I headed to Livermore to see what had happened to the colony four days ago. When we touched down, we inspected the damage or lack thereof. There were no signs of bodies, not even any weapons damage. After an hour of searching, we had found nothing; there were no signs of life or any bodies. It was as if the entire colony had simply vanished. How it had happened without a trace was puzzling and almost frightening.

The next few days would see the same results. Human colony after human colony in the Terminus Systems went dark. There were no bodies, no signs of battle. It was as if they were all kidnapped at once. I had seen enough of that in my time know it all too well. It was no surprised that the Alliance was outraged by this, they were human colonies after all. However, these colonies were outside of their jurisdiction and the Council's. The Council and Alliance were what the colonists were trying to get away from. The increase in human colonies in the Terminus began just before Shepard saved the Citadel. They had a gripe with the way the Alliance government had operated until the attack on the Citadel. Colonization had died down until the death of Commander Shepard was made public. After that, an exodus from Alliance/Council space began as people fed up with the political backsliding after the attacks along with the fear of more attacks moved out to the Terminus. For the colonization companies, the rewards outweighed the risk of attacks.

After visiting Livermore, Watson and I began a series of small raids on Cerberus supply bases. I had heard from Wrex that he had managed to unite some of the krogan clans but was having difficulty with supplies. I went to Tuchanka to deliver weapons and credits to him in person. He was quite grateful for the help.

After my trip, I decided to take a small break from shooting and sneaking. Instead, I occupied myself with some simple hacking. Siphoning credits was always easy, especially when Cerberus uses the same encryption protocols.

_Just have to wait and see if my gamble pays off._

* * *

**Safe House, Elysium (March 28, 2184)**

Watson and I were casing our next target, when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mark! Thank God you're there!" said Semeyon in an urgent tone.

"Semeyon, what's wrong?"

"Listen. Its Cerberus, they know that you're on Elysium. I don't know how they found out but they're on their way now!"

"How much time do I have?" I asked.

"Not a lot. But you have to get off Elysium now!"

"Thanks Z. I owe you."

"Good luck, kiddo." I sprinted down to the garage to tell Watson.

"Watson! We've got a problem; Cerberus knows where we are!"

"We shall prepare our escape. How much time do we have?"

"Not sure, but Semeyon told me that their on their way." I replied.

"We will get the ship ready." he said.

"Watson, take all the data we've collected and hide somewhere in the Terminus Systems or the Perseus Veil."

The twelve-foot tall geth stared at me. "Affirmative."

"I know you don't like this. But it's the only way." I said, swallowing hard. "And take this too." I gave Watson my omni-tool. "I don't want them getting their hands on this baby."

Watson took it and continued to stare at me before he nodded in response.

"Before you leave, we must give you something."

I raised an eyebrow as Watson pulled out a tiny, black square that was half the size of fingernail on a pinky finger.

"This nanochip will transmit your location directly to this platform. However, it is a one-time use device. If you believe that you will be moved to another location, activate it once you have been moved. The timing of your rescue will depend on the facilities location and if we can breach it."

I nodded. "If they take me to a maximum security facility, then I'll try to hold out as long as I can for you."

The two of us stared at each other for some time.

"Ok. Mark, we do not know what will happen to you but-" he walked up to me and stuck his hand out, "We wish you good luck."

I shook his hand and brought him in for a hug. "Thanks. You too."

He took all of the data and left in our ship, heading for some place far away from here.

I sat down in lawn chair with a six-pack of beer and the lights off, waiting for Cerberus to come knocking.

The safe house was empty except for some of the appliances. I hid my personal belongings away at my new and massive apartment on the Citadel, knowing that Watson would keep an eye on them, including my weapons and armor. I heard voices coming closer to the house, then they kicked down the door and stormed in, weapons at the ready. Miranda strolled in with her partner, Jacob Taylor.

"Well, well, well." she said, "I never expected to find you here."

"Never expected to be found." I said with a slick grin on my face.

She raised an eyebrow, "Search the house. Make sure he doesn't have any surprises waiting for us."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I said, polishing off the sixth and final beer.

One of the commandos walked up to Miranda and whispered something. A scowl came over her face.

"What's wrong? If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake." I said smugly.

She signaled to one of the Cerberus commandos, and I watched as his rifle came up, ready to slam into my head. Everything soon went dark.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

When I came to, I was tied to a chair in a dark room with only one light coming straight down from the ceiling, shining on me.

As I anticipated, I was going to be in for one hell of a time at this place. The door on the far corner opened up, and from what I could gather, 6 figures began to stroll in. Due to the brightness of the light, I could barely see. I knew one of them was Miranda from what I could tell.

"So, here he is." said the voice of the Illusive Man, "Did he put up a fight?"

"No. He didn't." said Miranda.

"That's very unusual." he replied, "Either way, we've taken care of our pest problem and we can continue operations. Did you find any of our information at his house?"

"No. His place was clean. The geth that was with Sears was gone as well."

The Illusive Man's holographic image looked at me. I stared vacantly at the floor; I had an act to keep up.

"Maybe he's planning something. He wouldn't give up this easily. Put our perimeter stations on high alert for any unauthorized vessels."

"Its already been taken care of, sir." Miranda replied.

"Good. I want you and your team to get any information you can out of him." As he took another drag from his cigarette, he finished, "Once you do, kill him."

Miranda approached me with some smug grin on her face, "So Mr. Sears, care to tell us where your friend is?"

"_You're_ going to interrogate me? What, did I kill all of your skilled interrogators or are you really short on help?"

One of the henchmen with her punched me straight in the gut. I barely felt it. One of the effects of neurotoxemia is to put the body in a state of constant pain, it will range between something lingering like a sprain-like pain to a gun shot wound or broken bone. Even though I was cured and the pain was gone, it caused my nerves to have a high tolerance for pain. Anything like a punch would feel like I got hit with a pillow; unless they started using melee weapons, then I would feel something similar to a punch.

"Answer the question." she said.

"Oh what is it his first time too? Nice punch, you fight like a dairy farmer."

I was hit again, this time in the head.

"God you're terrible at this. I thought the point of interrogation is to get the person to say something useful; not drill them in the head so they'll get knocked out or can't remember shit."

Several more blows came in. I could feel a cut begin to open up on the left side of my face.

I looked up at her and shook my head, "You shouldn't quit your day job."

Her gaze narrowed. Jacob bit his lip and shook his head.

"You two are no fun." I said, as more punches came in.

It went on like that for a few hours. I was dragged off to a holding cell.

Despite being half conscious, I absorbed every detail of the halls I passed through as I was dragged to my cell. I was most definitely on a space station or some sort of artificially made area. Security was airtight throughout the area. Various mechs and drones along with humans patrolling the area, heavily armed I might add. Jacob escorted me along with the 4 men that carried me to the cell.

"Better rest up, Sears. You've got a big day ahead of you." he said dryly.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want to be late for the 9 o'clock interrogation. Don't be late Jacob, I've got shit to do."

He sarcastically chuckled as they tossed me in and walked away. I limped over to the cot and lie down. It was going to continue like this, I thought to myself. If I've survived the most dangerous situations known to man, then this should be another day at the office in my book.

* * *

**Unknown Location (Day 2 of captivity)**

I was hanging from the ceiling, taking beating after beating. If they thought that they could break me; Cerberus was sorely mistaken. Even though everyone had their limits, I had enough tolerance and anger to keep me going for ages. Their interrogators came at me with everything. Fists, clubs, shock batons, all painful but I could recover from them, and tell them that they couldn't hit for shit. After a long day of being tortured, I was tossed back into my cell. Jacob was there to escort me again. I had no idea why he kept escorting me back.

_Some weird interest in a guy who's waging a war on his employer maybe? _

Once I was in my cell, I headed over to the sink to wash all the blood and excess spit out of my mouth.

"Never seen anyone take that kind of a beating before." said Jacob.

"You must not get out much." I said, "Why do you keep escorting me anyway?"

"Because it's my job." He replied, flatly.

"Really…then you must be bored out of your mind with this job." I said dryly. I shook my head and snorted. "All these other guards saluting you…I guess that makes you the security chief eh?"

"Yeah. Not exactly pinnacle of excitement here." Jacob said, leaning against the door. He would occasionally peek in, and give me a look.

"No kidding." I replied. "Why do you keep staring? Ya think I'm pretty or something?"

He snorted and shook his head. "You just look familiar."

"We've never met." I replied. "I'd remember you if we had met before. But it doesn't mean I don't know who you are."

Jacob folded his arms. "Oh yeah? Enlighten me."

"You're Jacob Taylor, a former 2nd Lieutenant in the Alliance Marines. I did a little research on you after your little escapade on the Citadel. I'd congratulate you if you weren't wearing that logo on your uniform." I replied.

"What do you have against Cerberus? We're the only ones willing to stand up for humanity while our colonies disappear."

"Oh for fuck's sake, don't give me the 'recruiting poster' tagline. It's a broken record and you know it."

Jacob shook his head. "As opposed to what, being with the Alliance? It was nothing but red tape when I was there."

"At least the Alliance doesn't kill innocent civilians for some Mengele-esque experiments. They want stability, not domination." I shot back.

He held a hand up. "Look I'm not going to argue that, I just want to do my part. I didn't feel like I was helping out in the marines."

"And that's a noble goal. Your problem is that you failed to read the fine print." I said. I shook my head. "Forget it. Arguing isn't going to do anything here."

The two of us faced each other in an awkward silence.

"So…are you in charge of torturing me?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. Not my job. Never been a fan of torture. Think of me as the guy that keeps your interrogators in check."

I gave him a puzzled look. "Then who the hell is in charge of this?"

"The Illusive Man."

"Figures." I replied, spitting into the sink. I moved over towards the cot and sat down. Jacob was standing in front of the door, his back facing me.

"You must be really bored if you're standing guard." I said through the door. The door was made out of a reinforced bulletproof glass and had a slot at eye level and another below that for the food trays.

Jacob let out a short laugh. "You noticed?"

"You're easy to read." I replied. "I'd end up getting combat itch too if I was in your position."

He turned around and looked inside. "Yeah, well there's nothing to do on this damn station out in the middle of nowhere. Aside from watching EUCC matches; love watching that."

A small smirk came over my face. "No kidding. What team do you like?"

"Chicago Enforcers."

"Good choice. If you said Los Angeles, I'd smack you through the door." I replied.

"Don't like 'em huh?"

"Not at all. I'm a Boston Minuteman fan. Been following them since I was a kid."

Jacob chuckled. "I saw them play once. Never seen a team that can turn a five on five game into a twenty five on five before with the way they move."

"That's the total combat style for you." I replied.

Jacob looked down at his omni-tool. "Hate to cut and run but my shift's over. See you later Mark."

"See you later Jacob." I said.

_For a guy wearing the Cerberus logo, he sure doesn't seem the type._

* * *

**Lazarus Station (March 30****th****, 2184)**

Jacob stored his gear in his locker and walked down the hall toward Miranda's room. They had been together for some time and had done a reasonably good job of hiding their relationship from the rest of the station. Of course, it wouldn't have surprised him if everyone found out.

_Then again, we're not the type to advertise._

He pressed the buzzer on the door.

"Come in." said Miranda from the other side.

Jacob walked in and saw Miranda busy at her terminal. She was always busy doing something.

"Hello Jacob." She said, offering a small grin as she continued to work away. He walked over to her desk, putting his hands on her shoulders and stealing a quick kiss.

"Whatcha working on?" he asked.

"Just another diagnostic on Shepard." She replied flatly.

"I take it that it's not going so well."

"Bringing the dead back to life isn't as easy as you'd think." She replied.

"You want to take a break?" he asked.

"Sure."

Of course that break ended up turning into something more, as it usually did. The next thing he knew they were both in Miranda's bed, panting heavily.

"That was some break." She said, a small amount of humor in her voice.

"That it was." Replied Jacob.

"How did your shift go?" she asked.

Jacob let out a sigh. "I don't like it. Standing outside a door hearing a couple of guys pound the crap out of another. I never liked interrogations."

"It's necessary Jacob. He's killed hundreds of operatives and destroyed billions of credits worth of research and property." Miranda replied coldly.

"I know that but…who is he really? I swear I've seen him before." Jacob asked.

Miranda pulled out a datapad and handed it to Jacob. His eyes went wide.

"It can't be! I thought his name was just a coincidence."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of Sears then?"

He nodded. "The guy's a god damn legend. He set virtually every marksman record in the book, done all sorts of missions. Next to Shepard, the man's a hero."

Miranda replied with a scowl.

Jacob shook his head in disbelief. "Damn…what the hell is he doing, attacking Cerberus then?"

"He believes that we're the ones who destroyed his unit on Akuze." Miranda replied.

He shook his head and closed his eyes, going back to the horrors he saw on Eden Prime. "Did Cerberus really do it?"

"I asked the Illusive Man and he said no."

"And you just took him at his word." Jacob said flatly.

"We wouldn't do anything of the sort."

"Hmm…makes you wonder though." He said, muttering to himself.

They both fell asleep shortly after that.

* * *

**Lazarus Station (March 31****st****, 2184)**

It was another boring day for Jacob. Aside from doing his usual patrol routes across the station, he would stop outside of the interrogation room and listen in. Sears had been here three days and the only thing they got out of him was a lot of trash talk and insults at the people 'interrogating' him. He didn't know why but Jacob always found himself laughing outside of the room. Sears was being tortured but his insults became more and more creative.

The revelation that Sears was the famous special-forces soldier that he had heard so much about was their prisoner changed his opinion on the man. Jacob thought the name was a pure coincidence, not the man himself. He took it upon himself to go through all of Cerberus' damage reports of the facilities and companies he had destroyed. The statistics themselves were just unreal: body counts in the hundreds, destruction of over two dozen facilities, terabytes of information that was either sold, destroyed, or gone, and over two billion credits of funds and funding lost. And here he was, spending nearly eight hours every other day taking punches, kicks, and all sorts of physical punishment.

_It's only a matter of time before they turn up the heat._

Jacob headed to Mark's cell, hoping to talk to the man he looked up to when he joined the military.

He walked up to the cell door and saw Mark slowly rising up from the floor to sit on his cot. He was breathing heavily and was covered in water from head to toe, blood streaking down from various areas of his face. His sunglasses were on a small shelf above the sink.

"Hey Mark. You doing alright?" Jacob asked.

"Never better." He replied with a series of coughs.

"What did they do to you this time?"

"Oh you know, first the beatings. Then they gave up on that and tried waterboarding. Of course I've been trained to withstand it so that failed. Then they just got a giant tub of water and decided to actually drown me." He replied in a nonchalant tone, as if he was talking about the weather.

Jacob noticed that Mark never looked out of his cell door much when they talked.

"You don't like looking at people when they talk to you?"

Mark snorted. "It creeps me out. Maybe I would if you geniuses had the lights on at a decent level and not 'staring into the sun' bright."

"Oh right. Your condition." Jacob said as he dimmed the hall lights down.

"Strange…" Mark said. "You must be more bored than usual."

"Not really." Jacob replied. "I found out something interesting last night. Didn't think you were 'the' Mark Sears."

Mark slowly got up from the cot and approached the door.

"Woah." Jacob said, raising both eyebrows. "What happened to your eyes?"

"Illness got worse before I got cured. This is just one of many things." He replied pointing to his eyes. "You were expecting another guy with my name?"

"I just didn't expect the guy that's been hunting us down to be a former Alliance hero." Jacob replied.

Mark got a cross look on his face. "Let's get one thing clear: I'm not a hero. Never was one, never will be."

Jacob just stared blankly at him.

"Sorry." He replied.

"Don't worry about it." Mark replied as he leaned against a wall next to the door.

"Would you say it's odd that I looked up to you when I joined the marines."

Mark laughed. "Seriously? Why?"

"Probably because of all the records I heard you break. I joined up after you were discharged but my drill sergeant would go on about it."

He scratched his cheek. "How does it feel to see the real legend now?"

Jacob was silent as he stared at Mark. He was covered with various cuts and bruises, dried blood on his face. Most of his body still had black veins, a remnant from his illness.

_I never expected to see him look like this at all._

"I wish it was under better circumstances." Replied Jacob. Mark walked back to his cot and sat down.

"What happened on Akuze…was it really Cerberus?" Jacob asked. He turned and looked at Jacob through the door.

"Why the hell would I lie about something like that?"

"It's just…it doesn't make any sense." Jacob said. "Why would Cerberus do something like that?"

"Because its who you are. Who gives a damn if a bunch of soldiers die? If civilians get turned into husks. It's all for the sake of 'self preservation'." Mark replied.

"Its not who I am." Jacob said. Mark shot up from the cot and went up to the door.

"You must have bought into the Illusive Man's bullshit." He said, anger seething through his teeth.

"I don't trust him." Jacob said, his arms folded. "And they've been called terrorists for a good reason."

Mark slammed his fist into the wall. "Then what the fuck are you doing here? Why are you wearing their uniform, pretending to be doing all of this for humanity?"

Jacob was a little surprised by his reaction. Of course, Mark had a good reason to be upset. Jacob just wanted to do the right thing and not be held back by bureaucrats.

"I'm doing this because the Alliance won't do anything. That doesn't mean I agree with everything this organization does." He replied.

"Yet you still wear the uniform." Mark retorted. "You want to do the right thing? Fight on your own. You don't deal with allegiances and you can do it all on your own terms. I've been doing it for five years. I've saved lives. I helped my best friend save the galaxy." Mark walked back to the cot and sat down.

"Until you figure it out, you're just another Cerberus lackey that's gonna get gunned down. And I'll be the one who does it."

"You sure about that?" Jacob challenged.

"It wasn't an empty threat, it was a promise." Mark replied. "Besides, I've killed bigger men than you. At least they died for something, even if it was for something terrible or asinine."

The two men stared each other down until Jacob's omni-tool beeped, signaling the end of his shift.

Mark glanced down. "Shift's over, Jacob."

"I know." He replied, keeping his cool demeanor.

Mark's breathing was becoming heavier, he bit his lip and clutched his chest. He then let out a series of violent coughs. The former special forces man was clutching his chest as he coughed, and fell to his knees.

"Mark? Are you okay?" Jacob was going to enter the security code for the door when Mark stuck his hand up.

"Forget it." he breathed out.

Jacob stopped as Mark managed to slowly control his breathing again. Mark was on his knees, his head touching the floor.

"Ah shit."

"Are you gonna be fine?" Jacob asked.

Mark waved him off again. "I'm not dead yet. I just need to rest."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's probably nothing. Anyway, we'll continue our 'tough guy stare down' later." Mark answered with a small smirk on his face.

"Heh. Yeah. Later Mark."

Jacob turned and began walking down the halls of the Lazarus station. He saw the various researchers, fellow security personnel, etc. Jacob thought back to the conversation with Mark, realizing that they agreed on the same thing: Cerberus had earned their 'terrorist' label. Looking at all of the people around him, he didn't know if they were in the same boat as him or were the human supremacists that had given Cerberus its dark reputation.

Jacob had always been loyal to a cause. Sure, he didn't like the way Cerberus handled certain situations but he was there to protect humanity. Then there was Mark. Two sides of the same coin. Mark just preferred to do things his own way.

He walked towards Miranda's room to do something he wouldn't have seen himself doing.

"Hello Jacob." Miranda said, a small smirk on her face.

He tried to put a smile on, but couldn't. "Miranda."

She raised an eyebrow. "Jacob, what's wrong?"

He let out a heavy sigh, "Miranda. I…I can't do this anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Us. It's just…I enjoyed our time together but…I'm not the right guy."

"Jacob—"

"I'm not Miranda. We both know it. Why keep the charade going?" he said flatly.

Miranda swallowed hard. "You're right. I'm sorry you feel that way Jacob."

He nodded and walked out of her room. Nothing else needed to be said. In Jacob's mind, he never felt like he was the right man for Miranda. She didn't seem to think that he was the right guy either. Some things just aren't meant to be.

He felt lost when his father disappeared. He was lost when the Alliance sidelined him after Eden Prime. He was lost after saving the Council. Now, he was lost again.

* * *

**Lazarus Station (Day 13 of captivity)**

Cerberus decided to turn up the heat on me this time. I was hanging from the ceiling, my feet tied to the floor as my interrogators put electrical shocks through my body. After getting beaten with fists and clubs for almost two weeks, they decided that it wasn't working.

From here on in, it was going to get a lot more painful.

Now here I was, being electrocuted, buckets of water hitting me before every pulse went through me. I'll admit, it was painful; that much is obvious. I thought about several things to take my mind off the pain, my friends, Eviana, my hatred for Cerberus, funny quips to throw out whenever these guys take a break to piss them off. The two guys that had been torturing me for days were amazed when they stopped, they had never seen anyone take the kind of physical punishment that I had taken.

Once they undid the locks on the table, my body felt limp and I fell out hitting the ground. I could barely move, my body felt like gelatin. It was as if my limbs had all fallen asleep. I was dragged back to my cell and thrown onto the cot. I lay there staring at the ceiling, feeling completely drained. I pulled out the nanochip in the left temple part of my glasses and activated it, putting it back inside the frame.

I had to try and make it out on my own now; who knows when Watson would come?

Cerberus didn't want me dead though, as I still had a large portion of their missing information and research. They would keep me alive as long as possible until I gave it up, and then kill me. That was my only saving grace, so to speak. As I lie there in my cot, someone came to the door.

It wasn't Jacob this time, but Miranda. I continued to lie there as she came into the cell with two armed guards behind her at the door.

"Close the door." she said.

"But ma'am-"

"Close it. I'll be fine." She stood over me, looking into my eyes.

"I see that they've decided to use more interesting methods on you." Her nose began to cringe at the smell.

"Yeah its pretty fun. A very shocking experience, plus I smell better than ever." I said, sarcasm dripping on every word.

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"What the hell do you want? Gonna try and pump me for information? I'm a little wiped out from being electrocuted. Or was it to gloat?"

"I just came to figure out why Jacob keeps spending his time talking to you." She said.

I sat up from my cot, still sore from the day's action and leaned against the wall. "Why? Looking to blame me for the two of you being on the outs?" I asked.

Her eyes widened slightly.  
"Don't act so surprised. I knew the second you two brought me here. He was staring at you the whole time." I said with a small smirk. Miranda rolled her eyes, clearly agitated at how I figured it all out.

"You know, I didn't think that you would last this long." she said, a small hint of surprise in her voice.

"You're not the first person to say that." A small grin came across my face, "And for someone who was supposed to track me down and kill me, you really didn't do your homework...or your job."

Oddly enough she smirked at that, which caught me by surprise. "Your confidence will only take you so far, Mr. Sears."

"Who ever said I was confident? I'm just being realistic." I shot back.

"Why didn't you kill me when you found me on Elysium?" I asked.

"The Illusive Man preferred to take you alive, if possible. Besides, I could ask the same thing to you." she said.

"Call it, professional courtesy." I said, smiling.

"Well you're quite the gentleman." She said, sarcastically.

"I am, when I'm not smelling like burning meat and covered in bruises and cuts." I retorted.

"Are you usually this sarcastic?"

"Only when I'm being held prisoner, or if I'm visiting a place I don't like."

I paused for a second, "Why are you really in here talking to me? Trying to work on page 2 of the one page file you have on me?"

In a strange move, she sat down on the cot next to me. "As I said earlier, I'm curious."

I snorted. "You and your partner Jacob are awfully curious for a couple of Cerberus operatives."

"Well you do have us at a disadvantage. You know everything about us but yet we know nothing about you."

"I wouldn't say everything. Besides, I like to keep it that way." I said, "Everything you have in my nearly decade old Alliance file is all you need. You already know about Akuze, being responsible for it and everything."

"We weren't responsible for that." She replied flatly.

"Yeah you were. I was there; I saw the research base there and destroyed it. Lying isn't going to help."

"But there weren't any stations on Akuze at that time, it was an accident." She replied.

"I know what I saw! Don't believe me? Look up a Doctor Marvin Wayne; look him up and you'll get your proof."

I struggled to get out of the cot to go to the sink and splash water on my face. "Then I find out that your employers are tied in with all sorts of white collar criminals and performing illegal genetics experiments. Now here we are." I turned on the faucet and splashed my face with water repeatedly.

"We're doing this to make humanity-"

I cut her off, "The most dominant force in the galaxy. I know. I know everything about this damn organization. That's the part that makes me sick to my stomach. Believing that all of this is making the world a better place for humans. Its a fucking pipe dream."

She stood up, "Not to sound arrogant, but I am a vision of that future." I turned around and walked towards her. We were almost nose-to-nose when I looked at her from head to toe with a raised eyebrow.

"Might seem like an attractive future, but its just a dream, an illusion. Perfection is just a word in the dictionary. I should technically be dead. I've survived all sorts of terrible things but here I am. Are we done here or are you still going to try to do a half assed job of getting into my head?"

We glared at each other before she finally spoke.

"Yes, we're done. See you tomorrow." She said, flatly.

She knocked on the door so the guards could let her out and walked out of the room. I had a feeling that most of my days would be like this. For now, I would bide my time and plan a way to escape this station, if it was remotely possible.

Miranda was in her office, going over medical reports and the progress being made on Commander Shepard. After doing some searching, Cerberus had managed to get the body from Liara T'soni who had reluctantly helped them and given them the body in order to bring him back to life with the Lazarus project. It was late, and she was tired of going over all of this paperwork.

"Need a break?" asked Jacob, who was standing at the door to her office.

"Sure." she said, getting up and following Jacob to the mess area.

Things were still a little shaky between them since the break up but they decided to be friends and get over it.

"It's been a hell of day." Said Jacob, "Had to help clean the interrogation room."

"They still can't get anything out of Sears?"

"Nope. Other than a lot of insults at the interrogators, he won't say a thing."

"I went down to speak to him today." Said Miranda.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It turns out he wanted to know why we didn't kill him on Elysium."

"What did you say?" Jacob asked.

"I asked him why he didn't kill me at Gateway. He said he did it out of professional courtesy, not just because he wanted to send a message to the Illusive Man." she said.

"That's odd. I figured someone like him would have had another reason." Replied Jacob.

"There might be...He's different, that's for sure."

They sat there in silence for a while until Jacob asked, "How's Shepard doing?"

"He's barely alive. We're trying to reconstruct him but it'll take some time. Wilson says we'll have his skeletal structure back to normal by tomorrow. Internal organs are functional but still need work."

Jacob nodded his head and took a drink from his coffee mug. "I'm gonna give Norton hell tomorrow. Son of a bitch thought that by electrocuting Sears we would get answers. The whole level is gonna smell like burning meat for weeks."

"I still can't believe he hasn't said a word yet."

"He's tough, that's for sure."

To the both of them, Mark was different than every other enemy of Cerberus they had ever encountered. He had no fear, no tolerance for pain, nothing to coerce him into talking. It would take a lot of time. Luckily, that's all they had at this station in the middle of nowhere.

After their break, Miranda headed back to the lab to continue her work. But before she went back, she headed down to the cell Sears was being held in. She slowly made her way down the hall and heard music blaring from his cell.

_Is that...?_ She asked herself, _Adagio for Strings?_

She peeked in through the slot at the top of the door and saw him staring at the wall blankly listening to the song.

_How did he get access to that?_

Miranda wasn't going to bother saying anything, but stood outside and listened to the song. He would be committed to stopping Cerberus, doing it his way, for the rest of his life. In an odd way, she found him attractive. His face was fairly young despite the large scar going down from temple to cheek and too weathered for her tastes, but he was intelligent and quick witted; a graduate of MIT and Oxford University at a young age.

However, he was still an avowed enemy of Cerberus. Miranda would have to drive those thoughts to the back of her mind. She made her way back to the medical labs and activated one of the terminals to do a personnel search. Miranda decided to take Mark's word on Dr. Marvin Wayne.

"A level 4 block? Shouldn't be too much of a problem." she said as Miranda was high enough in Cerberus ranks to have access. Once she gained access, Miranda went through all of Dr. Wayne's files. He used to be a bio-chem scientist for the Alliance and used that as his cover. Miranda finally came to the file she was looking for.

"_2177-Operation Pitfall begins on Akuze"_.

She read through the file intently, discovering that Mark was right; Cerberus was responsible for the deaths of over 50 Alliance soldiers. The Illusive Man had lied to her.

* * *

**Lazarus Station (Day 14 of Captivity)**

_Another day, another interrogation. _

This guy, Norton, who was the main interrogator, caught hell from Jacob for using the table. The whole level from the torture room to the solitary confinement cell I was in smelled like burning flesh. Instead, they just went back to doing things the "old fashioned way". It wasn't too much of a problem for me, I just had to block the pain out and sit around until I got brought back to my cell.

When I was dragged back, I saw Miranda waiting outside my door. I was tossed inside and managed to struggle my way up to my cot to lie down. She came in alone, with no escort as usual.

"What brings you here Miranda?" I asked while coughing.

"You were right."

"About what?"

"About Dr. Wayne." She admitted.

"I told you so. Wait, why did you go look it up?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Curiosity." Was her simple reply.

I snorted. "Everyone around here is so damn curious. Are you here to tell me that it was justified?"

She paused for a few seconds before saying, "No."

"Good. I'm not in the mood."

She had a small smile on her face, "What's wrong, tough day at the office?"

I laughed and replied, "Yeah, work was torture."

She sat down on the cot next to me again. I got the strange feeling that she was eying me up. Of course, I wasn't sure why. I was 6'2, 180 pounds. I wasn't built like a brick house, just athletic and lanky.

_Then again, they took away my shirt and shoes._

I couldn't help but steal a glance at her either. She was wearing some skintight, white and black outfit. It left little to the imagination but I didn't really give a damn, I had a creative mind. I could imagine anything.

I brought a hand up to my forehead. _Another cut again._

"I don't know if you follow the Geneva Conventions but I could use a shower." I said.

Miranda snorted. "That's not in the Geneva Conventions."

"You should read the fine print." I replied.

"Honestly, we probably should have sent you to a shower anyway. It's been two weeks."

I took a whiff of my armpit. "Yeah. I usually do that every day. Whew! Funky."

Miranda shook her head. "Can you stand up?"

"Yeah." I replied as I slowly got up. "Am I gonna walk or get dragged?"

"You can walk if you want." Miranda said coolly.

"Good. Or else, I'd have asked you to carry me."

She let out a sigh. "Come on."

I stepped out of my cell and was escorted by five armed guards plus Miranda.

_Wouldn't expect anything less. If that's the case, I'd break out in a heartbeat._

I was led down various halls and got to see some of the labs scattered around the station. Every other hallway was adorned with the Cerberus logo. It made me want to just hit something.

_This isn't some base. It looks like a research platform._

Almost every room we passed was a lab. I got a few strange looks from some of the personnel as we continued down the hall. I just waved at them for kicks.

We finally approached the shower rooms. The guards stood outside as I walked in. Miranda followed me in.

"You going to join me?" I asked.

"In your wildest dreams." She replied coldly.

"That's the idea. It's a shame though most of them usually involve you yelling about something stupid." I replied.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Hurry up."

"We're in the middle of nowhere. It's not like I've got a schedule to keep or anything." I replied. I walked up to one of the shower stalls. Miranda was still in the room.

"Don't tell me you're going to keep a watch over me." I said incredulously.

"And let you plan make some wild escape? I think not." She replied.

"There's five armed guards outside and only one exit." I said.

She huffed. "I've seen what you can do against five armed guards from the surveillance footage on Thessia."

"Glad someone admires my work. But you're unarmed."

"I have biotics, the guards don't." she retorted.

"Good point." I said as I stepped into the stall and took my pants and underwear off.

It felt good to have warm water wash over me. The only water I've dealt with the last two weeks was nothing but bone chillingly cold water that I got hit with or drowned in.

I was memorizing the halls I had walked through to get a general idea of the station's layout. I already knew the way to the interrogation rooms, now I was working on the way to the showers.

_Let's see…there's about seven other hallways between my cell and this room. Knowing the designers of this place, they probably have maps and arrows everywhere._

If I was going to escape, I'd have to do it the old fashioned way. I had memorized most of the station's layout from where I was taken; the rest would have to be done in the middle of my escape.

_Good old shower ideas. Man, I missed having these._

I decided to sing an old song, 'Black Rain' by Soundgarden. I always ended up singing in the shower.

I poked my head up and noticed that Miranda had moved, she was about five feet away leaning against the wall. Miranda turned her head, noticing that I was looking at her.

"What?" she asked flatly.

"Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes! By cutting out your tongue you save face! Feeding on the blood lets running from a big day!" I sang out in my loudest Chris Cornell impersonation.

She just shook her head and stared up at the ceiling.

After I finished singing the song, I asked. "What do you think?"

"About what?" she replied, annoyed.

"The song."

"I prefer classical music." She replied.

"They can't sing like that though." I retorted.

"It's better that they don't." Miranda shot back.

I laughed.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Your 'ice queen' act. It wouldn't kill you to lighten up one in a while." I answered.

Miranda just rolled her eyes. "Actually it would. Part of this rare condition I have."

"Ooh good comeback." I said with a point. I turned off the shower and dried off. Then I put my clothes back on.

"Why do men always take so long to shower?" Miranda asked out loud.

"One: it feels good. Two: because it keeps us away from women, unless they want to join in."

"Funny." She replied sarcastically.

I smirked. "Love it when you do that. It's kinda cute."

Miranda just sighed and shook her head again. _Off all the things I have to deal with…_

I was escorted back to my cell by the guards and Miranda. I decided to try and get a rise out of her or the guards by starting to sing Stupify by Disturbed.

"Would you stop doing that?" she asked.

"See but I don't get it. Don't you think maybe we can put it on credit? Don't you think maybe it can take control when I don't let it? I get stupefied, its all the same you say…" I said, singing at a rapid-fire rate.

"Shut up!" one of the guards yelled out, nailing me with a punch to the bridge of my nose.

"No." I said shaking it off. "You call that a punch?"

The guard was about to do it again when Miranda held her hand up. "That's enough."

"Heh." I said smirking. We continued to my cell, I was still singing.

She signaled the guards to leave as she spoke to me through the door.

"Guess I should thank you for holding back your trigger happy henchmen." I said.

"Let's get one thing straight." She spat out. "If it ever came down to just the two of us, I'd kill you in a way that would turn your stomach. I don't have time for heroes, incompetence, or recklessness and you fit all three of those."

Now it was my turn to fire back.

"Let's get one thing straight, Miranda. I'm not a hero, I never was one, and I'll never will be. As for the last two, I've never been either and it just proves how little you actually know about me. I have no doubt that you would _try _to kill me but you wouldn't. The reason that I won't kill you: you're excellent competition." I said giving her a big grin.

The two of us stood face to face, the only barrier being my cell door. She gave me a glare before walking away in a huff.

_Game on, Miranda._

* * *

**Lazarus Station (Day 25 of Captivity)**

Cerberus decided to employ some different strategies against me. The first one was keeping me in isolation for 11 days. Every now and then they would pump in some random sounds into my cell in some attempt of driving me crazy. I'd be stupid to say that it didn't affect me. Before today, I was close to bashing my head open on the door. But today was different.

"Oh maaaaa—" I drawled out as my head lulled around. My whole body felt fuzzy.

Today, they decided to use truth serum and various other drugs on me. Right now, it was just sodium thiopental, or sodium pentothal.

"Focus Mr. Sears." Said Gerber…I think that's what his name was. He was one of the three guys that were interrogating me. Apparently, this was his specialty.

"Focus…on what?" I asked, groggily.

Gerber smacked me upside the head. "On me. I'm going to ask you a few questions, so pay attention."

"If you say so…"

"What is your name?"

"Hugh Jass." I replied.

He signaled to one of the other guys who hit me in the chest with a baton.

"Your name."

I sighed. The drugs had some effect, but for some reason didn't feel like they were completely controlling me. "Mark Sears."

"Where are you?"

I closed my eyes to concentrate. "Specifically?"

"Yes."

"A dank room."

Gerber nodded. "Good. Now these questions are going to get a little more detailed so stick with me."

I rolled my eyes.

"What kind of information do you have on Cerberus?"

"Really good information."

Another baton strike.

"Be more specific. Is it research, financial information, anything like that?"

"Nope. Mostly recipes for chocolate cake, Fornax, and stuff about farmers. Reminds me of my old neighborhood and some of the people I used to live near." I said in the most incoherent way possible.

Gerber shook his head. "I don't think these are working."

"Up the dose again." Norton said.

"Norton if I give him another dose it'll put him into cardiac arrest. He'll die!" Gerber spat out.

My head felt light as it just rolled around. I let out groan.

Jacob barged into the room. "Knock it off guys. Come on, we got a call from one of the lab techs."

Miranda had finished working on some of Shepard's cybernetics when she was called down to the holding cells. One of the stations researchers, a skinny twitchy man by the name of Gupta had called her down. Now she was in a research lab with Gupta, Jacob, and the three interrogators that were working on Mark Sears.

"Dr. Gupta, what is the meaning of this?" Miranda asked in her usual cold tone.

"Uh, M-Ms. Lawson. We found some interesting information about the prisoner we're holding. Uh…" he trailed off and rushed one of the nearby terminals, bringing up a set of various scans and tests.

"Over here on the left is the human circulatory system. All of the veins and arteries are perfectly healthy." Gupta started. He cleared his throat and brought up the same diagram, but most of the areas were 'blacked out'. "This is Sears' circulatory system. Now out of all of our tests we know that he's cured but despite that, most of his internal workings are unchanged."

"What are you saying?" Jacob asked.

"Here." Gupta said, bringing up another chart. "With Ms. Lawson's help, I got a hold of Sears' old Alliance medical records including blood tests and DNA samples. This is what it used to look like." He said pointing to the chart on the left. "This chart shows the changes we found after doing a blood test on him recently."

The chart on the right was full of various red marks compared to his old medical records. "We discovered that after Akuze the thresher maw venom inside his body had done more than simply damage his body…it began to—alter his genetic makeup."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

"I—I don't know." Gupta replied in his twitchy manner. "I've tried to pull up every bit of information I can but its just…there's almost nothing about a change like this."

Miranda held her hand up. "That's fine. What did you manage to find?"

He took a deep breath. "Not much. There are only a few cases of people contracting neurotoxemia and most of those people weren't human. Most of them were aliens. Even then none of them showed this kind of genetic mutation. If I were to run the numbers between Sears and every human in the galaxy the numbers would be…astronomical. Like 1 in a billion."

"Well what kind of mutations are we talking about?" Jacob asked.

"Most noticeable are his eyes. His low light to pitch black vision is incredible. But some of the other things…I'd just have to start with thresher maws in general. They spend all of their time in subterranean environments so their vision in the dark is great. They eat almost anything so their internal systems can handle any kind of potential toxins. On top of that, you'd need a tank or an aircraft just to kill one."

"So you're saying that he's indestructible?" Norton asked.

Jacob shook his head while Miranda rolled her eyes.

"No." Gupta said. "He's still human. What I'm saying is that his body can fight off any kind of poison now that his white blood cells have been mutated. So if you've been injecting him with truth serum it's probably had minimal effect. Even a lethal dose wouldn't even come close. His nerves and skeletal structure have been hardened. He can still feel pain and break bones, but he'll heal faster. That's why most thresher maws if their severely injured will retreat back underground to recuperate."

"I get it." Jacob said. "That's why he's in and out of the medical wing in less than a couple of weeks."

Gupta nodded. "But there's a catch for these mutations."

"Like what?" Jacob asked.

"Because of the damage the disease has taken on him, Sears won't be living as long as most people these days. He probably won't even make it to 80. He'll be lucky if he makes it 50."

"Oh." Jacob said.

Miranda sighed. This was only going to get more and more troublesome. Physical pain only seemed to scratch the surface and took too much time. Causing mental pain did the same thing. Keeping him in isolation didn't seem to work and pumping in ambient and synthetic sounds into his cell only made him come up with songs. Now using chemicals to coerce him were ruled out.

_I guess they'll have to hurt him the hard way._

* * *

**Lazarus Station (Day 40 of Captivity)**

My second escape attempt went off without a hitch. My plan was only to map out the rest of the station in my head so I would know where to go when I was ready. I let them catch me on purpose. The price for attempted escape was quite high. I spent some time in the medical bay dealing with various injuries. The most serious at the moment were two broken legs. Miranda hadn't stopped by in some time. I didn't care. She treated me like everyone else in the facility. The only person who didn't treat me like garbage was Jacob. He spent most of his time keeping watch over me personally.

Jacob and I were sitting at a table in the mess hall. It was only the two of us here as everyone else was busy doing whatever it is they do on this station. Jacob was busy piling down all the food on his tray.

"Didn't know you were a human vacuum." I said watching him pile everything down.

Jacob just rolled his eyes.

I turned around and stared out at a distant star outside. It had to be close by as it was the largest star within view.

"Sucks being out in the middle of nowhere." I said.

"Yeah. That it does."

"At least the view is nice here." I replied.

Jacob just shrugged.

"That star out there reminds me of home." I said.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"Mindoir."

Jacob was silent for some time. "Damn."

"I remember waking up every morning and seeing that tiny blue ball in the sky. Watching a sunset on Mindoir is different than on Earth. On Mindoir, the sky turns purple at sunset."

"Must have been a nice place." Jacob said.

"It was."

"I'm sorry." He replied.

"For what?"

"For what happened there. I mean you had family there right?"

"Yep. Lost my parents, friends, neighbors. You don't have to apologize." I replied.

"I think I should. It must have been hard for you."

I nodded. "I lost my future that day, my past too. The chance of living a normal life, living on the farm."

Jacob sat there silently, just listening to what I had to say.

"I see a star like that and it brings me back home. Seeing sunrises that turn from purple to a light blue, going outside and playing or helping my parents out in the fields. Then at sunset, sitting on the porch watching the sun go down as I polish off a giant cold drink." I snorted. "I miss that. I miss…I miss how peaceful things used to be."

"I hear that." Replied Jacob. "You ever think about going back?"

I shook my head. "I try not to. I can't go back."

"Why not?" Jacob blurted out.

I glanced over at him.

"Sorry."

I waved my hand. "Because that's the home of Mark Sears: A young, genius with a bright and happy future ahead of him. Me…I'm Mark Sears, killer, victim, cheater of death, a man with no past or future. A man whose friends are dead and gone or just gone."

"You mentioned to me one time that you were best friends with someone…I forget who."

"You didn't hear the huge hint I gave?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was too busy pissing my pants over the whole 'gonna kill you' thing."

I chuckled. "I said I was friends with John Shepard. You know, first human Spectre, big hero."

Jacob raised both eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Why would I lie about that?"

"He's…he was my best friend for years. I met him when his mother picked me up from Mindoir."

"Damn. That's a hell of a coincidence." Jacob replied.

"Yeah. And now he's gone." I grabbed my crutches and got up. "Better get back to medical."

"Alright." Jacob said as he stood up.

"Jacob."

"Yeah?"

"About that whole, killing you thing I said awhile ago? I didn't mean it."

He raised his eyebrow.

"You're not one of them and if I had the opportunity, I wouldn't shoot you. I don't kill people who want to do the right thing. Even if they are a little…misguided."

Jacob laughed. "Thanks Mark."

"Anytime."

* * *

_There you have it. An interesting turn of events for Mark._

_I just want to take this moment to thank everyone that's taken the time to read and review. This past week, I've gotten more hits than ever before and it's great to know that somewhere, people are reading this. Thanks a bunch!_


	14. Go Time

_Author's Note: What can a guy do to get out of captivity? Well you're about to find out. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks again for all the reviews! Also, kudos to GIRLIKESTACOS for suggesting information regarding the Shadow Broker and Liara._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Lazarus Station (May 10****th****, 2184, Mark's day of Captivity: 50)**

Miranda had a rare opportunity for some peace and quiet as she sat on the bed in her room. She had spent a considerable amount of time working in the lab, working on the remains of the galaxy's savior, John Shepard. Miranda had been in the labs almost around the clock, sometimes for days on end in order to bring back the galaxy's greatest hero.

To her it was not only about completing a seemingly impossible task, but it was also a way to get away from Mark. Sears had been held on the station for the last fifty days but she hadn't seen him since she snapped at him on the eleventh of April. Miranda's threat had no effect on Mark whatsoever. In fact, it was the opposite.

"_You're excellent competition." He said. Mark's words still ringing in Miranda's ears._

Mark had annoyed and frustrated her at every single turn; not that she would ever show it. He was always one step ahead of Cerberus and yet she captured him. It was a major victory for her, capturing Cerberus' most dangerous enemy. He had to have slipped up at some point for someone to sell him out.

"_Are you always this sarcastic?" Miranda asked._

"_Only when I'm being held prisoner or if I'm visiting a place I don't like." Mark replied._

_Hm…something doesn't add up here…_

He was a difficult man to figure out, even for someone like Miranda. Mark wouldn't have been so reckless to risk himself to be captured. But Miranda didn't know for certain.

Maybe the intermittent torture and drugging sessions were getting to him. He had already attempted to escape twice already. The first attempt, he had wandered around the station aimlessly and was recaptured in the mess hall. The resulting punishment was harsh. He spent several days in the med bay with two broken legs, among a series of other small injuries. His second attempt was last night. Despite his legs not being entirely healed, he somehow managed to escape from the medical bay. Even though he was under heavy guard and the med bay was virtually sealed off, he somehow managed to escape. Two operatives that found him near the armory had opened fire on him without warning. The Illusive Man had strict orders that no one should shoot him on sight now that Mark was a captive. These two operatives didn't listen and paid the price when Mark gunned them down with a head shot each. Once he was caught, he gave up and was confined to his cell. Before he could suffer any more retribution at the hands of the interrogators, a group of operatives broke into his cell and beat him within an inch of his life. The operatives were immediately transferred out and Mark spent two weeks in ICU.

The three men in charge of interrogating Mark: Norton, Davids, and Gerber requested that they be transferred as well. They couldn't deal with dishing out punishment on the man every other day and it took its toll on the three of them. They were transferred out as well.

Miranda shook her head at these recent events. _No matter what we do to him, he still manages to beat us at every turn._

Then there was Jacob's revelation that Mark and Shepard were best friends. It only reinforced her opinion that Shepard be implanted with a control chip. Her idea was immediately shot down by the Illusive Man. It was imperative that she would have to keep Shepard away from Mark once he woke up. If they somehow got into contact with each other, then there was a chance that their operations could become severely compromised.

Miranda might have liked the quiet break, but she was feeling restless. She got out of bed and walked around the station. It was absolutely silent at 1am except for a few graveyard shift security personnel. Miranda found herself standing in front of the medical bay door.

* * *

Here I was, back in a bed in the medical bay.

_Those interrogators must be getting antsy as hell._

My legs were still sore from my last escape attempt, among other things. I was well enough that I wasn't in the ICU anymore, but I was still here in bed. It was just another sleepless night for me. Ever since I got jumped in my own cell, I've spent more time on my toes than falling asleep. It wasn't healthy but getting beaten to death and getting drugged isn't exactly healthy either.

The door to the med bay opened up and I struggled to sit up, waiting to see if it was another attack group. To my relief, it wasn't. It was Miranda. She walked up to the side of my bed.

"Come here to finish me off?" I asked. She jumped slightly, probably expecting me to be asleep.

"No." She sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"Then…what are you doing here?"

"Making sure no one else comes in here to attack you." She replied.

"Uh huh." I replied flatly.

She let out a weary sigh.

"I win." I said, a small smirk appearing on my face.

"Your in a hospital bed with over a dozen fractures and contusions. How does that make you a winner?" she replied.

"Look who got a sense of humor." I said. "For your information, I'm not dead and I pissed you off. That's a win in my book."

Miranda shook her head. "You have yet to piss me off. I just find your behavior to be childish."

I chuckled. "Someone's gotta keep a sense of humor when the world falls down around you."

"Why keep this up? It's only going to get worse for you." She asked. "The beatings will get worse, the drugs more powerful. Why resist when it's hopeless?"

I turned to look at her. "Because no one else is going to do it. No one else gives a damn. Besides, it stopped being an interrogation a long time ago."

She stared at me for a long time, still maintaining that blank look on her face.

"Don't look so worried." I said. "I was gonna go out like this anyway."

"I'm not worried. I'm glad." She replied flatly.

"Sure you are. Losing your best competitor because he's too stubborn to give in. That's gonna sting."

"Aren't you ever serious?"

"When I want to be. My situation here doesn't warrant it."

"You're being tortured for information. That's about as serious as it can get."

"Just another day at the office." I said, as I lie back in bed.

Miranda sighed again.

"Whether you like it or not." I said, almost whispering "I'm trying to see if I can crack that 'icy' exterior you've got. That's enough incentive to keep me going."

She rolled her eyes as I slowly drifted off.

* * *

Miranda woke up the next morning in her chair. She had dozed off in the middle of the night after Mark fell asleep. Mark was already awake and staring right at her.

"Mornin' Miranda. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me." Mark said, in a fake sly tone.

She sighed. "Mark…"

"Oh I'm just messing with you. Calm down." He replied as he sat up in bed. "I'm actually amazed you stayed."

"Someone had to keep an eye on you. Can't have you crawling around the station trying to escape." She responded with a small amount of humor in her voice.

"Well you have to admit, that would have been pretty cool."

"I would have caught you in no time at all." She said confidently.

"I'd probably let you. You know, as an excuse to have you just brush up against me and stuff." He shot back with a grin on his face.

Miranda just rolled her eyes and got up. She looked over the updated charts for Mark and was surprised to see that most of his fractures were healed.

"Well, you should be fine in another day." Miranda said, putting the chart back down.

"Groovy."

Miranda raised her eyebrow at his use of the old descriptive word.

"Well, I have to go. There are some things I have to take care of." She said.

"Of course, all work no play." He replied. "Have fun doing science things."

"Have fun staying in bed." She fired back as she walked out of the med bay.

_That was strange. I've never had any sort of banter like that with any colleagues._

Mark really was different, even if he was Cerberus worst enemy.

* * *

**(2185-1 year later)**

I couldn't believe it. My body and mind were barely holding together from the torture I was sustaining over the last year but here I was. In my time here on this station, I had sustained several injuries: broken bones, burns, a few internal injuries, but no loss of any limbs. However, I was running out of time and my iron clad will was almost gone. The pain was becoming unbearable each day and night. The torture was even worse when I had tried to escape. My total escape attempts were at 3; more than expected but this was a research station not a prison. Jacob would drop by every now and then for an unusually friendly chat. He was probably the only trustworthy person on the station, but I still had my doubts about him.

Miranda would stop by too, we just bantered back and forth. I wasn't sure why she would keep stopping by. Probably to get inside my head or get me to give up my intel. She wasn't as curious as Jacob was about me, but still seemed fascinated. I just told them that they should travel more often to see what the real world is like.

Jacob stopped by the morning before I was going to undergo another rigorous torture session. He seemed worried and serious at the same time about the gravity of the situation.

"Mark listen, you have to tell them something. An informant, where you have your information on Cerberus, anything."

"I'd rather die than give up anything to them."

"Do you know what their going to do to you? They are going to kill you!" he said.

"I really don't care, Jake." I said, as he bit his lip.

"Damn it Mark! They're on their last nerve now. The Illusive Man is considering tossing you out the nearest airlock if you don't give up anything."

"Good for him. At least he's thinking outside of the box."

"Mark-"

"Jacob, you don't get it." I said, as he was visibly frustrated at me, "If there's anything that you should remember that the military taught us, is that we should believe in something greater than ourselves. I'm doing that. By not telling these Cerberus bastards anything and sacrificing myself, I'm keeping my fight and beliefs alive."

"What do you believe in?"

"A world where we can work together as equals with the Council races instead of working against them. That's all we've done is scheme and plot, acting like everyone's against us. We're not alone and we shouldn't be afraid of that."

He paused for a second, absorbing what I said.

"That's what you're fighting for?"

"Yeah. Of course, there are something's I have to be realistic about. I think we should be strong, but we shouldn't overpower the Council, its built on alliances and trust. But as long as I continue to take Cerberus down, then the galaxy won't see us as a bunch of xenophobes that want to blow shit up."

"Never would have thought that we had almost the same thoughts."

"Yet you still wear their logo on everything." I replied.

One of the guards came in. "Alright Sears, time to go."

"See you around, Jake." I said as I was escorted to the interrogation room.

Eight hours later I was dragged back to my cell. I barely remembered what happened. My glasses were gone, taken during the session, so I couldn't see a thing other than a painful blinding light. Both of my lungs were collapsed, I had cuts all over my back and arms and was bleeding almost everywhere.

_Broken ribs, sternum, both knees are busted, collapsed lungs_…

I lie there on the floor of my cell, unable to get up and was in pain all over, coughing up more blood onto the floor and struggling to breathe. They had turned up the heat on this session. It was one of the most intense beatings I had ever taken. They didn't just beat me; they used knives, various chemicals, anything they could get their hands on. As I lie on the floor, I saw the pool of my own blood begin to grow. I felt tired from the torture session and from the blood loss and began to pass out.

"Oh my god." said Jacob, coming into the cell.

"Lets get him to medical now." said Miranda.

The two of them came in and put me on a stretcher and took me to the medical bay. When I woke up, I was hooked up to several machines. It wasn't my first visit to sickbay. This was my 6th time there since I was held captive. But I was diverted to another area, it wasn't sickbay but it looked similar. Miranda and Jacob were talking to the chief medical officer on the far side of the room. I was busy trying to figure out what they were saying. I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation. Mostly about how they really were going to kill me.

I let out a groan.

"Good to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?" asked Jacob.

"Like I've been tortured." I said sarcastically.

With a smirk he replied, "That's good to hear. The doctor says you'll be out of here in a week or two."

"Hm." I said to myself. "Is that all the doctor told you? Or was the guy next to him telling you that I'll be executed tomorrow?"

They looked at each other surprised. "You heard that?" said Miranda.

"Yeah. I'm not really surprised. This was inevitable anyway."

"We could always convince him otherwise." Said Jacob.

"Forget it Jacob. You guys were going to kill me if I talked or not. It's not like the Illusive Man was going to keep me around, knowing the interior defenses and known operatives in this place."

He seemed disappointed, which surprised me. I figured his whole "buddy-buddy" ploy was just an act the Illusive Man put him up to. I guess it wasn't. Miranda didn't say much, maintaining a neutral facade.

I shrugged. "Oh well, didn't think I'd live this long anyway."

I looked at the patient in the bed on my left, he was covered by a blanket. I could just make out the N7 tattoo on his right shoulder.

"Who's my roommate?" I said looking over.

"It might be hard for you to believe..." said Miranda, "...but that's Commander Shepard."

"It-It can't be!" I said, my eyes widening. _The tattoo! No way!_

"It is." she said, "The Normandy was completely destroyed but he managed to survive for awhile in space before he suffocated, fell through the atmosphere, and took a serious impact. But Cerberus has spent billions on bringing him back to life with the Lazarus Project."

"My God." I said, struggling to get out of my hospital bed. One of the orderly's rushed over.

"Hey! You shouldn't be getting up in your condition!" said a nearby orderly trying to stop me.

"What the hell difference does it make? I'm getting executed anyway!"

Miranda and Jacob helped me up and I sat down in a chair next to Shepard's bed.

"I-I still can't believe it."

"He's been unconscious since we've revived him. He'll wake up in a few weeks, give or take." Said Miranda.

"John." I said putting my hand on his shoulder. My whole body shook as I started to cry. As far as I knew he was dead and gone for two years.

_This is what they're doing here…This…Unbelievable._

Seeing him in this condition was terrible. He was in Cerberus' debt now; which could mean that we might be enemies. But we knew each other well, and he was a Spectre. John could make his own decisions. I inhaled deeply.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you bring him back?" I asked, not looking at either of them.

They were silent, probably reluctant to say anything. But when came down to…this. I was in no mood.

"Tell me!" I yelled. Bad idea considering that I had an oxygen mask on. I started to cough.

"Human colonies have been disappearing. We think it might be the Reapers." Jacob said.

I nodded my head. "I saw Livermore. It would make sense."

"That's why we brought Shepard back." He said.

I sighed and shook my head. "You just want him to do your bidding. For fuck sake, let the dead rest."

"You of all people should know the threat the Reapers possess." Miranda said. "We need his leadership and his knowledge."

"You don't need him, you want him. He's just a tool to you." I said. She was about to say something but was cut off by Jacob.

"He'll be fine Mark. You have my word on it."

I sighed. I didn't trust them. Jacob at least had something of a conscience.

I moved in closer to whisper in John's ear. "Goodbye, old friend."

I stood up and saluted him and hobbled back to my bed. Jacob and Miranda didn't say a thing and quietly left once I got hobbled back into the bed.

"Miranda…wait." I said, quietly.

She raised an eyebrow and walked back over. "What is it?"

_I'm a dead man anyway…why not. Everything hurts like hell._

I sighed. "There's—there's a safe in my house…the one on Elysium that you found me in."

It was probably the first time I saw the smallest bit of emotion on her perfect face. She seemed a little taken aback. "Um…where is it, exactly?"

"Behind the fridge." I said.

She ran a hand through her hair. "We've had teams search that place for a little over a year. Every square inch."

"I took extra precautions with this one. There's enough lining in there to block out passive sensors. You'd need a ship with mining sensors just to pick it up." I said with a small smirk.

Miranda nodded. "Is there a code for this safe?"

"There's a keypad with a numerical pad and the Greek alphabet. The code is Epsilon, Nu, 0, 0, 0, 5. Everything you need is there." I answered.

"Okay." She said, typing it into her omni-tool. "I assume there's a reason for you telling me this."

I nodded, taking a few breaths from the oxygen mask. "I'm already a dead man. It's not like I can do anything else. I can barely walk anyway." I glanced over at her. "I'm sure you're going to take this opportunity to gloat considering the crap I've put you through."

"No." Miranda simply said. "I see no point in gloating. I think you're doing the right thing."

I snorted. "You would say that now that I'm more or less dead."

She turned to leave the room. "Goodbye Mr. Sears."

I smirked as she left.

_If I'm going to die, I might as well go out with a bang._

I turned back to John. _It's a shame…I guess I won't be able to see you again…old friend._

They moved Shepard out of the room I was in and put him somewhere else.

* * *

Miranda walked into the communications room with the information she had received from Sears. She was honestly surprised that he had broken.

_I guess someone like him has his limits after all._

Part of her was a little disappointed that he was going to be executed. He had turned out be the perfect competition for her, and not just her, Cerberus as a whole. For years, small time mercenary groups, gangs, and the Alliance had tried to crack the group and they failed. And yet, one man came closer than all of them.

Miranda stepped into the circle of the quantum entanglement communicator and was 'transported' to the Illusive Man's office.

"Miranda? I'm surprised to hear from you. Your next status report won't be for another day." He said.

"This is different, sir. Mark Sears has finally cracked." Miranda replied.

The Illusive Man allowed himself a small smile, something Miranda rarely saw. "Very good, Ms. Lawson. Very good. What did he tell you?"

"He gave me a code for a hidden safe at his Elysium safe house." She replied.

The Illusive Man raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we search that place already?"

"We did. Apparently, he kept this safe very well hidden from us. Sears gave us the code."

"Did he mention what was in it?"

"He only said that everything we need is in there." Miranda replied.

"I'll notify the team there to search it. Again, excellent job Ms. Lawson."

"Thank you, sir."

The Illusive Man nodded. "Tell the interrogators to execute Sears in two hours time."

"Of course."

The Illusive Man cut the link.

Miranda was a little surprised. He was supposed to be executed tomorrow.

_Maybe he didn't want to risk Sears escaping._

Miranda shrugged and left the comm. room.

* * *

**Mark Sears' Safe House, Elysium**

"Copy that. Condor out." Said Operative Smith. "About fucking time we find something."

"What's up sir?" asked Operative Ford.

"They cracked the guy. Listen up! There's a safe behind the fridge check for traps."

Smith and his team had searched this place and the surrounding neighborhoods for nearly a year, looking for any sort of clues that Sears left behind. In that time span, nothing turned up. Not even a single strand of DNA.

_At least we got something._

He was a careful guy, leaving various other storage areas around the house. All of which were empty and very elaborate to open.

The team moved the fridge and scanned for traps.

"The thing's clean, no locks, proximity sensors, nothing." Ford said.

"The boss did say there was some heavy duty lining around this thing. Maybe there's explosives inside?" Smith thought out loud.

Ford shrugged. "What's the code?"

"Epsilon Nu 0005." Smith replied.

"Uh, what do those look like?" Ford asked.

Smith shook his head. "I'll do it."

He punched in the code. The green light went on, signaling that the safe was unlocked.

"Ford, scan it." Smith said, opening the door a crack.

"Scanning…" Ford replied. "Huh…it's clean. Nothing unusual inside."  
Smith let out a huge sigh of relief and opened the door.

"What the-?"

The safe was empty. "God damn it."

"Condor to control, the safe's empty." Smith said into the radio. "Close it up Ford."

Various curses were thrown around by the squad of ten sent to search. Ford closed the door but noticed something curious once it was shut.

"Uh, sir?" Ford asked.

"What?" Smith spat out, still in the middle of his transmission.

"The number combination is counting down."

Smith turned around and saw it count down.

3…2…1.

The safe house was destroyed in a huge explosion.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

The report from Elysium was relayed to the Illusive Man. Even though his life was over, Sears managed to take more of his men out.

He shook his head and sighed.

_Don't worry about it. He'll be out of the picture soon. Then we can focus on the Collectors and not worry about his interference anymore._

* * *

**Lazarus Station**

I woke up a half hour later to the sound of gunfire and screaming out in the hall. _What the hell is going on?_

Alarms then rang throughout the facility. I couldn't get out of my bed and make my way to the door to see what was going on. But I heard the door open, loud footsteps approaching.

"Mark? Are you in here?" asked Watson.

"Over here!" I half whispered, half yelled. There he was, Watson had come.

"Watson! Its good to see you!" I said.

"It is good to see you too Mark. We apologize for being late. Finding a way into the facility has proven difficult."

"That's fine." I said.

"You do not appear to be well."

"I know. Lets get the hell out of here." I hobbled over to Watson, "You're gonna have to carry me, both of my knees are broken."

"Understood. Here take this."

"Glad you brought this." I said looking at my pistol. "Lets get the hell out of here!"

"Roger." said Watson.

As we made our way down the halls, I asked Watson what was going on. It turns out that someone inside the facility had hacked all the security mechs and launched an internal attack. It wasn't his doing, however. He only deactivated the mechs from my holding room to the shuttle. He sprinted down the halls, making our way to our shuttle that Watson came in on. Since I was still injured, Watson carried me down several hallways. We finally arrived at our ship.

"Lets get the hell out of here!" I said. We boarded the ship and sped out of the system at maximum speed. Watson told me that we were heading to my place on the Citadel. It was probably the most silent extraction I've ever been involved in. Cerberus had no idea where my new place was and my safe house on Elysium was compromised. I sat down in the seat next to Watson and fell asleep.

* * *

**Classified Location**

In his office overlooking a massive star, the Illusive Man sat and looked over the reports of the attack on the Lazarus Cell's facility. He knew that Sears had tried to escape from captivity several times, all of which were failed attempts. The Illusive Man had a feeling that he wouldn't have been caught and held so easily. His theory was that Sears' objective was to ascertain the location of the Lazarus facility and wait for a pickup. Afterwards, he would destroy the facility, hoping to cripple Cerberus' operations. However, the Illusive Man had contingency plans in case such an incident occurred. Luckily, Sears did not know where the main facility was, only the location of the Lazarus Project lab, which was now destroyed. Miranda appeared on the holographic imager in front of the Illusive Man.

"How bad is the situation at the station?" he asked Miranda.

"We discovered that Wilson was the mole and he's been taken care of."

"What about Mr. Sears?" asked the Illusive Man.

"He's gone." she said, "In the commotion, he managed to escape the facility."

"I see." said the Illusive Man, "Sears will be back. We've already lit the fire under him years ago. All he wanted us to do is to throw gasoline on it, which we did. He'll come back at us with everything he has. For now, we're going to focus on the task at hand." Said the Illusive Man, "How is Commander Shepard?"

"He's fine." Said Miranda, "You'll meet him shortly."

"Good. I'm glad he's ready."

"What happens if Sears shows up?" asked Miranda.

"He won't. He saw Shepard in our medical facility and probably thinks that he is with us. Plus he's sustained several injuries. I doubt he'll be much of a threat for the time being."

He cut transmission and was awaiting the arrival of the recently resurrected Commander Shepard. Later, as Shepard was talking to the Illusive Man, Jacob and Miranda discussed Sears' disappearance.

"I have a bad feeling about this." said Miranda.

"What do you mean?" asked Jacob.

"We let him go just to wake up Shepard, instead of hunting him down and covering our tracks."

"Unless you want to spend several years trying to find him. Besides, I don't remember you ever questioning orders Miranda. He shouldn't be too much of a problem now that Shepard's alive and we're busy investigating our missing colonies."

"Sears knows too much about us and our operations."

"You're right." said Jacob, "But considering his current condition, it could be awhile. By then, we'll have our hands full with whatever is causing our colonies to disappear."

With a sly grin, he added, "Who knows, maybe we'll end up running in to him." Miranda shook her head at the idea.

"He wouldn't help us if we were stuck in a burning building."

"You never know, Miranda."

* * *

**Minuteman Station**

After being clinically dead for the last two years, Commander John Shepard was back. The first thing he ended up doing after being brought back: fought for his life through a station of hacked mechs. As far as he knew, this was some weird dream. No one could possibly have the technology to bring the dead back to life and Shepard was sure that he died in space. Some woman with an Australian accent was ordering him around. The first living person he ran into was Jacob Taylor who had filled him in on what happened.

Shepard was a little more than surprised that it had been two years since his death. They moved through the station, running into a guy named Wilson who was the chief medical officer on the station. His gunshot wound seemed a little suspect. Wilson claimed that a mech got him, yet there wasn't a single mech part in the room. His instinct told him that it was self-inflicted.

Jacob was the one to drop another bombshell on Shepard. The people who had brought him back weren't Alliance; it was Cerberus. Saying that he was just angry was putting it mildly. First he finds out that he's dead, then he finds out that the people who brought him back from the dead were the people that hurt his friend.

After working their way through the rest of the station, they made it to the shuttles. Wilson was greeted with a bullet to the head by Miranda Lawson, the director of the Lazarus project and the woman Shepard had been talking to over the radio. He would admit that she was attractive; her outfit left nothing to the imagination. However, she regarded him as nothing more than a tool. Shepard sat down in a chair on this other station in the middle of nowhere, going over the conversation they had on the way over.

* * *

"Before you meet with the Illusive Man, we need to go over a few things to evaluate your condition." Miranda said.

"Come on Miranda, more tests? Shepard destroyed those mechs with ease. That has to be good enough." Jacob said frustrated.

"It's been two years, Jacob. The Illusive Man needs to make sure his mental capacities are intact. Ask the questions." Miranda ordered.

Jacob sighed. "Alright. It says here that you were a spacer kid, lived on all sorts of ships. Then you enlisted and won a medal fighting batarians and pirates on Elysium. You remember that?"

Shepard turned away from the window and glanced at Jacob. "I do. I remember killing Elanos Haliat, too."

The two operatives looked at each other. "Who?" asked Miranda.

"Elanos Haliat. He was the mastermind of the attack on Elysium. A lot of people needed me to hold that position. I did everything in my power to do that." Replied Shepard.

"However you want to put it, that was damn impressive. I had friends who were there." Jacob said. "Satisfied?"

Miranda shook her head. They both noticed Shepard staring vacantly at the floor.

"Let's try something more recent. On Virmire, you left one of your squad behind at Saren's cloning facility." She said.

Shepard pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Shepard. We just wanted to know why Kaidan was the one to stay behind." Jacob cut in, trying to diffuse the situation.

John bit his lip. "I left a friend to die that day and I didn't do it casually. Kaidan gave his life so that we could get out of there. He's a god damn hero."

"I'm sorry, Commander. We're not judging your decision."

"Everyone at Cerberus knows that facility had to be destroyed." Miranda said.

Shepard still had a sour look on his face.

"Just one more question-" Miranda started before Shepard brought his hand up.

"Ask me one more question. I dare you." He said coolly. Both operatives froze and looked at each other.

"I don't want to hear another word out either of your mouths until we arrive. If I do, I'll open that door and we'll all take a walk in space." He said in a shaky voice as rested his head in the palm of his hands.

Shepard's meeting with the Illusive Man went as expected. He wasn't going to trust him, but he had shown him a considerable amount of evidence involving the disappearance of the human colonies in the Terminus Systems. His first job would be to investigate the colony of Freedom's Progress. It was a fairly large backwater human colony with a population of over 912,000. Shepard didn't like being used, especially when the person doing it was the Illusive Man. But there were people out there that needed his help and he was going to do it.

Before they left, he wanted to know a little bit about the two operatives with him. Miranda was reluctant to say much and was clearly loyal to Cerberus. Jacob, on the other hand, was a former marine who had served on Eden Prime and was a Corsair. He explained to Shepard his reasons for joining Cerberus.

_Clearly a man of action._

The three of them got ready and headed into the shuttle. Shepard still felt a gloomy.

_Why do I get a second chance while my friend is dead?_

He shook the thoughts out of his mind for the moment, he had a mission to do.

* * *

**Apartment 358, Presidium Ring, Citadel**

When I woke up, I was back in my giant bed. Watson was in the room, staring outside the window at the Serpent Nebula.

"Enjoying the view?" I asked.

"Mark. It is good to see that you're awake."

"How long was I out?"

"A few days. We assumed that you wanted to recover here at home."

"Thanks Watson."

"We were unsure on how to repair you, so we contacted a doctor from your contact list. A Dr. Baltazar Czernenko."

"Good job. Is he still here?"

"No. He left the other day. The doctor recommended that you rest for a week while you recover." Watson continued, "We were amazed to see the amounts of injuries and fractures you had suffered."

"If I remember correctly," I said, "Cerberus broke about 6 bones."

"We found over a dozen fractures on you. Some of them you might not have noticed because they were small. But they were there."

"Dang." I replied.

"We found several other injuries as well and took care of them."

"That's good to hear." I said.

"You have a visitor that wishes to see you."

Surprised, I rose up in my bed. "Who is it?"

Sure enough, in strolled Eviana. I could barely sit up as she approached me, but I could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes. She gave me a big hug, the tears splashing on my shoulder. I grimaced a little bit as I was still recovering from the litany of injuries I sustained.

"Mark, you had me so worried." she said, "I tried so hard to find you."

"Its ok, Evi. I'm right here."

"Yes, you are." she said kissing me on the cheek, "It must have been terrible."

With a small grin, I replied, "I look worse than I feel. Seeing you and Watson again was what kept me going."

We spent a lot of time going over everything that happened over the last year and a half that I was in captivity. Eviana left briefly after receiving a call from the Council but would be back later.

Watson came back into the room.

"So Watson, why did it take you so long to find me?"

"We had gone into the Perseus Veil to utilize various resources to track your beacon. Spectre Agent Tervia assisted us with potential escape plans. Blueprints of the station were difficult to obtain. Security was airtight."

"Guess that explains why it took you so long. An airtight network and possible experimental technology."

"Yes. We then decided to contact the Shadow Broker."

"The Broker. As in the guy who tried to sell my friend to the Collectors?"

"The very same."

I sighed. "Well, what happened?"

"He gave us nothing. Despite helping him out on several occasions, he knew of your captivity and was reluctant to help. He believed that you would crack and give up the information."

I rolled my eyes. "I gave them the info for the trap safe but that was it."

"We then contacted Liara T'soni, your former squad member." Watson said.

"Liara? Why?"

"It was on the advice of Murph. Liara is currently feuding with the Shadow Broker for the same reason you no longer trust him. She told us of a Shadow Broker operative named Wilson. She had acquired this information after raiding a base once operated by the Broker. She knew you were located where Wilson was located and sent him a coded transmission disguised as the Broker. Wilson then turned every security mech in the facility against the Cerberus operatives, giving us the necessary distraction to rescue you."

Both of my eyebrows shot up. "Watson that is the greatest god damn plan I've ever heard. Next time I see Liara, she might be getting more than a hug."

"We will log that for future reference."

I chuckled. "Thanks a lot dude."

"You are welcome."

* * *

**Apartment 358, Presidium Ring, Citadel**

For the entire week, Eviana stayed with me to help me recover. It was a fairly standard week for us. I spent my time either watching the vids or modifying my equipment. She seemed a little worried that I was getting ready to continue my hunt for the Illusive Man, but I assured her that I had no plans to get him.

_Well at least not right now_.

Eviana had to leave close to the end of the week as she was recalled by the Council for another mission. Semeyon and Murph stopped by as well. They had also been searching for me for the last year and a half as well. The news they were about to give me was probably the most surprising I had heard in some time. They had cut all ties with the Shadow Broker, and were joined by their other contacts after they found out that he sold me out. Everyone knew about the debt that the Broker owed me, all the good intel I gave him over the years and he simply said no.

Upon hearing this, they gradually stopped feeding the Broker with usual updates. Semeyon and Murph devoted all of their time into finding me, along with Watson.

The news reports coming in every day were frightening. After they had left, Watson and I watched the news and found out that Freedom's Progress was completely vacant; not a single colonist was found. We had an idea as to who pulled this off, and who would be investigating the situation. But we needed some more information.

As my wounds healed and broken bones came back into place to heal, I got ready for a new mission. I would be going to Omega to track down my old friend. Semeyon had told me that there was a rumor going around that Shepard was on Omega, recruiting people. Watson was going to be my contact from home.

* * *

**Normandy SR2 docked at Omega**

Shepard had just wrapped up his first recruitment mission by getting a fast talking salarian professor by the name of Mordin Solus. He was galaxy renowned geneticist, doctor, and scientist. If there was anyone in this galaxy who could find a weakness against the Collectors, it was him. So far, Shepard's team consisted of Mordin, Jacob, Miranda, and Zaeed Massani. Zaeed was something of an old reliable in the mercenary world. He was a famed bounty hunter and was an expert at high-risk operations. Shepard was also glad to have two former Normandy crewmembers. It was Joker and Dr. Chakwas. Their story of the last two years painted a grim picture. Both were shoved under the rug, records were sealed, and then they were transferred away. Joker resigned his post once the higher ups told him he was grounded. Dr. Chakwas was sent to the Mars Medical Facility but quickly grew tired of it; she was a navy doctor through and through.

Despite having some familiar faces around, Shepard still felt a little down. After briefing Mordin, he went up to his rather large quarters. There was a buzz at the door.

"Come."

In walked Shepard's personal assistant, Kelly Chambers. She was a bright, cheery red head that was assigned to him as an administrative assistant. Kelly also doubled as the ship's psychiatrist.

She walked in, carrying a datapad in her left hand.

"Commander, may I speak with you for a moment?" she asked.

"Sure." He said. They both walked over to the couch and sat down.

"What did you want to talk to me about Kelly?" he asked.

"Well Commander…"

"It's alright Kelly. In here, it's a first name basis." Shepard said, gently cutting her off.

"Oh ok. Uh, John." She said uneasily, a small smirk on her face. "I've noticed your behavior of late and I'm worried."

Shepard nodded. "Was it you or did Miranda say something?"

"I noticed it."

"I see. Sorry, I haven't been myself lately." John said sheepishly.

"That's alright John. Given what you've been through, it must be difficult." Kelly said. "With your unique situation, the only comparison I can think of is say, someone who just got out of a coma."

"Do people like that usually get led around by the nose, doing all sorts of tasks?" Shepard asked.

"They usually need help and time to adjust." Kelly said.

Shepard shook his head. "I've never felt so negative in my whole life."

"Could you tell me about it?"

"Yeah." Shepard cleared his throat. "In my whole military career, I've had to accept the fact that as an officer, I would lose people. Good people, bad people, anybody. Kaidan Alenko was a good friend, a good man. Between saving him or saving Ashley Williams, I chose Ash because she was guarding the bomb on Virmire. I almost lost another friend that day. A man that I've known…" Shepard stopped and corrected himself, "Knew…for thirteen years. That man was Mark Sears."

Kelly hadn't been with Cerberus for long so she was unaware about what he did to Cerberus.

"Could you tell me about him?" Kelly asked.

"I met him when I was seventeen. I was on board my mother's ship, the Einstein. They picked up a distress call from Mindoir, only found one survivor in the area hardest hit by the raiders. That survivor was Mark. He was thirteen and just crushed because he lost everything there. I helped him out as best as I could. I'm an only child and I thought of him as something of a younger brother. He couldn't stay on the ship so we dropped him off on Arcturus at an orphanage. Mark left and met up with some friend's of his father's. A few months ago after I turned eighteen and enlisted, I met up with him at basic. I knew why he was there and I covered for him." John started to chuckle, "We always covered for each other."

"He sounds like a good friend. May I ask what happened to him?"

"Akuze happened."

"Oh my." Kelly said. She had heard about what happened on that planet years ago, everyone did.

"He was the first ever human to be diagnosed with neurotoxemia; almost died too. After what happened, he received an honorable discharge and was transferred to a veteran's hospital on Earth. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for two years, never spoke to anyone. Then…he tried to kill himself." John shook his head. "I wanted to see him after that."

"Did you?"

He shook his head. "When you're humanity's biggest hero, you don't get days off. I didn't see him until we hunted down Saren. He was still sick but he wanted to help."

"That brings us to what happened on Virmire." Kelly said.

Shepard nodded. "Mark had an episode. He couldn't get his meds in time and went into a series of seizures, then went unconscious for days. Of course, that wasn't the worst thing to happen to him on that trip."

"What happened?" Kelly asked nervously.

"I got a call from Admiral Hackett. Someone was killing ex-Alliance scientists so we went to investigate. Turns out the guy doing it was in Mark's unit on Akuze. He revealed that Cerberus was responsible for what happened. He had evidence and that was all we needed."

Kelly audibly gulped.

"If that explains my uneasy attitude towards the group then, that's why."

"I don't know what to say John." Kelly said nervously. She knew the organization had a dark history, but nothing that dark.

"It's okay Kelly. I know you're not responsible." Shepard said patting her on the arm.

She nodded. "What did your friend do?"

"He helped me beat Saren and Sovereign. After that, he was going to hunt Cerberus down. Then I found out about his medical results. After his episode, his condition would get worse. The news was worse than we expected. Before he left, he was told that he had six months left to live." Shepard bit his lip, re-living the last moment he had with his friend. He looked up at the ceiling, feeling a tear fall down his cheek.

"He was gonna take me to a Minutemen game for my birthday. I died a month later and…" He shook his head.

Kelly put her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright John. Just let it out."

"I never even I had the chance to say goodbye."

Shepard sat there for some time, letting out the burden he had carried for days.

For Kelly, Shepard wasn't just another patient. He was 'the' Commander Shepard, the big, strong, savior of the Citadel. Yet here she was, helping console the man who had lost his friend. She understood that he would have to hide his emotions, being the leader of this crew but it was still interesting and sad to see him like this. It made him even more human than a recruitment ad or picture in the news could ever hope to do.

"John, if there was anything I could suggest, it would be to do your best to move on. It's going to be difficult, moving on always is. But if you need to talk, I'm always here to help." She said.

"Thank you Kelly." Shepard replied, tapping her on the arm as he straightened himself up.

"Well, I should get ready for our next assignment." He said, quickly changing back into job mode.

"Are you going after Archangel?" Kelly asked.

"Yep. Don't know much about him. Hopefully Aria can fill in the blanks." He replied.

It was going to be a long and painful road, but Shepard would have to move on. That's what Mark would want.

* * *

**Omega, Sahrabarik System, Omega Nebula**

I went to Omega, armed with my pistol and a scout knife, as I was unsure if I would be running into Shepard.

_Or a roving gang of muggers for that matter._

The rest of my weapons were at a restaurant owned by an old friend of Semeyon's.

I walked down the streets of Omega wearing an old duster with a hood, to blend into the crowd. It wasn't too difficult to do considering how crowded it was. I decided to head to the docks and check for any new arrivals. One fairly large ship had docked here a few days ago, a ship that looked eerily familiar, but different.

On the side was the name, "Normandy SR-2".

_It can't be-wait-new model. Very nice._

I stood there looking out the window as a boarding party came out. Sure enough, there he was. My old friend was alive and well. He was being accompanied by Jacob, Miranda, and older man who had seen a lot of action in his time. I expected this, but was unsure how to act. I tailed them to Afterlife, but couldn't get into the club. I bided my time and waited for them to come out. As I waited, I listened to the news reports blaring over the speaker near me. It turns out that a plague that was on Omega was averted a few days ago.

Other than hearing that, the word on the streets was that a salarian doctor by the name of Mordin Solus cured it and was assisted by a team of four armed soldiers. I had a feeling that Shepard was involved with helping out Mordin. Besides, it's not every day a four man team kills a bunch of vorcha and mercs in a quarantine zone and manages to cure the whole district.

When Shepard, Miranda, Jacob, and the old guy emerged from Afterlife, they headed towards the market district. I followed them, blending into the crowd and avoiding suspicion. They made a few stops at some stores, picking up various items.

* * *

Zaeed was looking through a kiosk as Shepard and the others stood by and waited. Shepard had gotten what he needed from the Omega Market, now he was just waiting for Zaeed to pick up whatever.

"Alright! They finally decided to start stocking Old Glory Jerky." Zaeed said, cheerfully.

Shepard bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Zaeed didn't seem like the kind of guy would get excited about anything. Then again, they only met yesterday so what did he know?

"Are you done yet?" Jacob asked in an annoyed tone.

"Keep yer codpiece on Taylor." Replied the old merc.

"Shut up Zaeed."

"I will once you put on a decent pair of clothes, codpiece."

Even though Jacob was in Cerberus Assault armor, he would always wear that jumpsuit on the ship. Shepard couldn't figure it out since the rest of the crew, minus Miranda, wore the same uniform.

"Shepard." Miranda said softly. "I think we're being followed."

"Got a fix on who it is?" He asked.

"No. But whoever it is has been following us since Afterlife." She replied.

Shepard nodded. "Keep an eye out okay?"

"Yes sir."

_At least she hasn't been acting bitchy since I took over. I thought she was gonna be like that since the shuttle ride to that station._

After getting their things from the markets, the four decided to cut through an alleyway to get back to the main street.

* * *

I continued to follow them down a dank looking alley. Near the entrance of the alley was a group of five heavily armed vorcha, watching Shepard and his team. They followed in right behind him. I ducked behind a nearby dumpster and listened in. Apparently, the vorcha were members of a local gang that were in the quarantine zone.

Looked like they wanted some payback to me.

I activated my stealth camouflage and pulled out my knife, creeping up behind the vorcha. I slit the throat of the one holding up the rear. Once he was down, the rest looked around in confusion. I slashed the throats of 2 more swiftly, pistol whipped a 3rd and finished off the remaining thug with a sweep of the legs, stabbing him in the chest, and twisting the knife before pulling it out. The last vorcha that I had pistol-whipped was starting to groan. Pistol still in hand, I fired a round into his head all in one swift motion without looking.

"Damn." Said the old guy.

I glanced up and saw that that Shepard and his squad had their weapons drawn. "Walk into a dark alley on Omega, and you might never come out." I said wiping my knife off on the thug's pant leg, "You should be more careful."

Shepard put his pistol away, "Thanks for the tip, and for killing those mercs. Those were some nice moves."

"Thank you." I said, while looking at the tattoo on one of the dead vorcha I noticed the Blood Pack mercenary logo.

* * *

Shepard and his team got the surprise of a lifetime as they saw one man slaughter five armed Blood Pack vorcha. It was a cold, but elegant precision, one that Shepard thought looked familiar. If anything, the pistol this mystery man had looked familiar, like it was stylized after some 21st century pistols. The man's gravelly voice was also eerily familiar.

_It couldn't be. He's dead._

* * *

"Blood Pack. Must have really pissed them off for them to send 5 after you, Shepard. Don't tell me you slept with one these guys' sisters."

He raised an eyebrow as I struggled to stand up and grunted as I grabbed a railing to force myself to stand. The old man chuckled at the joke.

_Damn knees_.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes. Seems odd to find the galaxy's savior on Omega, even more unusual to see you alive." I said slipping the knife back into its holster.

* * *

Shepard was even more baffled. _The guy who just saved your ass is cracking jokes…This has got to be some strange coincidence._

Even the way he twirled the knife into its holster was familiar.

"Last time I saw you, you were sleeping on an operating table." I said, as I leaned against the wall, a small grin on my face.

Jacob and Miranda both looked at each other and at Shepard.

"What the hell?" Miranda said out loud.

"I was a guest at the Lazarus facility, your hospitality sucked, by the way."

Her eyes grew wide when Miranda realized who it was.

"Sears!" she yelled, aiming her pistol at me. Jacob, Shepard, and Zaeed were all reluctant.

"Hold it!" yelled Shepard, raising his hand. "Mark? Is it really you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

I smiled even more as I turned to face the four of them

Pulling my hood off I said, "Its good to see you again, old friend."

He approached me with a smile on his face and we gave each other our trademark handshake and a bro hug.

"It's been too long John." I said.

"Yeah." He replied.

I moved my head so I could look at Miranda. "Hey Miranda! His tear ducts work so you don't need to test that!"

"Shut up!" Shepard replied smacking me on the arm.

"Damn Mark. You look terrible." He said with a grin.

"Says the dead guy with the glowing scars. You can thank your Cerberus friends for this, I'm still trying to recover."

"What happened?"

"I'll explain, but we should probably go somewhere safer. Follow me, I know a place."

* * *

**Red Star Café, Omega**

I led them to a small restaurant near Afterlife, it was quiet and out of the way. It was a tough walk for me as my knees weren't healed yet. The place was owned and operated by an old friend of Semeyon's, a turian named Vic Epyierian along with his daughter Valena. She always had a thing for me.

It was probably the only place on Omega where violence wasn't tolerated. Plus the food was good.

I took a seat in a booth in a corner of the restaurant.

"I hear you've been busy on this station John."

"You're well informed." said Shepard.

"Spend a few minutes on the station and you can learn a lot without asking any questions. But..." I said looking around, "I've gotten a considerable amount sources now. It's helped me whittle Cerberus' strength down for the past few years."

"How are you still…you know?" Shepard asked.

"A cure was made public. I got it just in time too, only had two days left to live until it came out." I replied, in a half truth.

"Tell me, Mark. How did they capture you?"

"That's a long and complex story. I'll tell you about it later. But basically, it hurt like hell."

Shepard shook his head almost disbelieving, "No kidding. You look like you can barely walk."

"I'm still trying to recover. The worst part about the whole thing was having both of my lungs collapse. Worst feeling ever. Well that and trying to walk with two busted knees." I said.

"How did you escape?" asked Jacob.

"I made it out during the attack on the facility. With some help from Watson."

"Watson?" asked Miranda.

"I have a geth friend who I named Watson. You met him already Miranda."

Jacob and Shepard gave me puzzled and surprised looks.

"A geth?" asked Shepard.

"Its a long story John. Basically, I ran into a sentient geth in my travels and he wished to help me out and learn about organics."

Jacob, with a perturbed expression, said. "I would have just shot it."

"If you've ever encountered a 12 foot tall Geth Prime at point blank range, you wouldn't shoot first. You'd probably run."

"Point taken." said Jacob.

"I guess that covers your escape." Said Miranda.

"Yep. Pretty much. Spent the last week recovering from my injuries. I'm not at 100%, not even at 50% but as you've already seen, I can still kick some ass."

"We could use your skills Mark." said Shepard.

"That's out of the question, Commander. He's an enemy of Cerberus. We have orders to kill him if we encounter him." said Miranda.

"Well if that's the case, then take your best shot Lawson. I'm sitting right here." She drew her pistol, ready to pull the trigger with no hesitation but suddenly, she realized that something was wrong.

Shepard grabbed her hand. "You're not killing him! I'm in command here."

"Its alright John." I said with a smirk.

I opened up my hand to reveal a sabotage mine. "I figured that you would try to do something stupid. I'm always prepared."

I glanced over to see Jacob shaking his head.

"What is it Jacob? You don't plan on giving it a shot?"

"I follow Shepard's orders. I have no need to override them."

"Smart."

After Miranda cooled off, Shepard asked me if I wanted to help him stop the Collectors.

I agreed, and said, "Anything to piss off the Illusive Man."

Since Miranda acted as his observer I asked her to send him a message from me.

"_Consider this a temporary cease-fire. Once the Collectors and Reapers are dealt with, we'll finish our fight_."

Shepard told me that our next mission on Omega was to pick up a vigilante going by the nickname "Archangel". In my short time on Omega, I had heard reports of this individual. Sounded like a real modern Robin Hood if you ask me, protecting the innocent and killing criminals. Before we headed out, I asked the restaurant's manager for my things. I talked to Vic and gave him some information to relay to his contacts here on Omega.

He gave me my bag that contained my armor and weapons. During my recovery, I spent some time upgrading my weapons. I upgraded the Nighthawk giving the sniper rifle option a longer barrel to use for anti-materiel purposes. I also changed up some of its appearances.

I changed my armor to make it more modern as well. It was a copy of the Terminus Assault Armor, but with my own personal touch: a recon hood with my old skull decal over the face.

It was different than my previous design as it incorporated the Terminus armor's thermal outlines which would draw heat away from my head and direct it down to my feet where it would exit; plus I could toggle it on or off for an added effect. The original design had more thick fabrics near the chest and inner legs but I substituted them out with additional plating and trimmed down the shoulder pads to make aiming much more simplistic. I also added small ammo pouches in some of the chest contours and etched the Outer Heaven logo into the chest piece. Inside the palms of the gloves, I installed a special magnetic system to "pull" my weapons over if I ever lost them in a battle; I got carried away with using EVA suit designs that were primarily used for mining.

I also started carrying around a Lieberschaft 2180 Eviscerator shotgun. I also remade the Judgment; mostly appearances. I went into a storage area in the back of the restaurant and changed into my gear. "So are we ready to go, Commander?"

"Yep. Let's go find Archangel." Said Shepard.

* * *

_There you have it! Now we're getting into ME2 territory._

_Well as for the weapon mods: I wanted the Nighthawk Mk.2 to look like Killzone 2's Sta14 rifle and the FN F2000 Tactical. As for the Judgement Mk.2 to have the body of a Colt Python and the barrel of a Desert Eagle._

_The skull decal for the face mask and the Outer Heaven logo is basically the 'Stone Cold Steve Austin' smoking skull, just replace the smoke with horns...and put said horns on the sides of the head lol._

_(Edited 9/6): Wanted to change up the escape to make it seem more...realistic. As for the safe combo, the E, N was made as an abbreviated way of saying 'engage' because...why not?_


	15. Archangel and The Normandy

_Author's Note: Took a little extra time on this chapter mostly editing and adding new things. The ME2 section might take a little more time as there's a ton of things that need to be edited/re-written._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Cerberus Dossier for Mark Sears**:

**-Former Alliance Special Forces, Graduate of N7 Academy (top 5 percentile)**

**Commendations:**

**Expert Infantryman Badge**

**Master Combat Parachutist badge w/ 1 gold star **

**Expert Marksmanship Badge (3) **

**Freefall Parachutist Badge **

**N7 Tab **

**Infiltrator Tab **

**Systems Alliance Distinguished Service Medal **

**Navy Cross **

**Silver Star (2) **

**Legion of Merit **

**Systems Alliance Marine Corps Good Conduct medal (w/ 1 gold star*) **

**S.A.M.C Expeditionary Medal (4) **

**S.A.M.C Commendation Medal **

**Purple Heart (2) **

**Systems Alliance Unit Commendation **

**Alliance Golden Arrow (awarded to best snipers) **

**Other:**

**-Considered one of the best infiltrators in the modern era. Holds numerous records for kills and infiltrations. **

**-Only person to ever crack salarian STG Mainframe.**

**-Mark Sears is considered to be the greatest infiltrator to ever come out of the Alliance. **

**-Blessed with an innate talent to hack and bypass any system in existence. **

**-Received numerous commendations in the Alliance and was an elite commander. **

**-Was part of the operation on Akuze that cost the lives of 50 marines.**

**-Enemy of Cerberus, responsible for deaths of over 150 operatives. Kill on sight. **

**-Rumored to be leader of Outer Heaven, a massive information organization.**

***received after 5th time **

* * *

**Afterlife, Omega**

As we headed to Afterlife, Shepard was looking at my armor, "Damn Mark, I've never seen anything like that."

"My armor or weapons?"

"First the armor. Then that thing on your lower back."

"My armor is based on the Terminus Assault Armor. Its pretty hard to come by considering the tech that was put into it. I got my hands on a set and modified it to suit my needs. I'd say this thing is even better than the original."

"What about your weapons?" asked Jacob.

As I explained them, Miranda shook her head and muttered something about "boys and their toys".

"You made all of this stuff? Not bad kid." Said the old guy.

"Oh I forgot. Mark, this is Zaeed Massani." Shepard said. "Zaeed, this is Mark Sears."

Zaeed turned to me. "You mean 'the' Mark Sears?"

"Uh. Yeah. That's me." I said. Zaeed had a small smirk on his face as he stuck out his hand.

"Glad to meet ya kid. I heard through the grapevine about your little anti-Cerberus escapades. God damn immaculate." We shook hands.

"Well I'm glad someone admires my work." I replied.

"You know I remember getting my hands on a copy of your raid on Vogel. Never drooled that much since I nailed 2 asari at the same time." Replied Zaeed.

I chuckled while Miranda shook her head. Probably wondering how she ended up in a place like this with a bunch of guys. The music inside the club was booming and was your usual club techno music.

_Just once I'd like to go to a place that doesn't have the same song playing. _

As we walked by a bar, Zaeed told a small story.

"I remember this one time me and my buddy Narko came to a place like this. We'd just taken out this base and decided to celebrate. Anyway, huge fight broke out and Narko got killed." He snorted. "Places like this are slaughterhouses disguised like nightclubs, I shit you not."

"Not gonna argue that." Jacob said. "At least this place isn't like The Fringe."

"I'm trying to forget." Miranda chimed in.

Making our way by the bar, a drunk batarian grabbed Miranda.

"C'mere sweet cheeks. I'm lookin to get lucky tonight." He slurred out. She was trying to squeeze her way out of his embrace.

"I got this." I said. Miranda was about ready to hit him with a biotic throw, when I grabbed the guy by the collar.

"What the fuck? You her boyfriend?"

"Just a guy looking for a fight." I replied coldly as he released Miranda.

"Mark we should go." She said.

The batarian staggered into a fighting stance. I just rolled my eyes and hit him in the head with an earth shattering head butt. He dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks.

"The fuck?" yelled one of his drunken friends. His other batarian friend staggered up to me and missed a punch. I grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed his face into the bar, knocking him out. I looked at the asari bartender.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. If you weren't going to do it, I was. Assholes have been grabbing my ass all night." I walked away from the bar and rejoined the group.

"See what I mean?" Zaeed said. "God damn slaughterhouses."

As we approached the door to the VIP club where the recruiting post was, Miranda tapped me on the shoulder.

"Thanks for that."

"Anytime Miranda." I replied.

"Doesn't your head hurt?" she asked.

I shook my head, "Nope. Actually, it's the only part of my body not in excruciating pain."

Miranda rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious."

We headed to the merc recruiting post in Afterlife and signed up.

We headed out with one of the Blue Suns mercs to the staging area outside of Archangel's hideout. The rundown from the mercs was vague, all we knew was that he was some vigilante, gunning down the mercs at any chance he got.

"Three mercenary groups to take out one guy." Zaeed said shaking his head. "Must be one tough, crazy bastard."

"Wonder who he is." I said.

We cut through the Eclipse merc base, listening to their strategy and learning why they have a gripe with Archangel. I picked up a datapad on a table that mentioned some plan to go after Aria T'Loak, Omega's de facto ruler. "Commander, you might want to see this." I said as Shepard read over the datapad.

"Aria's going to want to see this. We'll give this to her when we're done here."

We cut into a small room where Eclipse stored some of their mechs along with a large YMIR mech.

"Hello. What do we have here?" I said in a sarcastically joyous tone.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked.

"Giving us an extra advantage." I replied.

I hacked a console that was connected to it and changed its targeting parameters to the mercs.

"Nice job. They'll never know what hit them." said Miranda.

"Oh they'll have an idea what hit em...at the last minute." I replied.

We continued to move through the staging area, talking to the agitated leaders of the Blood Pack and Blue Suns. It turns out Zaeed knew the guy who ran the Omega Blue Suns, a batarian by the name of Tarak. This Archangel guy had come pretty close to killing Tarak, along with the other mercenary leaders.

We learned that Archangel was a turian vigilante, who was very elusive and was an expert marksman.

_There's only one guy I could think of_.

I saw it first hand when he tagged a vorcha on our way out of the Blood Pack staging area. We met up with a Sergant Cathka, a Blue Suns merc who was in charge of the infiltration teams. He gave us the run down while fixing the gunship. Archangel was held up in his base and had stopped cold every assault the mercs launched. He had the advantage with the high ground and the bridge was the only viable entrance. The tunnels located under the base were secured and covered with explosives. He received a signal from a comm. terminal that the infiltration team made it in. His men headed out to the bridge to go in and kill Archangel. While Cathka's back was turned, Shepard stabbed him with the arc welder Cathka was using on the gunship. We went in behind the infiltrators and gunned them down. The five of us ran up to the first floor entrance and got behind cover.

"Hold up." I said, looking inside the room.

"Whaddya got Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Explosives." I replied. I zoomed on the bomb in question. It was sitting out in the open, two techs were working on it.

I shook my head. "The amount they have isn't enough to take out the building. A door maybe."

"Pretty big for a door." Jacob said.

"Archangel's not your average guy." Zaeed chimed in. "I wouldn't take any chances either."

"I'll take a shot at the bomb. We move in fast and check the second floor." I said.

Shepard acknowledged with a tap on the shoulder. "Do it."

I took aim with the Nighthawk and fired. The bomb exploded, instantly killing the two techs working on it.

"Go!" Shepard ordered as we rushed inside.

"First floor clear." Miranda said. I rushed up the stairs and saw two mercs working on a locked door. Behind it, was Archangel. The mercs opened fire.

"Come on over!" yelled Jacob as he used his biotics on one of the mercs, sending him over the railing and right into Zaeed's crosshairs.

Miranda was facing me as I stood behind a pillar near the stairs.

"Can you see him?" I asked. She nodded.

"Where is he?" I asked again, as I took out my pistol.

"Um, at 11 o'clock." She replied.

"Good." I said as I wrapped it around the corner and fired. Silence fell across the second level. Miranda glanced out behind the pillar. Her eyes went wide.

"I'll take that as a 'you just capped his ass'." I said cheekily. I put my pistol away and approached the door.

"How did you know where he was without looking?" Miranda asked, still amazed at the shot.

"I listened for him. Judging by the other freelancers, they depend too much on the whole spray and pray technique, ignoring cover for a quick kill. I had a hunch that he was out in the open while he was reloading." I replied.

"Impressive." She muttered.

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Mark. The room on the left of the stairs is clear as well. Where are you?" Shepard said.

"The door leading to Archangel." I replied.

"Everyone regroup at the door." Shepard said. I activated my omni-tool and placed a hand on the door and ran it down the length of it.

"What's up Mark?" asked Shepard.

"Door's booby trapped. Shouldn't take too long." I said as I defused the proximity charges. "We're good."

"Go!" said Shepard.

We went into the room and saw the turian looking through the scope of his rifle. "Archangel?" asked Shepard. He held his hand up, and sniped out one lone freelancer. Archangel walked over to a chair, took a seat and removed his helmet, it was none other than Garrus.

"Shepard, I thought you were dead." was what he first said.

"Garrus! What are you doing here?"

"Just keeping my skills sharp...a little target practice."

"You okay?"

"Been better. But it is good to see a friendly face." said Garrus, "Killing mercs is hard work. Especially on my own."

I took off my recon hood, "I know that feeling. Good to see you again Garrus."

Garrus looked even more surprised to see me. "Mark? I thought you were dead."

I smirked. "Uh, we both got better." Garrus snorted.

"Good to see you guys again." He replied.

"How'd you manage to piss of every major merc organization in the Terminus Systems?" Shepard asked.

"It wasn't easy. I _really_ had to work at it," Garrus joked. "I am amazed that they teamed up to fight me. They must really hate me."

"They sure do." I said. "Damn mercenaries all want a piece of you."

"What are you doing here on Omega?" asked Shepard.

"I got fed up with all the bureaucratic crap on the Citadel," Garrus answered bitterly. "Figured I could do more good on my own. At least it's not hard to find criminals here. All I have to do is point my gun and shoot."

"That much is true." Zaeed chimed in.

"So… since when did you start calling yourself Archangel?" Shepard asked with a smirk.

Garrus laughed. "It's just a name the locals gave me. For all my good deeds." Clearing his throat, he said, "I don't mind it, but please… its just Garrus to you."

Getting back to business, Shepard stepped forward. "This is Miranda Lawson, Jacob Taylor, and Zaeed Massani. We're here to help Garrus. Getting here was the easy part, but getting out…"

"As you humans say, it won't be a walk in the park. That bridge has saved my life… funneling all those witless idiots into scope," Garrus informed. Standing up and walking back to the window, he pointed out the disadvantages.

"But it works both ways. They'll slaughter us if we try to get out that way."

"So we just sit here and wait for them to take us out?" Miranda asked sarcastically.

"It's not all that bad," Garrus replied calmly. "This place held them off so far. And with the five of you… I suggest we hold this location, wait for a crack in their defenses, and take our chances. It's not a perfect plan, but it's a plan."

Turning his head to face Garrus, Shepard couldn't help but ask, "How'd you let yourself get into this position?"

"My feelings got in the way of my better judgment. It's a long story," Garrus said angrily as he adjusted the scope on his rifle.

I got the distinct impression that Garrus was angry at himself rather than at Shepard.

"I'll make you a deal: you get me out of this alive, and I'll tell you the whole damn thing," Garrus promised.

The plan to get out was going to be difficult. Garrus, Shepard, and I looked across the bridge and saw what Garrus was looking at: a large group of LOKI mechs. Eclipse was making their move.

"Miranda, Jacob, and I will head downstairs and hold the main entrance. Garrus, Zaeed, and Mark will snipe as many of these bastards as they can. Wait for the heavy, you know what will happen then," Shepard ordered the Cerberus operatives.

"You got it, Commander." Jacob replied.

"Understood, Shepard." Said Miranda.

"Just like old times, Shepard. Let's give these bastards everything we got!"

Zaeed and I took cover behind a railing and waited for the mechs and Eclipse to move in. I put my hood back on and switched over to my rifle's sniper mode.

"Let's see how well you do." I said.

The three of us took aim and fired at the mechs. With Shepard and the Cerberus operatives below us, we created a virtual killing ground. After the LOKI mechs were taken care of, the Eclipse mercenaries decided to come out.

The mercenaries and the mechs found themselves outgunned despite having strength in numbers. Jacob pulled the mechs into the crowd of mercenaries leaving the rest of us to pick off the mechs. The resulting explosions knocked over the mercs leaving the ground team to mop up.

It was a shooting gallery for us.

Luckily, we had enough thermal clips to last us for a while. After gunning down dozens of Eclipse mercs, the large YMIR mech made its appearance.

"Damn it. They're sending out the heavies." said Garrus.

"That problem should take care of itself." said Shepard.

Garrus was worried at first, but I gave him a thumbs up. We sat back for a bit while the mercs and the YMIR battled it out. After the mech had finished off the remainder of the Eclipse, it turned and wildly fired at us.

"I got it!" I yelled, pushing the self-destruct button on my omni-tool that took out any remaining Eclipse mercenaries.

Once they were taken care of, the leader of the Eclipse mercs on Omega, Jaroth, was slowly crawling along the bridge and bleeding profusely. Garrus made short work of him with a shot to the head, "Gotcha." he said. After we finished off the Eclipse, Shepard asked Garrus about Jaroth, "Why were you after him?"

"He's been shipping tainted eezo across Citadel space. Half the goods I seized at C-Sec came from his team here. I took out a big shipment awhile back and killed his top lieutenant in the process. Guess he decided to join up with the other mercs after that." Replied Garrus.

"Yeah. Heard from him when we came in here that one of the guys you killed was his brother. Probably explains why he was more pissed off than usual." I said.

"That would do it." said Garrus deadpanning.

"Mark, what do you see?" asked Shepard. I was looking across the bridge through my scope, "Its strange, they seem to be holding their position. I don't see any movement over there."

"What if they're looking for another way in?" asked Shepard.

"Maybe..." said Garrus.

Just then an explosion rocked the complex.

"Damn. The Blood Pack's breached the lower levels. Well, they had to use their brains eventually." Garrus pointed towards the staircase, "Shepard, take your squad and get down there." Garrus said.

"I'm not leaving you alone up here. You're gonna get killed." said Shepard. "Commander, I'll stay and help Garrus. I wasn't part of your plan before you came here anyway. Might as well help out." I said.

Shepard nodded in agreement. "In that case, we'll even it out. Miranda, stay with them."

"Yes Commander."

He took Jacob and Zaeed and headed down into the tunnels.

"Shall we, Garrus?" I said nodding towards the bridge.

"You bet Mark. I'll need you to get whatever I don't hit."

"Will do." I replied. On the couch behind us was an M-15 Vindicator.

"Miranda, do you know how to use an assault rifle?" I asked.

"I know how to use one, I just prefer not to." She replied.

"Well we're gonna be up here the whole time. Besides, the Vindicator has the range and power your pistol and sub-machine gun don't." I said.

"Good point." She said, as Miranda grabbed the Vindicator.

The Blood Pack troops came over the bridge more aggressively than the Eclipse. As a precaution, I dropped some proximity mines at the entrance of the facility as extra defense and so we would know if they made it inside. For thirty minutes, Garrus, Miranda and I fought off wave after relentless wave of Blood Pack mercs. "We've closed down 2 of the 3 shutters. On our way to the third." said Shepard. "Might wanna double time it Commander. They're cranking up the heat on us!" I yelled into the radio.

"Keep your pants on Mark. We're almost there." said Shepard.

Once we got confirmation that all the shutters were locked down, Garm, the Blood Pack's leader on Omega breached one of the doors with a squad. Luckily, Shepard and his team handled the small group on the ground floor while Garrus, Miranda, and I handled Garm. It was one sided; Garm was taking it to us. Downstairs, the sound of a grenade exploding echoed through the building as Shepard took out the group of vorcha.

"Garm's got us pinned down Shepard!" yelled Garrus.

We continuously shifted cover to get a better shot at him. I switched to my assault rifle and started to fire blindly; though I doubt most of my shots landed. Shepard and the rest of the squad burst through the door and unloaded on Garm's barriers. With Garm distracted, I switched to my Eviscerator shotgun.

_Time for a little surprise._

Garm used a biotic charge to escape from the barrage and hid behind a couch.

"Is that the best you can do?" he yelled out.

I deactivated my stealth camouflage and put the shotgun up to his head. "Now you see me, now you die."

I fired a round into his head, an explosion of gore and orange blood flew everywhere.

"Okay…that's probably the most disgusting thing I've ever seen." Garrus said.

"Fuckin' hell kid." Zaeed said.

"Hey he's dead. Would you rather I just tapped on the head?" I asked.

"Nah. Better off this way." Shepard replied.

"Thanks for the help, Shepard. We managed to take out Garm and his Blood Pack. This day gets better and better," Garrus said with a smile. "He was one tough son of a bitch."

"You fought with him before?" Shepard asked while I brushed various chunks of krogan skull off of me.

"Yeah, we tangled once. Caught him alone. None of his gang to help him." Garrus shook his head. "Still couldn't take him out. I've never seen a krogan regen that fast. He's a freak of nature. He just kept at it until his vorcha showed up. It was close, but I had to let him go."

Garrus smiled again. "Not this time."

"Hey Jacob, do I have any other pieces of krogan skull on me?" I asked.

Jacob had a sick expression on his face. "No offense, but I can't look at you for awhile."

"Some help you are." I replied.

Shepard walked up to the railing and at looked out at the bridge.

"With the Blood Pack gone, the tunnels are clear. We could use those to escape and avoid the gunship and the Blue Suns altogether." Said Shepard.

"I think you're right. Tarak's got the toughest group. We can rig some explosives on the way out. When they try to get inside the building, we'll…" Garrus was interrupted by the sounds of a Mantis Gunship soaring by the window. "Damn it!" "Everyone down!" Shepard ordered.

The gunship strafed the building as we all ducked down. Pausing for a moment, the ship weaved back and forth searching for targets. We held our positions, except Shepard who pulled his rocket launcher. Jumping from cover Shepard fired, the rocket locking onto the gunship and striking the side. The ship took off, flying up toward the roof.

I broke out of cover and threw a grenade at the bottom of the gunship. It stuck to the bottom and then detonated, causing several Blue Suns mercs to fall out of the gunship in flames and screaming on their way down.

"Damn. Nice throw Mark." said Jacob. It was a risky throw, the gunships cannons knocked out my shields and I took some impacts to the chest and legs.

"You all right Mark?" asked Garrus.

"I'm good. Just gonna be in pain for awhile longer."

"Damn. Their rappelling in, ground floor."

Shepard, Jacob, and Miranda went downstairs to engage them while Garrus, Zaeed, and I provided top cover. Miranda used her biotics masterfully along with Jacob and easily handled the group. The base was clear, until the gunship reappeared.

"Archangel!" yelled Tarak. Garrus was too slow as the gunship strafed the window hitting Garrus' shields repeatedly.

"Garrus! Stay down!" I yelled as he struggled to get behind cover next to me. Tarak yelled again, "You think you can screw with the Blue Suns? This ends now!"

Before I could grab him, he got out from behind the chair we were hiding behind to try and get a shot off at the gunship. A missile then fired from the gunship, blew up in his face sending him flying across the room.

"Garrus! No!" I yelled, trying to reach him but the gunship continued to strafe the room. Shepard and the squad made it back up and we opened fire on the gunship. Shepard unloaded with his ML-77 missile launcher, Miranda used the last few rounds on her Vindicator before switching to her Tempest, Jacob used his Avenger, and I scoped in with my sniper rifle waiting for a clean shot.

With one shot, Tarak's head exploded and the gunship spun out of control while Shepard fired off one more missile to destroy the gunship.

I immediately rushed over to Garrus to apply some medi-gel and check his vitals. When he came to, part of his face was a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

"He's not gonna make it is he?" asked Jacob.

"He's gonna make it damn it! We haven't come this far to give up!" I yelled.

"Come on Garrus! Stick with me man!" I said, as I lightly moved his head to check his injury.

_Never seen anyone take a missile to the face before._

"Somebody get me friggin' stretcher!" I yelled as I tried to stabilize Garrus. I pulled off my mask and dug out the small field medic kit from one of my pouches.

"John here. Take this hypo and stick it in his neck, left side." I said. Shepard nodded and did it.

"Shepard we have to get out of here." Miranda said.

"Either get me a stretcher or get the fuck out of here!" I shouted. She looked shocked to say the least. "I'm not leaving him here."

"Normandy this is Taylor. Alert medical, we're coming in hot." Jacob said.

Miranda came through and got a stretcher, while Shepard and I carried Garrus out. Zaeed kept tabs on Garrus to make sure he wouldn't go into shock.

_Hell of a first day back._

_

* * *

_

**Normandy SR2, Omega**

Going back on the Normandy was familiar, if not unusual. Sure there were the familiar faces like Shepard, Joker, and Dr. Chakwas but it was more...awkward. I was surrounded by Cerberus personnel, an omnipotent AI known as EDI, and god knows how many surveillance devices. I was pacing back and forth outside of sickbay waiting on the verdict for Garrus. The windows went from transparent glass to an opaque white as he was being operated on.

He took a bad hit and I was worried about him. He was one of the few familiar and friendly faces on board. It had been almost 5 hours since we brought him on board, five hours since he went into surgery. I hadn't even bothered to change out of my armor. Jacob had gone upstairs minutes ago to give Shepard the news. I know John was probably as worried as I was. The doors to the med bay opened up.

"Hey Mark." Said Garrus, who was now bandaged up.

"Hey big guy. Welcome back." I replied with a grin and a friendly pat on the back.

"Good to be back." He said as we walked into the elevator. "By the way, thanks for saving me."

"Anytime man. That's what friends do." I said.

He chuckled. "You're more hyper than usual."

"I'm just excited to back man. You're back, John's back. Hell even Joker and the doc are back! I missed everyone." I said.

"I hear that. The last two years have been hell."

"Agreed." I replied as the elevator got off at the CIC.

We walked into the briefing room where Miranda, Jacob, and Shepard were gathered around the table going over an after-action report. They all turned and looked surprised to see Garrus.

"Shepard." he said.

"Tough son of a bitch. Didn't think he'd be up yet." said Jacob.

"No one had a mirror, how bad is it?"

Shepard replied. "Hell Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will notice."

"Ha-ah! Oh don't make me laugh, damn it. My face is barely holding together as it is." Garrus retorted, "Ah, probably for the best. Everyone was always ignoring you and hitting on me. Time for you to get a fair shot at it."

Shepard and I both laughed and Jacob snapped off a quick salute before leaving. Miranda eyed Garrus before turning to Shepard. "Dr. Chakwas discourages her patient to be out of the medical bay this soon. She recommended that she keep an eye on him for at least four more hours."

"I'm fine," Garrus protested.

"Until the painkillers wear off," Miranda countered. Sighing, she told Shepard, "I'll arrange for him to have the proper security clearance on board the Normandy."

"Make sure he has officer's clearance," Shepard added. "I trust him. Same goes for Mark."

"Understood, Commander…wait, for Mark?" she asked, giving me a sour look on her way out.

"Yes Miranda. I want Mark to be our Chief Tactical Officer. That's not a problem is it?" Shepard said.

She fixed me another sharp look. "No sir." She left the room, in a silent frustration.

As soon as the doors closed, Garrus' jovial tone changed to business. "Frankly, I'm more worried about you. Cerberus, Shepard? You remember those sick experiments they were doing?"

"That's why I'm glad you're here, Garrus. If I'm walking into hell, I want someone I trust at my side," responded Shepard.

Garrus gave a small chuckle. "You realize this plan has me walking to hell, too. Hah, just like old times."

"Considering that you fought against Saren, Sovereign, and the mercs on the Omega hell should be something you're used to," joked Shepard.

"Don't forget about me." I said.

"Well I know that you've been busy and after seeing what you can do at less than 50%, it would good to have you along." Shepard replied.

"Here I was thinking that it was my sense of humor that got me in." I replied sarcastically.

Turning serious, Shepard said, "You should report back to the medical bay. No buts," when Garrus opened his mouth to protest.

"Let Dr. Chakwas get her four hours. Miranda has to include you into the Normandy crew roster anyway and get security clearance. Until then, you'll have nothing to do for a while anyway."

Tapping his omni-tool, Shepard sent the dossiers to us, along with the specifics of his current mission. "Some light reading while you're being checked out. The mission we're on right now." Looking up at Garrus, he continued, "First thing tomorrow, we're going back to Omega for supplies. I want you as healthy as possible."

Garrus checked his omni-tool. After a few minutes he looked up at Shepard. "The Collectors?"

Shepard nodded.

"What's Cerberus' stake in this anyway?" Garrus asked suspiciously.

"I don't know yet," Shepard admitted. "The Illusive Man wants something, I'm sure of it. The problem is…he reluctant to say much, if anything. For now, he's provided me the resources to fight this threat, so I'm going along for now. Other than that, I expect him to pull a fast one on us at some point."

"Of course he wants something. He's a paranoid egomaniac. Figured that out awhile ago." I said.

Shaking his head, Shepard patted Garrus on the shoulder. "Just be ready, okay? Now, report to Dr. Chakwas."

Garrus nodded. "You too Mark. You look like you could use time time to recover. Change out of that armor and report to Chakwas."

With a smirk, I said, "Sure thing mom."

"You were injured that whole time?" asked Garrus.

"Yeah. Didn't see the limp?"

"I couldn't. I was too busy getting shot at." he deadpanned.

As we left the Briefing Room, Shepard added, "And guys? It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, John." I said.

I got out of my armor and stored my gear in the armory.

_Maintenance can wait, I'm too beat for this_, I said to myself.

I went down to sickbay with Garrus and asked Dr. Chakwas to give me a checkup.

"Hello Mark. It's good to see you again. What brings you to the clinic?"

"Injuries. Got these a few weeks ago."

"Weeks ago?" she asked almost sternly.

"I know, I know. I just needed to come out here to make sure Cerberus wasn't messing with our mutual friend."

"I see. All right take a seat over there. I'll be with you in a few minutes." she said as she was running her omni-tool over Garrus. He didn't seem too pleased about being cooped up in sickbay. I was probably the only one who obeyed doctors orders...most of the time.

After Chakwas was done, she came over to me and ran her omni-tool over me. "Oh my..." she said. Looking up at me almost bewildered she asked, "Mark how did you sustain all of these injuries?"

Garrus turned his head and looked over, at the monitor showing my x-rays.

"Cerberus." I said, "They've been "questioning" me for the last year and a half. I was being held in the same place where they were working on Shepard. Got out at the same time he did."

"They did all of this to you?" asked Garrus.

"Yeah." was all I said.

"Fractures on both knees, broken sternum, two broken ribs. I see signs of your lungs recovering from being collapsed and dozens of other areas that appear to have been injured. Several lacerations. Goodness…you have over 3500 stitches from the neck down." said Chakwas. She shook her head while looking it over.

"They captured you Mark?" asked Garrus in a surprised tone.

"You could say that. I was busy looking for some sort of main base they had or any other information. There's more to it but since we're being listened in on, I'll tell you later."

"Gotcha." Replied Garrus.

"Well Mark the only good news I could find since I last saw you was that you no longer have neurotoxemia. You were cured I see. As far as missions go, you're grounded for the time being."

"Whatever you say, doc. Besides, I could use the rest."

"I'm glad someone on this ship isn't stubborn about their own health." she said, almost directing the comment at Garrus.

"What? I feel fine." he said.

"Looks like I'll be in here for the time being." I said laying back on the bed. "Race you to the top Garrus."

Garrus tilted his head in confusion while I pressed the button next to the bed, raising the top half up.

"Oh I see." he said chuckling and joined in.

"I'm so kicking your ass!" I said.

Outside of sickbay, the crew was eating dinner. I saw the Commander along with Jacob, Miranda, and Joker discussing something.

_If Joker's involved, it's probably something good_.

After the days events, I was too tired to even bother wondering what was going on and fell asleep.

* * *

Miranda was annoyed. Shepard giving officers clearance _and_ making Mark the ship's chief tactical officer? She punched the pillow on her bed in frustration. Miranda might have been impressed with Shepard's progress on the mission so far, but this decision set it back in her mind.

_You're only angry because he makes you angry. _

She took a deep breath rubbed her forehead. On paper, having someone of Mark's ability on this mission was invaluable. Not just because of his combat and command abilities, but because he had known Shepard longer than anyone else on the ship. She had seen the effect first hand when they picked up Garrus. The Illusive Man didn't seem bothered by his presence on the Normandy either. If anything, he liked how Sears called a temporary cease-fire to focus on the bigger picture. Of course, he would want him to be monitored like everyone else on the ship.

It still didn't make Miranda feel any better though. She got out of bed and went to the medical bay. She was too frustrated to sleep anyway. Looking into the window of the med bay, Miranda noticed that Mark was still awake, and reading a datapad.

She walked in slowly, just watching him.

"Couldn't sleep eh Miranda?" he asked with that same stupid grin on his face.

"No." she answered simply.

"I bet you're bitter about me having a job on this ship now."

"Yes. I am. You shouldn't even be here." She replied angrily. "Why did you follow us?"

"If you found out that your best friend was being re-animated by the very organization you're trying to destroy, wouldn't you follow?" he asked.

She silently glared at him. Mark turned his head and looked met her glare. It was fairly dark in the med bay, only a few emergency lights were on and he wasn't even wearing his glasses. His eyes were glowing. She knew the effects of neurotoxemia but never knew about this one.

"I'll give you a some advice Miranda. Get over it. If I was going to kill you and every Cerberus operative on this ship, it would have been done already. I'm here because I want to be here. Not because my boss ordered me to." He said.

She wouldn't admit it openly, but it stung. Miranda had convinced herself that she wanted to be here when in fact, it was an order.

He sat up in his bed and put the datapad down. "Look, there two reasons why I'm here. I want to help my friend and keep Cerberus from controlling him or using him for your own greedy ends. And you know that I will do everything in my power to make sure we succeed."

Miranda was surprised, here was the man who hunted down the organization she was loyal to acting like they were on the same team.

"So to keep my little speech short and sweet, I say we start on a clean slate. We've got enough to worry about on this mission. There's no need for us to sleep with guns under our pillows." He said, extending his arm out.

She stared at his hand for some time. Miranda was just shocked at this display.

"Deal." She replied with a small smirk on her face, shaking his hand.

He let out a tired breath. "I'm just glad that didn't turn into a slap."

Miranda chuckled and sat in a chair next to him.

"By they way, I should probably apologize for yelling at you earlier." He said. "Heat of the moment, you know."

"Yes I do. You don't have to apologize for that. I understand." She replied.

"Nah I should. It was uncalled for." He said.

"Well, apology accepted." Miranda replied with a smirk.

Mark nodded and put his head back onto the pillow. "There's one more thing I should probably get off my chest. You know, since we're teammates and all now."

"What is it?" she asked. _How many times is he going to surprise me tonight?_

"I know that you were trying to look for me for a long time. You probably got in touch with every contact you knew, who got in touch with their people and so on. Yet, after all that time they turned up nothing." Mark started.

"Yes." Miranda said a little confused.

"All this time and all these resources just to find little old me." He smiled. "But there was one person who came through for you…"

Miranda raised an eyebrow. There was one person…

"Someone who happened to have my exact location. A date, a time…"

She sat up in her chair and looked at Mark. _No! It couldn't be._

He turned to look at her. "An anonymous tip…well…here's your tipster."

Miranda's eyes went wide. "You? You told me where you were?"

Mark nodded.

"Why?"

"Well, both sides of the coin were having trouble looking for anything major in terms of information. I had a plan. I didn't like it, but I had a feeling it would work." He replied with a chuckle.

"I didn't find what I was originally looking for but I found something better than information. I found my best friend."

"You sacrificed your own life on a chance?" Miranda asked incredulously.

"That's the difference between me and your boss. I don't risk other people unnecessarily; I do it myself. Why risk other people?"

Miranda shook her head, she couldn't believe it.

"Hey." Mark said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm not dead and I sure as hell don't plan on dying anytime soon. We both did what we had to do."

Miranda sat there silently, staring at Mark's hand on her right shoulder.

"Anyway, I just wanted you to know that." He said.

"Thank…thank you for telling me." Replied Miranda.

"You're welcome." Mark said as he picked up the datapad and started reading it again.

Miranda got up and headed for the door. "Goodnight Miranda."

"Goodnight Mark."

She walked back to her quarters and got back into bed. In an unusual way, she had never felt more comfortable in her life. With all of these revelations bouncing around in her head, they had brought some small amount of peace. On a subconscious level, their battles had taken their toll on Miranda. Now that they were on the same team, everything just felt better.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to the sound of a conversation in the room. I put my sunglasses on and saw Dr. Chakwas speaking with a salarian.

_Could be Professor Solus_.

"Oh good morning Mark." said Chakwas. "I hope we weren't disturbing you."

"Not at all. Morning doctor. Doctor." I said nodding to Mordin.

"Ah. Hello. Must be other new recruit. Heard much about you." he said at an almost light speed rate, "Oh sorry. Forgot to introduce myself. Doctor Mordin Solus."

"Mark Sears, really injured guy. I mean, other really injured guy."

"Noticed your x-rays. Simply astonishing. Hm, never knew humans could take such punishment and still function." he said sounding more like a scientist.

"Mark is unique, doctor. He once suffered from neurotoxemia, hence his 'durability'." said Chakwas

"Been awhile since I've been an experiment." I said jokingly. Shepard came in and began talking to Mordin and Chakwas.

"Hey Mark. How are you feeling?"

"A little better than yesterday. Might take awhile before I'm good to go though." I said. I sat back and listened to their conversation, learning about Doctor Solus. He used to work for the salarian STG and was considered to be the one of the most brilliant scientists in the galaxy. I could see how he would be an asset to the team, studying the Collectors and finding ways to beat them. I was surprised to know that in the STG he had extensively studied the genophage, which had sterilized the entire krogan population millennia ago. He headed back up to the 2nd deck to continue studying the Collector samples that were obtained after Ferris Fields was attacked.

_Another colony attacked? This is getting worse and worse_.

Shepard came over and sat on the edge of the bed next to me, "So Mark, what's been going on with you these past few years?"

"A lot. Where should I start?" I asked.

"What happened after you left the Normandy?"

"I went back home to Elysium to start looking for Cerberus' financial backers. Had a little help from a friend."

With a puzzled look, Shepard asked, "A friend?"

"An asari Spectre. I met her before I helped you out with Saren. You remember that story I told you about Vogel?"

"Oh yeah. I got to see the video footage of that not long after you left. I don't think I'd ever consider jumping off a sky scraper."

"Takes a little bit of crazy, maybe some balls too. Anyway, she helped me out on Elysium. Then one thing led to another..." I said trailing off while tilting my head. Shepard just smiled and shook his head, "Nice going Casanova."

"Yeah...She only helped for a couple of ops before she had to go. Ended up running into a geth prime who wanted to help me."

"You mentioned a geth earlier."

"Yeah. I've been teaching him about organics and various other things. I call him Watson."

"Odd name to give."

"Eh, I liked it." I said trailing off.

"What did you find during your investigation?"

"A lot of shell companies. Spent most of my time traveling around. After you died, things got…difficult. Last year, I went to Akuze. Cerberus was experimenting on people, making a bio-weapon." I said shaking my head, "Probably the most gruesome thing I've seen since I was last there."

Shepard looked concerned, "It must have been difficult to go back there." "Yeah...Especially seeing the monument there. All the names." We were silent for a few seconds, "Then I saw data about the Lazarus project." "

You found it on Akuze?"

"The initial technology, plans, procedure; stuff like that. Also found out that because of my actions it was going to be "past the deadline". I guess if I didn't shut down most of their financial backers and shell companies you would have been alive a lot sooner."

In a sarcastic manner, Shepard said, "Thanks Mark."

"You're welcome."

"Well I have to take care of a few things. We're getting ready to dust off and pick up our next recruit. It should take us a day or two to get there."

"You got it. If you need my help, I'll be here."

It was kind of boring here in sickbay. Garrus had left after getting cleared and Chakwas was busy working. In order pass the time, I thought of a weapon concept to help give us an advantage against the Collectors. It would be a high velocity MIRV missile, combined with the power of a HEAT round.

As I drew it up, a Cerberus crewmember came in. She had a short, flowing head of red hair. "Hello. I'm Yeoman Kelly Chambers. I hear your one of our newest team members." she said in a friendly voice.

"Yep. I'm Mark Sears. Nice to meet you Ms. Chambers." I said with a smile. "Please, call me Kelly."

"Sure thing, Kelly."

"Shepard told me a lot about you. It's good to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Kelly."

"May I sit down?" she asked.

"Go ahead." She sat down on the edge of the bed next to me.

"What can I do for you Kelly?"

"I'd like to get to know you, part of my job is to monitor the crew."

"So you're like a councilor?"

"Yes, but my primary job is being Commander Shepard's assistant."

"I see."

"Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of information about you. Cerberus records are lacking as far as you go."

With a smirk I replied, "I try to keep it that way. I'm not sure if you know this but I'm an enemy of Cerberus."

"I know. But I work for the Commander. I would like to keep him up to date if that's alright."

"Well if its for John, sure. I'll trust you." I replied.

"Thank you, Mark. That means a lot."

"You're welcome."

"So you and the Commander have been friends for a long time?"

"Yes. We've been friends for 15 years."

Kelly was surprised, "Wow. That's quite awhile. May I ask how you know him?"

"I met him when I was rescued from Mindoir after the slaver attack. His mother's ship picked me up and I met him on board. We've been friends ever since that day."

"I see. May I ask what happened?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and started, "My family was killed. Watched my entire neighborhood get either captured or killed; then burned to the ground. Not too long after I met John, I lied about my age and joined the Alliance Military. Most of my records are classified but from what I can tell you, I was a Lieutenant Commander and leader of the Task Force 110, Alliance Special Forces. We were one of the most decorated units in the Alliance at the time; until we were disbanded after Akuze."

"My goodness." Kelly said with a sad expression on her face, "I can't even imagine what that was like for you."

I shook my head lightly and replied, "It wasn't pretty, that's for sure. Once I was evac'd from Akuze, I spent some time in a military hospital after being diagnosed with neurotoxemia. I was the first human ever diagnosed with it. After everything I saw on Akuze, I didn't speak for 2 years. PTSD. Spent that whole time in a VA hospital on Earth, Walter Reed to be exact. Got a medical and honorable discharge, wandered the galaxy as a PI, helped my friend defeat Saren."

"How did you wind up fighting Cerberus?" she asked.

"While I was helping Shepard, we heard a transmission about someone killing former Alliance scientists who were involved in a top secret research project on Akuze. Turns out the man killing them was a soldier in my unit. He said that Cerberus was behind it, and that they experimented on him since that day until we wiped out their facilities in the Voyager Cluster."

I turned to look at Kelly, "Cerberus killed my entire unit, experimented on one of my best men and gave me condition that I lived with for ten years. I'm fighting them because they believe that by experimenting on your own people will make you better than everyone else." There was an awkward silence for a few seconds until I spoke up, "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. My past isn't exactly the best conversation material."

"Its alright Mark. I understand and I'm glad we talked."

"Likewise, Kelly. Hope we can do it again sometime." She smiled and got up to leave the room.

* * *

I asked Dr. Chakwas if I was able to explore the ship instead of being stuck in bed all day. It had been 4 days and I was starting to get restless. She said that I could explore the ship, I just had to use crutches to get around and not put any pressure on my knees as they were still recovering.

So after hobbling around, I made my way up to the CIC so I could check my weapons and armor. Jacob wasn't around so I logged everything myself. I first looked at my armor that would take a little bit to fix.

_I don't remember taking this much damage. Must have been ignoring being shot._ I activated my omni-tool and scanned to make sure there was no structural damage other than scorch marks and deflections.

_Good. Nothing too serious. _

I put my armor inside a repair pod to regenerate the outer pieces. Weapons were next up. I picked up the Nighthawk Mk.2 and disassembled it to clean it. The armory door opened up and Miranda walked in.

"Hello Mark." she said making her way over to the table I was sitting at. "Miranda."

"Feeling better?" she asked with a small grin on her face.

"Yes I am. Thank you."

_Someone's being friendly today._

She walked over to the weapons locker and pulled out her weapons, checking them for our next assignment.

"Dr. Chakwas says that you should be ready for action in a few weeks."

"Yeah. I'm just glad she let me out of sickbay. Haven't seen the rest of the ship yet."

"I just finished giving you the proper access for the rest of the ship. You're free to go anywhere." she said.

"I appreciate it."

I was cleaning my rifle when Miranda said, "Have you found a place to stay? I mean once you're cleared."

"Nah not yet. Why, got any recommendations?" I asked.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "There's an open area in the recreation room where you could stay."

"Cool. I'll have to check out after this. Thanks for the suggestion." I replied.

"Of course." She said going back to work on her Tempest. From the looks of things, Miranda was having some difficulty fixing it.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"The damn trigger has been sticking since I got this thing." She replied.

"Lemme see it." I said. Miranda raised an eyebrow before handing me the submachine gun. I pressed the takedown switch and took a look at the trigger mechanism. Weapons technology hadn't changed much in the past few centuries. Mechanical parts and gas were replaced with mass effect technology and mass accelerators.

"Hm." I said, looking at it. "Looks like firing chip is fried. Gonna have to change that out."

The good news about this new Normandy was that it had its own weapon minifacturing and repair facilities so we wouldn't have to toss out our weapons and get new ones. I walked over to the station and started working on it. Miranda stood behind me, looking over my shoulder as I worked.

"I didn't know you were good at weapon repair." She said.

"I did this all the time on the old Normandy. One could say that I didn't just repair them, I made everyone's weapons better." I replied.

"Too bad Jacob already has that job." Miranda said with a smirk.

"Eh. I think he can handle it. We've all got something we're good at on this ship." I picked up the Tempest and handed it back.

"There you go. Should be good as new." I said.

"Thank you." Miranda replied. She put it back in her locker and turned to leave the armory.

"By the way, sorry about what I did to you on Gateway."

She turned around, "It's alright. Its over and done with."

_He really is different_, she thought.

* * *

I headed down to the crew deck to check out my new digs. The recreation room was right in front of the elevator so finding it wasn't much of a problem. I walked inside and gaped at what I saw.

"Sweet Sideshow Mel!" I yelled out. The rec. room had a massive vid screen on the far wall and was flanked left, right, and front by couches. To the right of the room…

"A ping pong table! Yes!" I said pumping my fist.

In the left corner of the room was a rather large bookcase and a few chairs. By the look of things, this place didn't get too many visitors.

_Probably because everyone's busy working._

I went to the med bay to grab my bag and tossed it on the couch facing the vid screen. I pulled a bunch of belongings that I had out of the bag. I pulled out the holo of my family, my old dog tags, my personal terminal, and some clothes.

"I'm gonna have to get some things to spice this room up." I said to myself. This would be my little home away from home until this mission is over.

* * *

_There we go. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!_

_I'm still waiting for Arrival. PSN is always late with these things..._


	16. He's A Biggin

_Author's Note: Well here's the next chapter! I don't know why but this was a pretty difficult chapter for me to do. I was just really distracted with the Arrival DLC and a bunch of other things, so I apologize is this one seems a little subpar._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En route to Korlus**

I woke up the next morning in the med bay. Despite having a new room, I wouldn't be cleared to leave the bay for a day or two. I grabbed my crutches and made my way to the bathroom to take a shower and get changed. I slowly made my way from the med bay and rounded the left hand corner. When I made it to the door, I looked up: Women's Bathroom.

_Shit. _

I rolled my eyes. "I guess it helps if you get the grand tour." I muttered.

"Mr. Sears, the men's bathroom is located on the port side of the ship." Said a synthetic female voice.

"Oh. Thanks. Who might you be?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am the Normandy's Enhanced Defense Intelligence. The crew refer to me as EDI." She replied.

"Ah I see. You're the AI Shepard told me about. Nice to meet you." I said.

"You as well Mr. Sears."

I turned around and began moving towards the men's room. I took a quick shower and changed into a pair of baggy carpenter's style jeans, a Soilwork t-shirt, and my pair of black and orange Nike Mercurials. Some people thought my clothing choices were odd, but what did they know?

_At least these are comfy. Not like any of that synthetic crap._

I grabbed the crutches and walked out of the bathroom and approached the counter where the mess sergeant was passing out breakfast. Finally, it was my turn.

"Ah you must be one of the new guys." Said the mess sergeant. He had a small amount of gravel to his voice but enough presence to get everyone's attention. He was balding and had some gray hair left; probably in his fifties or so.

"I am. Name's Mark Sears." I said, sticking my hand out to shake his.

"Good to meet ya kid. Mess Sergeant Rupert Gardner. I heard from a few people that you've got something of a grudge against Cerberus." He said as he went to get a tray.

"You could say that. But I'm here to help out my friend and what we're doing is far more important than the stuff I've got going on with your boss." I replied.

"Good to see that we're on the same page." He said with a smirk. "So what can I get you?"

I tapped my chin. "Eggs, bacon, French toast, some hash browns and an iced coffee."

He chuckled. "Well it's a good thing I've got some left. As for the coffee, you can help yourself. Got a machine over there that'll take care of everything for you."

"Sweet."

_Hope this isn't the Illusive Man's way of charming me._

I got myself a large coffee while Gardner got my tray together.

"Here. I'll help you over." He said.

"Thanks Rupert." I said as I sat down at the seat closest to his counter.

I dug in almost immediately. Part of me could tell that some of this was military provisions but I didn't really care; I was used to them by now.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I served in the military for seven years and you've done a better job than the military cooks ever did." I replied.

"Heh. Thanks kid. You're probably the only one that likes it, everyone else seems to complain." He said emphasizing towards one of the crewmen sitting near me.

"What are you looking at me for Rupert?" asked the crewman.

"Because you complain all the time, Hawthorne." Rupert said while Hawthorne shook his head.

"Anyway, if you need anything else kid. I'll be over here."

"Sure thing. Thanks Rupert." I replied as I started picking through my breakfast. I introduced myself to Hawthorne and Goldstein. Both of them worked on the Kodiak as pilots. Goldstein used to be a navigator serving on various freight vessels while Hawthorne was a former fighter pilot who served on the SSV De Gaulle.

"So I hear that you're the ship's new tactical officer." Goldstein said.

I nodded. "Yep. Oh! That reminds me, I should probably give some speech."

Hawthorne chuckled. "A speech?"

"You're gonna love this." I replied as I got up and limped over to one of the ship's internal comm. panels.

I cleared my throat. "Attention crew of the Normandy. This is your new chief tactical officer, Mark Sears. It is a great and tremendous honor to have a position of power on this ship. Mostly so I can use it to rule all of you with an iron fist."

A few snickers from around the mess hall could be heard.

"Just so you know, I will not let you down because I'm too damn good at what I do. If and when you screw up and I find out about it, you'll wake up dead the following morning. Yeah that's right! You'll wake up dead. Anyway, that's it! Have a nice day!"

I pressed the button on the panel and everyone collectively laughed.

"Mark you're the god damn man!" Shepard yelled. I looked behind one of the barriers in the mess hall and saw Shepard and the rest of the squad laughing, except Miranda who was shaking her head.

"Glad you enjoyed my awe inspiring speech." I said with a smirk.

"There's a free seat over here." Shepard replied pointing to a seat next to Miranda.

I looked back at Goldstein and Hawthorne. "It's alright, we gotta head back down and prep the Kodiak." Goldstein said.

"Alright. Nice meeting you both." I replied as they got up and headed for the lift. I grabbed the remainder of my breakfast and sat down next to Miranda.

"So Mark, how much longer until you're cleared?" asked Garrus.

"Probably a week or so. Until then, I might as well feed the ground team intel for whatever we run into." I replied.

"Sounds good." Jacob said. "As long as you aren't going to make anymore speeches."

I chuckled. "No promises."

After breakfast, we headed up to the briefing room to get the lowdown on who we were picking up, along with information about Korlus.

Mordin and Garrus would be going down with Shepard along with the two Cerberus operatives.

"Okay, lets start this briefing off." Shepard said. "Our next recruit is a krogan warlord by the name of Okeer. He was a veteran of the Krogan Rebellions conflict and has also been rumored to be familiar with Collector technology. We also know that he has something of an unhealthy obsession with curing the genophage."

Mordin tapped his chin. "Hm. Dangerous. Possible involvement with Collectors could indicate that he wants a cure."

"We're not sure what his deal was with the Collectors." Miranda chimed in. "It's not much of a concern to us."

"It should be." I replied. "Any small detail surrounding his contact with them should be taken into account. Or else we're just back at square one."

Miranda shot me a sharp look but didn't add anything.

"EDI, could you bring up your scans of the area?" Shepard asked.

"Of course, Shepard." She replied, showing a map of the area.

"According to our scans and transmission intercepts, Okeer is somewhere around here." Said Shepard, marking an area off on the holographic map.

"We've also ascertained that the Blue Suns are in the area." Miranda said. Zaeed narrowed a gaze at the map.

"Who's running the show down there?" he asked.

"Intercepted transmissions indicate that the Suns are being led by someone named Jedore." EDI said.

"I've 'erd of her." Zaeed replied rubbing his forehead. "She couldn't lead monkeys to a banana store let alone run a platoon of mercs."

I chuckled. "Should be a snap for you."

Zaeed shook his head. "Just because she's a dumb cunt doesn't mean everyone else is."

"Leadership does help." Jacob said, chiming in. "Otherwise they're all screwed."

"Whatever you say cod piece." Zaeed retorted. Jacob frowned while I chuckled again.

"Settle down guys." Shepard said. "Now, some of the other things we found were a bit troubling."

Miranda pointed out a few other spots on the map. "These are GARDIAN anti-air batteries. They're blanketing the entire area."

"EDI can handle that." Shepard said. Miranda nodded in agreement.

"Commander, I have updated the map for the mission. New scans indicate that the Blue Suns are engaged with krogan."

"Never boring, eh?" I said.

"What are krogan doing here?" Mordin asked.

"I am unable to determine if the krogan are fighting with a particular group or are part of a local militia." Replied EDI.

"What about radio traffic?" Jacob asked.

"Of the transmissions I have intercepted, there are no indications that it is any sort of war between both sides. Only small scale skirmishes."

"This is like Virmire all over again." I said. Garrus chuckled.

"Mark." Said Shepard. "What's your analysis of this operation?"

I raised my eyebrow and looked at the map. "The Blue Suns aren't what concerns me. They're there for something, probably working with Okeer. The large krogan presence is what bothers me. Until you I.D them, it's a mystery. As for Korlus itself, the whole area is ship graveyard. Down there is nothing but a maze of shit. My only advice is to watch your step and avoid anything sharp and rusty. Oh, and if it looks like water, it's probably corrosive."

"All right. Thanks for the tips Mark. Everybody gear up." Shepard said. I replied with a nod.

The team left the briefing room as Miranda was the last one.

"Oh Miranda?" I asked.

She turned. "Yes?"

"If you have any other problems with the Tempest, let me know."

"Of course." She replied and left the room. I grabbed my crutches and left the room, and made my way to the bridge.

Sitting in his usual spot was Joker, who was going through various screens as the Normandy began its orbit around Korlus.

"Hey Joker." I said, as I grabbed the co-pilot seat to his right.

"Hey Mark. Welcome back to the bridge." He replied. "Aw crutches for me? You shouldn't have." Joker said in his sarcastic manner.

I chuckled. "Nope. I get to walk around on these things for another week or so."

"We should rename this the 'Cripple Club'." said Joker.

"It'll be the best club ever. Too bad I'll only be a part of it for a week." I replied.

"How the hell can your bones heal that fast?"

"Well the secret is simply to get a terminal illness from a thresher maw."

"Y'know when you put it like that, it almost sounds dirty." he said.

I just shook my head and laughed.

"Kodiak's away. Good hunting guys." said Joker.

"I have detected a quarian ship inside the area of operations." said EDI.

"Joker, warn the quarians that the GARDIAN batteries are manned by mercs." radioed Shepard.

"You got it Commander." Joker radioed the quarian ships about being with in firing range and they backed off, grateful for our warning. The Kodiak broke the atmosphere and prepared to drop the team off.

"EDI, are you monitoring all transmissions down there?" I asked.

"Yes. I am currently tapped into the Blue Suns communication system and I am monitoring Commander Shepard's team."

"Can you patch me into Shepard's radio?"

"Of course, Mr. Sears."

"Thank you." I said as I moved some screens on the haptic interface. "Commander, this is Big Sexy. I'll be monitoring the situation from up here. If they have any surprises for you, I'll let you know."

There was silence on the other end of the line. "Could you repeat that call sign?" Shepard asked.

"Big Sexy. That's my call sign." I replied.

"I'm not calling you that." He said.

"Can't hear you Commander. You're breaking up." I said as I made static noises into the radio.

"Roger that Big Sexy. Thanks for the assist." He replied in a flat voice.

Joker laughed. "Why couldn't I think of a call sign like that?"

"Because you already have Joker."

"Yeah that's true." He said.

"My other one is Batman." I replied.

"Funny." Joker said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm thinking of a bunch of them for the team. Shepard is Superman. Garrus is the Punisher…"

"What about Miranda?"

"Eh. It's a tie between Wonder Woman and Catwoman."

The sound of someone's throat clearing came over the radio. It was John.

"You guys do realize that the comm. lines are still open?"

"I do now." I replied. The sound of Garrus and Jacob chuckling in the shuttle could be heard.

"Tactical reports will be just fine…Batman." Shepard said…a small amount of humor in is voice.

"Copy that, sorry sir." I replied as Joker and I looked at each other and laughed.

* * *

**Korlus, Imir System, Eagle Nebula**

Sitting in orbit while Shepard and the rest of the team were on some hot junkyard planet wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I was developing a bit of the combat itch but had managed to block it out as best as I could. I was busy monitoring the team and their progress along the way, using the ship's sensors to track them. EDI was doing everything in her power to maintain control of the Blue Suns' AA defenses so the team would have an exit strategy.

"Ah hell." I said.

"You lose them again?" Joker asked.

"I think we're getting interference from all the shit that's down there." I said.

I went through several different screens before I could get a fix on the team again.

"Shepard at the top of that staircase is a squad of Blue Suns mercs. Take cover at this barrier at the top and have the team spread out to the left. They'll come in from your ten."

"Copy that." He replied.

"Heh." Joker said with a smirk on his face.

"What?"

"You're not even on the assignment and yet you're still helping them light up those guys."

"What can I say? I'm just the god damn man." I replied.

"Well after you're awe inspiring speech this morning, this probably makes up for it." Replied Joker.

"Aw you didn't like it?"

"I almost pissed my pants up here when I heard that."

I laughed. "And how is that a bad thing?"

"Uh hello? These are leather seats! Leather!" Joker replied, massaging his chair again. "You know how hard it is to get piss out of leather?"

"No. But it's probably very difficult." I said.

"Duh."

"You complain about that and you still don't have a sperm guard?" I retorted with a grin.

Joker's eyes flashed widely for a second. "How did you know?" he whispered.

"Everyone on the old Normandy knew. It's hard not to when you hear, 'oh-oh-ohhhhhhh' every ten seconds."

"That's a good impersonation. Kinda creepy." Replied Joker.

"Glad you like it." I said as I looked at the screens again. "Oh damn it." I kept going through various screens and typing in various commands but couldn't get the feed back.

"EDI, I lost the feed."

"My apologies, Mr. Sears. I am currently tasked to capacity." EDI replied.

"That's alright EDI. As long as you're still in contact with them and they're fine then its all good."

"Thank you Mr. Sears."

Joker snorted.

"You two don't get along?" I asked.

"I liked the Normandy when she was quiet. Now she's got this thing I don't want to talk about. It's like ship cancer." He replied.

"She can't be all bad. I mean EDI's got a sexy voice." I said.

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you kidding me?"

"No. What, you don't think she has a sexy voice?" I asked.

"You're unreal man."

"Well the way I see it, The Matrix, Battlestar Galactica, and Terminator, taught me about the whole 'computer chaos theory' thing. Then there's the geth uprising that confirmed it. My instinct says that EDI's not like any of that."

"Thank you, Mr. Sears." She replied.

"Uh, you do realize that the Reapers are true AI's right?" Joker said.

"I know that. But she's got restrictions and stuff. I don't think she'll come to the same conclusions as they do. I know Watson hasn't and he's a true geth." I replied.

"Watson?"

"My geth friend. Met him two years ago. He wanted to help me out." I replied.

Joker shook his head. "I think I'm gonna lose my mind."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Not as long as I'm here."

He snorted. "Two years and look at all of this crazy stuff."

"Tell me about it." I replied. I scratched my head. "I need to get the feed back up."

I tapped a button on the haptic interface. "CIC, Bridge. I need feed 980 back up."

One of the CIC operators responded. "We can't bring the feeds back up, Mr. Sears. There's too much interference."

"What about tracking? Can we at least get a fix on them?" I asked.

"I think so. I'll get the LADAR operators on it ASAP."

"Thanks."

After several minutes, the CIC operator responded. "Bridge, CIC. We have a fix on the team. Scans indicate that they are in a room with one krogan and one asari."

"Copy that. Thanks."

* * *

Shepard was a little surprised to see Rana Thanoptis here. She was an asari scientist who was helping Saren study the effects of indoctrination. What she was doing here was anyone's guess.

"Shepard, don't shoot! You know me!" the asari shouted out when she saw him raise his pistol.

"Yeah. I do. Rana Thanoptis, I let you go on Virmire." Said Shepard.

The large krogan in the room was presumably Okeer.

"Here you are. I've watched your progress," the krogan rumbled.

Shepard and the team approached both of them.

Taking that as her cue, the asari continued talking. "I shut down the security cams as soon as we saw it was you."

Offering the Spectre a smile, she joked, "Never thought I'd say it, but I'm glad it's you shooting up the place. I had to outrun a nuke in a utility pod on Virmire, but it's still a second chance."

"I remember her now," Garrus said. Shepard scratched his cheek.

"I assume you have a good reason for being at this lab." He said.

"She is helping me perfect my legacy," Okeer interrupted. Turning to face the group at last, he gestured to the tank next to him. Unsurprisingly, the tank contained a krogan.

"Don't worry! I'm not wasting the chance you gave me!" she jumped in. "My work here – strictly beneficial!"

"She creates the mental imprints for my krogan. It doesn't matter." Okeer interrupted again. "What matters is that my soldier must live. The batteries on this tank will not wait while you play with these idiotic mercs."

"I take it you're Okeer. You don't seem particularly caged, or grateful that I'm here." Shepard said in an annoyed tone.

"You may claim to be here for peaceful purposes. But the formerly deceased Shepard is not a sign of gentle change." Okeer replied.

Shepard glanced at Rana out of the corner of his eye.

"Surprised? All krogan should know you. She was kind enough to tell me the story." Okeer said, confirming Shepard's suspicions.

Raising his arms up in a grand gesture, he continued. "Such a tale! Saren, the Spectre traitor, threatens the return of the krogan horde by curing the genophage." He pointed a finger directly at Garrus and then at Mordin.

"Undoing the gentle genocide of the turians and salarians."

Pacing in front of Shepard, Okeer pointed at the human next. "But before Saren can deliver his endless troops, in rides Shepard, securing victory through nuclear fire." Taking a breath, he stopped pacing to look directly at his 'guests'. "I like that part. It has weight."

The subject of Okeer's story merely crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"

Okeer snorted in contempt. "Helping these mercenaries make the same mistake Saren made. I approve of your actions on Virmire. Saren's pale horde were not true krogan. Numbers alone are nothing. The mistake of an outsider."

"Jedore's on a power trip. She wants a private army, but Okeer mostly ignores her." Rana added.

"Good call." Zaeed said.

"Bah! I gave my rejects for her army," Okeer dismissed. "But she grows impatient. It's time for you to take me out of here."

"Personal issues irrelevant," Mordin said.

"We're here about the Collectors. Nothing more," added Jacob.

Rana's eyes widened when she heard about the Collectors. Okeer just nodded.

"I see. Yes, Collector attacks have increased. A human concern. My requests were focused elsewhere." He said as he walked toward the lone tank.

"I acquired the knowledge to create one pure soldier. With that, I will inflict the greatest insult an enemy can suffer. To be ignored."

Rana gasped. "So that's it. I know you wanted to help your people, but you weren't doing anything to cure the genophage."

"You're not curing the genophage?" Shepard asked him.

"Contrary to what survivors claim, the genophage does not produce strong krogan – the only quality it filters is the ability to survive the genophage." the warlord answered.

"For every stillborn, too many weaklings live. Every survivor is branded as precious. That's produced more coddling than your collective human teats!" Okeer said in disgust.

Okeer wasn't the only one disgusted. The four humans had disgusted looks on their faces. Shepard really didn't want to know how the warlord knew so much about human anatomy and physiology.

"I say let us carry genophage! Let a thousand die in a clutch. We will defeat it by climbing atop out dead. That is the krogan way."

Miranda stepped forward after inspecting the krogan inside the tank. "What did you get from the Collectors? We need all information we can gather on them."

"They are strange." he described. "So isolated, yet very available when your sacrifice is big enough. I gave them many krogan."

Shepard couldn't tell if he meant the tank-grown krogan he created or real krogan he'd defeated over his long lifetime.

"I may have information for you, but the tech was consumed in my prototype. After I determined how to use it without killing the subjects." he added dispassionately. "Their deaths were unfortunate, but I only need one success to start the process."

"Your search for the perfect soldier created a lot of 'failures'. You don't care about them?" Shepard asked angrily. He still remembered the one krogan that helped him gain entry into the compound.

"I failed no one." Okeer corrected. "My rejects are exactly what Jedore asked for. She simply lacks the ability to command," he defended.

"She certainly does." Zaeed said.

Okeer continued his tirade. "They are strong, healthy, and useless to me. I need perfection. If a few thousand are rejected, so be it. My work will purify the krogan. We will not be restored - we will be renewed."

Okeer sounded like a mad scientist in some old sci-fi vid.

"We will not need numbers. My soldier is a template. It is a greater threat than all the phantom siblings that would have been at its flank. The galaxy still bears the scars of the horde. But it will learn to fear the lance."

"You're an unfeeling, heartless zealot." Shepard said flatly.

"Perhaps." Okeer responded. "But I will restore the krogan and my soldier will not provoke a nuclear response as a "cure" or "horde" would. My legacy is perfection, with each pure krogan reaching higher by standing on our dead. They will exceed, but not forget."

"All right." Shepard said, growing tired of this exchange. Looking at Rana, Shepard nodded his head at the door. "Seeing you in a place like this makes me think letting you live was a bad idea. You don't want that."

Rana nodded her head in agreement immediately. "We agree on that. I'll try to stay away from anything to do with you. I'll just run like hell before you blow the place up or something. I learned how you work."

After Rana left, Garrus spoke up. "I'm all for second chances. Not so sure on third ones."

Mordin nodded. "Should have killed her. Too much knowledge without ethical boundaries."

"If you feel that strongly about it, I'm sure you can chase her down and shoot her." Shepard said with a small amount of humor in his voice.

Shepard turned to Okeer. "Your methods might be extreme but you know how to deconstruct a threat. Will you help us out?"

"Perhaps we can strike a deal." the warlord negotiated. "One that secures my prototype. It is key."

Before Shepard could tell Okeer what he could do with his prototype, the doors to the lab suddenly closed and locked themselves.

Jedore's voice returned through the loudspeakers again. "Attention. I have traced the krogan release. Okeer, of course."

The krogan stomped his way to the nearby window and looked down. Following his example, Shepard walked over and finally saw the woman behind the voice. At the bottom floor, past all the laboratory tanks, a telltale glow of Tech Armor revealed Jedore. She was short, had dark blonde hair and a permanent scowl on her face.

She was pacing around the tanks agitatedly and speaking into a headset. "I'm calling 'blank slate' on this project. Gas these commandoes and start over from Okeer's data. Flush the tanks!"

Soon after her proclamation, a hissing sound filled the room. White gas could be seen coming in from various vents lining the laboratory.

"That's not good." Shepard said. "Everyone, helmets on!"

The team put their helmets on and checked their seals to make sure no gas could get inside.

Shepard checked his own hardsuit to find that everything was all right. Looking over at Okeer it looked as though he would not comply.

Okeer growled. "She's that weak-willed? She'll kill my legacy with a damned valve!"

Turning to the Spectre, he offered his ultimatum. "Shepard! You want information on the Collectors? Stop her. She'll try to access contaminants in the storage bay."

Shepard smirked beneath his helmet. "You could always start over like she plans to. What's the problem?"

Okeer growled again before turning to face the tank with his 'legacy' inside. Placing his hand against the glass, he finally nodded. "This tank is pure. It involved as much trial as data. Starting over will not duplicate it. It must survive." he said. "Jedore will be with the rejected tanks. Kill her. I will… stay and do what must be done."

"Let's go." Shepard said through the radio. Mordin ran over to the door opposite from the one they entered and started the bypass, Jacob right behind with a shotgun. The moment the door opened Jacob went in to confirm that it was clear.

Shepard followed to find another set of ramps leading toward Jedore's floor.

"I don't care who they are, I want them dead! This is my world! I'll poison them all!_"_ Jedore screeched.

"I think she's talked enough._"_ Miranda said with finality.

"Agreed." Shepard said with a nod.

"Light the bitch up!" Zaeed yelled.

Everyone moved quickly, but carefully down the stairs. Approaching the door, Shepard spoke up. "Be careful in here. She's got mechs and krogan so watch your shots and keep them guessing."

After everyone responded to his warning, he opened the door and peaked in, before jumping back. A second later, a missile screamed right by and impacted against the far wall.

"I have more where that came from!" Jedore yelled.

The team scattered out to various areas, causing a crossfire between the YMIR and the krogan.

"Damn you!" Jedore yelled.

"See if you like this!" Activating her omni-tool, she opened all the tanks in the room, flooding the area with krogan.

"Break them, kill them! I'll create more!" she yelled.

"Bring it on you bitch!" Zaeed yelled.

Mordin popped out and tossed an incendiary grenade at a group of krogan. "Flammable! Or Inflammable! Forget which. Doesn't matter."

The group of three krogan burst into flames and keeled over.

The room erupted into chaos. In the crossfire, other krogan saw their brethren fighting the mechs and decided to attack them too. Shepard's team was running from cover to cover, taking advantage of the situation by firing on any target of opportunity. The mechs programming identified that they were under attack by the krogan and labeled them as foes. Jedore was screaming at the mechs and the krogan to attack Shepard and his team.

The krogan horde roared as they mindlessly attacked the heavy mech, even going so far as to bash it with their weapons..

Garrus and Mordin worked their way around the area to sneak up on Jedore.

Miranda and Jedore were currently in a firefight with each other, causing Jedore to be distracted.

Using Overload to damage Jedore's Tech Armor before thundering away with her Tempest, Jedore staggered back from the onslaught, her shields were gone, but her armor holding.

Jedore tried to bring her missile launcher up to shoot the Cerberus operative but fell dead as Garrus fired one round from his sniper rifle into her head.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shepard turned to see that the rest of his team had everything well in hand. Everyone got out of cover and looked over the area.

"Uh, clear." Shepard said. Alarms began to blare from the lab.

"Alarms in the lab! Damn it, what's Okeer doing back there?" Miranda said.

"Commander, the lab alarms coincided with a systems failure. The remaining lab systems are unprotected and I have gained limited access."Reported EDI.

"What's happening?" Jacob asked.

"According lab scanners, the room is flooded with toxins and Okeer's personal life signs are failing rapidly. I recommend haste." Replied EDI.

"Great…" Shepard muttered as he and the rest of the team rushed up the stairs to the lab.

"Contamination detected. Emergency vent in progress. Contamination detected. Emergency vent in progress."

Reaching the door to the lab, they saw the body of Okeer, slumped over the console next to the tank.

Mordin ran up and scanned the body with his omni-tool.

"Too late." he said out loud after a few seconds of scanning.

Shepard walked up to the body and noticed the console had a message address to him. Tapping the commands to play it, Okeer's face appeared on the screen. "You gave me time, Shepard. If I knew why the Collectors wanted humans, I would tell you. But everything is in my prototype. My legacy is pure. This…one soldier…this grunt. Perfect…"

As Okeer's final message played out, everyone gathered around the tank he tried desperately to protect.

"Okeer wasted his life to save this single krogan?" Miranda asked incredulously.

"I'm surprised too." Garrus admitted. "Given that Okeer was willing to sacrifice other krogan so easily, I didn't think he was capable of self-sacrifice."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Shepard said. "Given how fanatical he was about this one and how much he sacrificed for it, he was probably capable of anything."

Mordin shook his head. "Delusional. Unlikely one krogan, however strong, could have impact Okeer wanted." he said before looking at Shepard.

As if realizing something he added hesitantly. "Am… almost certain. Suggest leaving it."

Shepard tilted his head at the salarian. "Afraid he'll make your genophage obsolete?" he asked neutrally.

"No." Mordin said in a neutral tone of his own. "But krogan genetically dangerous. Socially dangerous as well. Have enough enemies without adding this."

"Can't be worse than Okeer and if he's tough, we need him." Jacob argued.

"We won't know until he's out. Which is too late if there's a problem," warned Garrus.

"Wrex did well with us before, Garrus. We could always use another heavy hitter," responded Shepard.

"If he'll help. I doubt anyone's asked for his opinion," Garrus said.

"Then we'll ask." Shepard said, ending the discussion. Tapping his omni-tool, he hailed Joker.

"Normandy? Okeer is a no-go. But we have a package that needs retrieval. And he's a big one."

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

As the shuttle docked with the Normandy, various crewmen scrambled about with their assigned tasks. I made my way down to the cargo bay to see this tank bred krogan.

I moved over towards the Kodiak's doors and saw the team disembark.

"All right people! Move that tank to the port side cargo room! And be careful!" Shepard ordered.

Various affirmatives were returned as Mordin jumped off the shuttle and walked quickly toward the elevators, presumably to check the results of his experiments. Garrus and Zaeed left the shuttle and stood next to me.

"Hey guys." I said.

"Hey kid. Thanks for the help." Zaeed said with a pat on the back.

"I wish I could have done more. The damn monitors kept going out." I replied.

"Maybe you'll get a chance to make up for it later." Garrus said.

"Yeah."

"Miranda, Jacob, I'll meet you in the comm. room for debrief later. I need to oversee this." Shepard said as everyone watched the crewmen bustle about.

"You sure you got this, Commander?" Jacob asked.

"It's fine." Shepard said when I yelled out at the tank that came out of the Kodiak.

"Holy fucking shit! He's a biggin'!" I said.

Zaeed and Garrus laughed.

"Just peachy." Shepard said, putting his face into his palm.

"Please tell me he's the new guy." I said to Shepard, barely hiding my excitement.

"Yeah." said Shepard who was looking at the crew moving the large tank to the elevator.

"By the way, thanks for the help while we were down there." Shepard said to me.

"Its the least I can do. I mean that literally, I won't be combat ready for another day or so."

I inspected the tank as it was being moved. "Looks a lot different than most krogan I've seen."

"Well, he's only been alive for a week or so." said Shepard. I responded with a grunt and followed him back up to the briefing room.

"Waking this krogan is bad idea." Miranda said, placing her weapons inside her locker. Jacob and Garrus were also stowing their weapons away in armory while Shepard remained below decks. After stating her opinion, she turned to look at Jacob with an even look. "I can't believe you actually want to wake it."

Jacob just shrugged at her. "It's not like Shepard hasn't worked with a krogan before. Plus, we can use him."

Garrus turned to both humans. "Wrex was a disciplined warrior. This krogan is just a kid, a kid that's also a genetically enhanced super soldier."

"Exactly." Miranda agreed. "We don't know anything about it. We don't know his mental health, his loyalties - if he even has any at all."

"Well, its still Shepard's call." Jacob reminded. "Maybe he wants to study it."

"He wouldn't bring that thing up here if he didn't intend to open it." she pointed out.

Garrus crossed his arms. "I trust him. He knows what he's doing. I may not like it, but if there's anyone able to command a krogan, it's him. If he's able to convince Okeer's 'perfect' krogan to help us out, more power to us. If not, well…" he trailed off.

"We've killed plenty of krogan before." he finished with a shrug. Giving a nod to both Cerberus operatives, Garrus turned around and left.

Miranda started to massage her brow to stave off the incoming headache.

"I definitely have concerns about this…" she said out loud to Jacob.

After securing the tank inside the cargo bay and interfacing the controls with EDI to prevent any mishaps, Shepard and I swiftly made our way to Deck 2 and the comm. room, he didn't even bother to take off his weapons.

As we reached the door, we could hear Miranda talking to Jacob. "Look, what I'm saying is that bringing the krogan aboard for study makes sense, but I still have concerns about waking it."

"Yeah, you've said that a few times now," Jacob said with a touch of exasperation.

Stepping into the room, Shepard stopped at the head of the table and leaned on it. I stood next to him.

Miranda continued her tirade. "A normal krogan is dangerous. This one is was created, and likely educated, by a madman."

"I see everyone's enjoying the new paperweight." Shepard commented. "Concerns?" he asked in all seriousness.

"We don't know anything about it, Commander." Miranda cautioned.

"I know. You don't find that interesting?" he answered with a smirk.

Jacob shook his head, suppressing a smile of his own.

I chuckled in the back of the room.

Turning serious again, Shepard said, "I'm going to open up the tank. If we're willing to through all that trouble to pick up Okeer, then we should at least see if his tank-grown krogan was worth the effort and time to retrieve."

"Krogan fight well at close quarters. Perhaps awakening him in a confined space wouldn't be prudent." she warned.

"Noted." Shepard said to her. "The cargo hold is safe enough in the meantime."

"And for god's sake, don't draw on the tank." I added.

Shaking her head in exasperation, Miranda left. Jacob shrugged at Shepard before turning to leave himself.

Standing in the comm. room, Shepard looked at the display panel on the cherry wood table between his hands. "EDI."

EDI's display materialized before him. "Commander?"

"Tell Garrus that I'd like to see him here, if you will," Shepard requested.

"As you wish, Commander. Also, I was asked to convey the gratitude of the quarian ships within the area of operations to thank you for your warning. Logging you out."

During the next few minutes, Shepard and I waited for Garrus.

"What a shock. Miranda doesn't like your plan." I said.

John snorted. "I don't think she likes me too much."

"That's because we're not Cerberus. We think in sane terms."

"I wouldn't say that around her." He replied.

"I say it all the time. She'll come around eventually when she realizes that we're right and her boss isn't."

Shepard shook his head.

Garrus' voice intruded into our conversation. "Something up?"

Turning to face the turian, he nodded. "Get your weapon Garrus. We're going to see if this krogan is as any good as Okeer claims. Mark, are you sure you're up for this?"

"I'm getting the itch man."

"Well I don't blame you. Come on." He said as we headed to the elevator. "Uh, you don't have a gun."

"Don't need one to talk down a krogan." I said.

Garrus chuckled. "It's your funeral."

* * *

The trip to the cargo bay was made in silence.

I left my crutches at the elevator doors and hobbled down the hall. Shepard would see if the krogan would be willing to help and Garrus shoot it if it proved itself dangerous.

"_Is it true we have a pod containing a baby krogan down in the cargo hold?" Kelly had asked us when we stepped into the CIC and headed for the lift._

_Garrus snorted as he checked over his rifle._

"_Not a baby. He's a full-grown super soldier ready for combat," Shepard corrected._

"_Please be careful if you're going to… err… birth him? His personality is completely unknown," she fretted._

"_Relax, Kelly. Garrus is coming with me. We have the situation under control. What could go wrong?"_

_Yeah… What __**could**__ go wrong?_

"Just wait here until I call. I don't want to piss him off." Shepard said.

"Do you mean until you radio me or yell when he tears off your arms?" Garrus said with morbid humor. I laughed.

"Both." Shepard deadpanned though his smile belied his tone.

Turning serious, he looked Garrus straight in the eye. "I mean it though. Give me a chance with him first. You don't come until I say you do and if I do, don't think, just shoot."

"You gonna be alright in there alone?" Garrus said seriously.

"Mark's coming with me." Shepard said confidently.

"Uh, Mark isn't armed."

John rolled his eyes. "Trust me."

Both us walked into the cargo bay.

"EDI, status," Shepard called out as the door closed behind him.

"The subject is stable, Commander. Integration with onboard systems was seamless," she replied..

Looking up into the tank, the krogan eyes were open, but eerily unblinking.

"Can he see anything in there? Does he know where he is?"

"Unlikely. Current neural patterns indicate minimal cognition. Barring ship-wide power loss, the nutrients in the tank could sustain him for over a year."

"What can you tell me about this guy? Anything unusual?" Shepard asked.

"The subject is an exceptional example of the krogan species, with fully formed primary, secondary, and tertiary organs, where applicable. No defects of any kind, aside from the genetic markers of the genophage present in all krogan. I cannot judge mental functioning." EDI listed off.

"So we have no idea how dangerous this guy is aside from the obvious?"

"He is a krogan, Commander. If you are asking whether he is actively hostile, I don't have the necessary data to answer." she informed.

"Any guesses then?" Shepard asked.

"Okeer's technology could impart data, not methods of thinking. The subject may know of his views, but would not necessarily share them."

"Very well. Stand by. I'm going to open the tank and let him out." Shepard decisively said.

"Cerberus protocol is very clear regarding untested alien technology." EDI informed.

"You mean the same Cerberus that dropped husks onto frontier colonies without testing them?" I retorted.

"I'm not Cerberus, EDI." Shepard responded. "I don't care about their rules and protocols. And I won't be second guessed on my own ship, by my own ship. He's either a powerful addition to the crew or a time bomb. I'd rather deal with it now."

"Very well, Shepard." EDI complied. "The controls are online. The switch – and consequences – are yours." she warned.

I patted my friend on the back. "It'll be fine.

He approached the console and with two taps, the nutrient fluid inside the tank began draining. Shepard took a few steps back to see who he was about to deal with.

The moment fluid finished draining, the pod moved slightly forward to eject its occupant as the doors opened. The krogan blinked once before falling to his knees and coughed out some of the viscous nutrient fluid right at Shepard's feet.

Taking another step back from the slimy discharge, Shepard distantly noted that the process really was like birthing a krogan. The rest of his mind processed the large, intimidating alien standing in front of him as he stood his ground.

"Uh…Hi big fella." I said from the back of the room.

The krogan charged at Shepard and threw him into a shelf, pinning him.

"Hey! Chill the hell out!" I yelled slowly limping up to the krogan.

He looked at me with one of his eyes, Shepard signaled me with one hand not to move any closer.

"Human. Male. Before you die, I need a name." the krogan rumbled evenly.

Shepard glared as he answered, "I'm Commander Shepard and I don't take threats lightly. I suggest that you relax."

"Not your name. Mine." the tank-born krogan corrected. "I am trained, I know things, but the tank… Okeer couldn't implant connection. His words are hollow."

He glanced down at the ground and muttered. "Warlord, legacy, grunt… grunt. 'Grunt' was among the last. It has no meaning. It'll do."

Holding his arm against Shepard's throat, 'Grunt' tilted his head as he regarded his captive. "I am Grunt. If you are worth of your command, prove your strength and try to destroy me."

Shepard continued to show no apprehension with his predicament.

He simply asked, "Why do you want me to kill you?"

His words sounded confident, as if that was the only outcome if they should fight. Grunt narrowed his eyes as he pondered the question.

He had no answer, only a goal. "I do what I am meant to – fight and reveal the strongest. Nothing in the tank ever asked what I want. I feel nothing for Okeer's clan or his enemies. That imprint has failed. He has failed. Without a reason that's mine, one fight is as good as any other." Brining his face closer he grimly smiled.

"Might as well start with you." he growled.

"Is it that easy for Okeer's perfect krogan to abandon his mission?" Shepard asked.

By looking at the krogan, his mind seemed to be racing a mile a minute.

Grunt couldn't feel anything at all for the aged warlord. He didn't care for his ideals. He didn't care for his goals. He didn't care that he's dead. He probably wouldn't care if he was alive.

"Okeer is just a voice in the tank. If his imprints are true, then he created something stronger than him. So he's not worthy of me. And if his hatreds aren't strong enough to compel me, they've failed, too. I feel nothing. I have no connection."

Shepard stared right into Grunt's eyes. Both of them didn't flinch.

_I better step in._

I walked up to the large krogan. "EDI, dim the lights by 70%."

As the lights dimmed, I whipped my sunglasses off and looked Grunt in the eye.

"Listen to me, tiny. We brought you into this world and we can take you out of it. We're taking on the Collectors, a race that's abducted hundreds of thousands of people without any conflict. So you can stand there with the CO pinned the wall, or you can get your head out of your ass and capitalize on this opportunity."

Grunt turned his head to look at me and then looked back at Shepard.

"Is this true?"

Shepard nodded and spoke. "Not just the Collectors, the Reapers as well. They've threatened the entire galaxy. Everyone on this ship has earned their place. I'm still deciding if you're worth bringing along, if you're as strong as you claim."

"EDI, return the lights to their normal level." I said, putting my glasses back on.

"Hmph! That's… acceptable." Grunt said. "I'll fight for you."

He saw Shepard smile, but it wasn't in victory nor did it seem pleasant. It looked as vicious as any krogan.

"I'm glad you saw reason," Shepard said as he pressed the barrel of his pistol on the underside of Grunt's chin.

"Hmm?" Grunt took a step back as he felt the cold barrel under his jaw.

I chuckled.

"Ha! Offer one hand, but arm the other." Grunt said, voicing his thoughts out loud. "Wise, Shepard." Grunt almost smiled. "If I find a clan, if I find what I…" Grunt hesitated as he drew a blank. "What I want, I will be honored to eventually pit them against you." he finished.

Shepard merely nodded as he lowered his pistol. "We'll see what happens, but I'm sure it'll be interesting."

Grunt turned away and began to survey the room he was in_._

I let out a huge sigh of relief. "Man…birth really is a tough thing to watch."

Shepard chuckled.

Grunt walked up to me and looked me in the eyes. "Hm. You're injured yet you threatened me like anyone else would."

"Mark tends to do that." Said Shepard.

Grunt then took a smell of the air. "You don't smell like most humans. Like you've fought many battles…against thresher maws."

"Yep." I replied pointing to the scar on my face. "Got this on Akuze. Even had neurotoxemia."

The large krogan nodded. "You would be considered a worthy opponent."

"Funny. Wrex said the same thing." I said looking at Shepard.

"Come on Mark. Grunt, we'll let you get acclimated to this place."

"Shepard. Mark." He said as we left.

* * *

Shepard and I left the cargo bay, largely intact after meeting Grunt.

"Well, you two look fine. Relatively speaking." Garrus said as he gave a cursory glance at Shepard us, then inside the cargo bay where Grunt was looking around.

"All my limbs are still attached. No screaming." Shepard joked.

"Same here." I replied.

We headed into the lift, on our way to CIC.

"He's coming along for the ride then?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah. He doesn't feel anything except the desire to fight. He's definitely different." Shepard said, still thinking about their newest squad member.

"Ignoring the fact that he's less than a month old, educated by a lunatic, and a genetically enhanced killing machine. I kinda see your point." Garrus cheekily said.

"Birth is a tough thing Garrus." I said with a grin.

We laughed as we reached our destination. Stepping out, the three of us trekked to the armory so Shepard and Garrus could drop their weapons off.

"I was referring to his mental differences. I really wasn't expecting him to be like Wrex, but he doesn't seem to think like a krogan. I'm not sure how to explain it."

"I think I know what you're saying." I said, "Physically he's a krogan, mentally he's alien. Right?"

"Yeah something like that."

Garrus shrugged as he handed his rifle to Jacob who took it with a nod.

"Well considering that Okeer didn't think like most krogan, that's expected. As long as you can keep him in line and away from something delicate, we'll have no problems."

"Delicate. Like the engine? Or the crew?" Jacob said as he logged in Garrus' equipment on his terminal.

"Relax. It'll be fine." Shepard assured as he stowed his weapons inside his personal locker.

"Yeah. I mean he didn't kill us so, that's a win in my book." I said cheekily.

Jacob shook his head. "I wish I had your confidence." he said as he ran his omni-tool over Garrus' rifle.

"Speak your mind, Jacob. I like talking with my crew." invited Shepard.

Jacob didn't look up, but he smiled. "If you want, Commander. Cerberus has ranks, but it's not the Alliance. No rules about fraternization."

"As far as I know, that rule seems to apply only to humans. No other species really cares about issues like that." Garrus observed.

Jacob shrugged. "Yeah. The Alliance can be real sticklers for that kind of thing. Here though, Shepard's boat, Shepard's call."

Turning to the Commander, he nodded his head in acceptance. "You want to get friendly with everyone, that's your business."

"Relax, Jacob. I'm just interested in what makes you tick." Shepard said.

"Ha! Anyone else said that, I'd walk away. Most Cerberus people try to play like the Illusive Man, hiding bullshit behind a smile." Jacob said.

"Probably because its Cerberus." I muttered.

Garrus shook his head. "That's probably why I liked the first Normandy. None of the Alliance personal there were liars or manipulators. If they did or didn't like you, they didn't really hide it." he said as he crossed his arms.

"Present company excluded." he amended, nodding at Jacob.

Jacob waved it off. "I know what you mean. Probably one of the few things I liked about the Alliance myself. You guys though – I like what I've seen. I'll give you guys a shot. What do you want to know?"

"Anyone waiting for you back home?" Shepard asked, deciding to keep his queries simple.

"Only child and no extended family," came the prompt answer. "Never settled down. Didn't seem fair with this job. But, you can't miss what you never had."

Garrus nodded in agreement. "I've seen some pretty rough ones happen to officers at C-Sec. There were a few that were successful."

"You've never had a relationship though? Not even when you were Alliance?" asked Garrus.

"I've had a couple. Nothing lasting or worthwhile." Jacob modestly said. "You?"

"A few. No rules about fraternization in the turian military, so most of my relationships happened there. In C-Sec, not so much," Garrus answered.

"What about you Mark?" asked Garrus.

"Yeah. An asari Spectre. We're still 'together' but…y'know...job's in the way." "Damn Mark. Can't see where you'd find the time for that." said Jacob.

"You would be surprised." I said.

"You seem okay taking a risk with us. Can I ask why?" Shepard asked before they could get on the topic of his love life.

_Can't imagine what Ashley's reaction would be when she finds out that John's alive._

"Soldiers like us know how trust is to the crew." Jacob said matter-of-factly. Garrus and Shepard and I agreed easily since it was one of those things that didn't need saying.

"I'm not used to seeing it on a Cerberus ship. Definitely not from the people they put in command," Jacob explained.

Garrus and I snorted in contempt at Cerberus military doctrine, but didn't say anything else.

Jacob smiled, showing that he didn't take any offense. Looking at Shepard, he continued, "But you focus on more than the job. A threat this big, you can't just throw people at it blind. They need inspiration."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot riding on this, but we can't give up everything." Shepard said.

"Not always a choice we get to make. Good to try, though," Jacob agreed. "I gave it my best back in the Alliance. Got labeled a troublemaker. They were always on the lookout for disruptive types."

Shepard suppressed a smile as he gave Garrus a pointed look. Garrus just shrugged as he looked unrepentant about his actions.

Jacob noticed. "You too?" he asked the turian.

"All the damn time." Garrus answered. "Not really that bad in the military…" he said ignoring Shepard's snort. "But in C-Sec, I'm surprised that I wasn't ever suspended or reprimanded. I'm sure I came close a few times though and my file will show that I'm not the model C-Sec officer. Too much politics involved, it kept pissing me off."

"I know the feeling," Jacob said. "Cerberus isn't really any better. They just put more effort into hiding how much they spy on you."

"Let them watch. We've got nothing to hide," Shepard confidently declared.

"But if we want to mess with them, I can think of a few creative things." I said with a grin.

Jacob shook his head.

Garrus straightened up. "I'm getting some food from the mess hall. It was good talking to you Taylor."

"Likewise Garrus. You too Shepard, Mark. Let's do it again sometime."

Shepard smiled and nodded before following Garrus and I out the door. As Garrus stepped up to the lift, he asked, "Going down?"

"Yeah. I'm starving." I replied.

Shepard shook his head. "I need a shower first. You go ahead."

Garrus just shrugged before boarding the lift, stepping around Rolston, who was just entering the CIC to assume his shift.

"Commander." Rolston said with a salute before heading down the bridge.

Kelly gave a friendly nod to Hawthorne before stepping up to Shepard. "Are you all right?"

"We talked Kelly. It was more civil than I thought. He's agreed to help us."

"I don't know what to feel about our newest crew member. My psych reports were for Okeer. We have no guarantees that he's mentally stable." she fretted.

"His name is Grunt and it's actually something interesting Kelly. I get the feeling he's a cross between an adult and a child. He hasn't learned to care about anything yet, but he's more intelligent than most would give him credit for." Shepard explained.

"He doesn't have any passions, or personal goals. He just seems to want to fight all the time."

"It could mean he's a danger to the ship and crew," Kelly finished.

Shepard shrugged. "I'll keep an eye on him. For now, we should be okay. Who knows? Maybe he'll grow to like us."

Joker limped up to them at that exact moment. "You collect cats as a kid?" he asked rhetorically. "Because we really needed a mega-krogan, so thanks for dragging him home." he jibed, shattering Shepard's assurances. I laughed out loud.

"How long to the Citadel?" Shepard asked, ignoring the joke.

"The Citadel?" Joker asked.

"Got a message from Anderson. I figured it was important, so we're going there. Plus there's a new squad member we're picking up." Shepard said.

"Our ETA to the Citadel is approximately 2 hours." EDI answered from the nearby display panel.

"A hop, skip, and two mass relays away, with a short burst of FTL." Joker said. "Rolston can handle that. It's pretty much letting the computer do 98% of the work while he presses a colored light once in a while." He hobbled to the elevator. "Me? I want food."

"Agreed." I said.

Shepard shook his head at Joker's antics while Kelly giggled. "Well, Commander, I need to create a new psych profile on Grunt then."

On the way down the elevator, Garrus asked. "So Mark, when are you going to be combat ready?"

"Well Dr. Chakwas says I'll be ready in 2 weeks. But I heal pretty fast, so when I'll find out when I stop by."

Joker looked over at me, "I want whatever you're on."

"I'm not on anything Joker. But if coffee is considered medicine, then have a lot of it."

"Very funny."

"I know."

Once the lift arrived on deck 3 we got off. While Garrus and Joker went to get some lunch, I headed over to sickbay to get checked out.

"Hello Mark." said Dr. Chakwas.

"Hey doc. I'm ready for my checkup."

"Alright. You do understand that you have another two weeks before you'll be fully healed." She said dryly.

"I understand. But my legs feel different today. Less sore."

She scanned my knees, "Hmm. This is interesting."

"What is it?"

"Your fractures have almost disappeared. Here take a look." She said showing me the scans.

"Damn. How did this happen?"

"Well you haven't been doing anything strenuous since you've been aboard. Even though you no longer have neurotoxemia, it would appear as though there is a regenerative effect."

"A regenerative effect?"

"Yes. I've gone over some studies of the illness since you left the Normandy. Although it causes significant damage to the blood stream and nervous system, there are some beneficial effects: rapid healing of limbs, extremities, skeletal structure, brain trauma, and nerve regeneration. It's quite remarkable. I'm clearing you for the mission but try to be conservative, don't do anything rash."

"I will doctor, thanks!" I said walking out of sickbay with a bit of a limp. I got my lunch and sat down next to Garrus, "So, what's the verdict?" he asked.

"Looks like I'll be joining you guys."

"Alright!"

"The ass kicking reunion has officially begun." I said, high fiving Garrus.

Joker chimed in, "Not for another 2 hours."

"I might have to kick your ass Joker." I retorted with a grin.

"Now its begun." said Garrus, deadpanning.

* * *

_Ah the Citadel. Some new faces, some old faces, a high chance of raging at the Council, and picking up a convict._

_Again, I apologize if this wasn't my best effort. I'll try to bring my A game for CH.17. Thanks for reading!_


	17. Interlude 4

_Author's Note: Well now that we got Grunt's recruiting mission out of the way, we can go to the Citadel and lay the verbal smackdown on some candy asses. Also, big thanks to the people who have reviewed and read my little tale, I appreciate it!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En route to Citadel**

After lunch, I found myself having a lot of time left until we arrived at the Citadel. A thought crept into my mind.

This is a Cerberus vessel, with Cerberus crewmembers. What are the odds that there are enough surveillance bugs in this place to make the Alliance Intelligence Bureau blush?

Now I had a little mission of my own: destroy every bug on the ship. The first stop would be my room. I activated my omni-tool and began to sweep around the room. "Gotcha."

There were over five surveillance bugs spread out across the rec. room and all of them were of a high quality. "GR9's eh? What a waste of 200 credits." I said as I destroyed them and put them into a bag. I went to the crew quarters, both observation decks, the main batteries, and med bay. There was at least an average of two bugs in each room. Then there were the bathrooms… My mission would take me down to the engineering deck. Gabby and Ken were puzzled at first, until they saw what I had found. They had no qualms and went back to work.

I took a chance on Zaeed's room but I didn't have to worry since the old man had already snuffed them out. In Grunt's room there was only one, and for that I was glad. He didn't seem too happy to see me.

The maintenance room below main engineering had no bugs, so I left and went up to CIC.

"Hello Mark." Kelly said with a genuine smile on her face.

"Hey Kel." I replied, while I stared at my omni-tool. I scanned around the general area of the galaxy map.

"Um, not to be rude or anything but…what are you doing?" she asked.

"Looking for bugs. Ah!" I replied. "Excuse me." It was located under Kelly's terminal.

I picked it up and we both looked at it. This one was just a simple video only bug which was aimed right at Kelly.

"That's weird." I said.

"What is?" she asked looking at it.

"The location of this thing was pointing right at you." I replied.

"Looking right at me." She repeated.

"From the waist down."

Her eyebrows went up. "Okay. That's a little creepy."

"I know. Good thing you weren't wearing a skirt or else the Illusive Man would be slapping himself silly." I replied with a smirk.

She playfully hit me in the arm. "Mark!"

"What? He's the one who had 'em planted all over the ship and EDI sends the footage to him."

"It just seems so…perverted."

"You should've seen all the ones in the women's bathroom. I counted twenty. Every other room had two."

Kelly brought a hand up to her mouth. "Oh my."

"Well you don't have to worry about the Illusive Man staring at your ass anymore. And for that matter, every woman on the ship." I replied.

She giggled. "Well thank you Mark."

"My pleasure." I said as I continued my bug extermination operation. There weren't many in the CIC as I expected. Mordin's lab was clean which was no surprise; the guy was a former STG member. The armory had only one bug that was planted in the far corner of the room, near the drive core window.

A GR9X? Very nice.

The X series was almost like a portable television studio and spy drone in one tiny little package. I decided to have a little fun and 'liberated' the bug. As for what I would do with it, I'd have to get John and Garrus in on it. My next stop would be the cargo deck.

The cargo deck on the Normandy was considerably larger than on the previous Normandy. To the left of the elevator was a workout area; mostly weights and a gravity chamber for strength training. On the right side of the elevator was a cardio area; mostly treadmills and sparring equipment. The rest of the bay was empty, aside from various crewmembers performing maintenance on the Kodiak and…

_Is that what I think it is?_

The vehicle lift on the right had the new M-44 Hammerhead. It was a hover tank with VTOL capability. Unlike the Mako, this thing didn't have to worry about boundaries as it had no wheels. The only downside was the lack of kinetic barriers, relying solely on armor. On top of that, it was a tank that didn't fire shells, it fired homing missiles.

_It's not even worthy of being called a tank._

I scanned the bay and found only one bug; it was an audio bug. I decided to liberate this one as well. "The Man's gonna flip when he gets a report from this thing." I muttered.

I rigged the bug to play pop songs from the 1980's-2000's. It would be enough to drive any person mentally insane.

After rigging the bug, I turned to leave but not before looking at the Kodiak and getting a wild idea.

_I'm gonna have to get in touch with Watson and see if he can get me the things I need._

I went back up to the crew deck and realized that there was one area of deck three that I hadn't searched: Miranda's room. I would have to pull out all the stops for this one. I stepped off the elevator and activated my cloak, walking up to the door in her office. The button was red. I did a scan of the room and found that she wasn't inside it. I bypassed the door and walked in.

_Hm. Nice office._

Miranda's room seemed like a reflection of her. Everything was neat and organized and devoid of any personal nuances.

_Maybe she's just really private…or paranoid that someone like me would sneak in._

I de-cloaked and started the sweep. As I went through the various areas of her office, part of me couldn't help shake the feeling that she would have put them up. I mean, she was loyal to the Illusive Man and was one of his best operatives.

My feeling was proven wrong when I found two bugs. The first one was to the right of her nightstand, in the corner of the room. The second was on a beam that created a line between her office and her bed.

"No way." I whispered.

These bugs weren't like the ones I found earlier, they weren't even GR9X's. The ones in Miranda's room were prototype R7's. The R7 surveillance bugs were the most expensive and high-end bugs in existence. These were only available to the top covert militaries in the galaxy; Spectres, STG, asari commandos, the list goes on. One of the features of this bug was a proximity activation that was only triggered by a person's physical data. It would be handy for someone who likes to keep an eye on a certain attractive operative.

_The Illusive Man really is a grade A perv._

"What in the hell are you doing in here?" yelled Miranda, snapping me out of my daydream.

I turned around and saw Miranda, her hair still drying from a shower; and a very angry expression on her face.

"Would you be less mad if I said I was subscribing to krogan porn in your name?"

"I'm in no mood for your little fucking games!" she spat out as she briskly walked up to me and grabbed me by the shirt collar.

I don't think I'd ever seen Miranda this mad before, it was kind of scary.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked slowly, still seething with anger. I could feel the tingle of her biotics begin to flare up.

"Doing a bug sweep of the whole ship." I replied.

"They were in place for a reason. The Illusive Man needs to be aware of our progress." She said, still seething.

"Even yours?" I asked. She raised an eyebrow and let go of me.

"What are you talking about?"

I pulled out the two R7's I found. "These were planted in your room. In the corner above the nightstand and on this pillar that you've thrown me into."

Miranda grabbed them out of my hand and inspected them. "R7's…"

"That was my first thought." I muttered. She darted around and got in my face.

"How do I know this isn't your doing? For all I know you probably put some in here to cover your tracks!"

I looked at her. She wasn't wearing her usual white and black outfit but was wearing some short shorts and a tank top. Even in casual clothes, she still looked amazing.

"Because I wouldn't lie to you." I replied. "I haven't lied to you the whole time I've known you. Why would I start now?"

Her gaze softened and she backed up slightly. Clearly, she was taken aback. Hell, even I was.

_Where did that come from?_

She stared at me silently and I continued. "You think I've got the kind of resources to get bugs like this? I've only used them once…ever. And if you think this was bad, there were over twenty GR9's in the women's bathroom. Twenty!"

Miranda bit her lip and shook her head. Even she knew about the Illusive Man's…escapades but this even crossed the line.

"Plus there were three in the men's room…" I said quietly.

"You're joking aren't you?" Miranda asked flatly.

"The strange thing is…that wasn't a joke." I replied. Miranda shook her head and approached me.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way." She said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"It's cool. I'd be freaked out too if someone was snooping around in my room." I replied with smirk.

We stood there, staring at each other in silence for a few minutes. She was taller than most of the women on board, she was probably 5'9.

I decided to break the silence the only way I knew how. "You know the whole you yelling thing was kinda hot."

Miranda backed up and rolled her eyes. "Are you done in here?"

"Yeah. I'm done with the bug sweep." I replied, crushing the R7's and putting them in the rather large bag of broken bugs.

"You uh, want these?" I asked pointing to the bag. She stared at me blankly.

"No."

"Alright. Well, I'm gonna go find something to do until we arrive at the Citadel." I said turning to leave.

"Wait…" Miranda said. I turned around.

"We've spent this entire time either at each others throats, trying to be civil, and falling back onto old habits." She started. "We need to stop doing it."

I raised an eyebrow. "I can do that." I walked back into her office and sat down in one of the chairs.

"I'm glad we agree." Miranda said.

We sat in silence for sometime. Instead of breaking the silence my usual way, I decided to do something differently.

"Tell me about yourself, Miranda."

She raised an eyebrow and stood up, leaning against her desk. "Well, I've had extensive genetic modification. It wasn't my choice but I make the most of it."

"Really?"

She nodded. "It's all very through. Everything from my intelligence, my looks, even the biotics. It's all to give me an edge."

I looked at her from head to toe. "Dang."

Miranda let out a short laugh. "I'm sure you had some work done when you joined the Alliance."

"Eh. It wasn't extensive. All they did was change out some genetic conditions I would have gotten when I was older." I replied.

"Like what?"

"Alzheimer's. It runs in my family. That was the only thing I had done, they said all my skills were just natural."

Miranda sat back down. "I see."

"Where are originally from?" I asked.

"I was born on Earth in Sydney, Australia." She replied.

"You must have come from a rich family, or a well to do family anyway." I said.

She folded her arms. "What would make you think that?"

"The way you carry yourself, general attitude towards others. That sort of thing." I replied.

"Are you saying that I'm arrogant?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"No not at all. You just…you look down at some people. I mean sure you're the XO on the ship and you have to command respect but…that's just it, you command it."

She leaned forward in her seat and looked at me with a neutral expression. Miranda then smirked. "Very astute, Mr. Sears."

"Please, call me Mark." I replied.

"Okay Mark." It was my turn to smirk. "So where did you grow up?"

"I was born on Mindoir. First person in my family to be born outside of Earth." I said. "It was a nice place. Very quiet."

I had a feeling that Miranda knew where I was from after looking at my old Alliance files. _Why not indulge her?_

"Any family?" she asked.

"I had one. Dad used to be in Task Force 1 during the First Contact War. Mom was a teacher. We had a small farm out in Cygnus County. It was a nice neighborhood, wasn't just humans around we had asari, turian, salarian, even batarian neighbors."

"It must have been nice." She replied.

"It was…then one day a bunch of batarian pirates come, killed my family and friends, captured anyone that barely resisted and burned my neighborhood to the ground. The capital city, New Trondheim was 45% destroyed, the other towns around it suffered the same fate or were totally wiped out like Cygnus County."

Whenever I dove into old memories like Mindoir or Akuze, I always went through them in vivid detail in my mind.

_Now I know what its like to be a drell._

"I'm sorry." Miranda said.

"Don't worry about it." I replied.

"How did you come to meet Shepard?" she asked.

"His mother's ship was the first one to respond to the distress call. The marines found me and took me on board. That's when I met John and we've been friends ever since then."

"I see." Miranda said, adjusting herself in her chair. "After that you joined the Alliance."

I nodded. "Yep. Never saw myself as a soldier until I lost everything."

"But didn't you go to MIT and Oxford University?" Miranda asked, in a puzzled tone.

"I did."

"With an education like that, you could have done anything you wanted to."

"I was thirteen. Gifted kids can't get jobs or live normal lives in my situation. So I just lied about my age and joined the military."

Miranda leaned on her desk and looked at me. "But why?"

"The simplest reason in the world: revenge. I wanted those bastards to pay for what they did to me…to everyone I knew." I replied.

"Did you get your revenge?"

I shook my head. "Nah. The group responsible was destroyed on Torfan, some of them died on Elysium. To be honest, I'm glad I didn't get it. The military gave me a new life and I had another thing I was good at. There was no need to throw it away for something as petty as revenge."

Miranda snorted.

"Let me guess, you think its sort of ironic for me to say that right?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yes. It's also hypocritical." She replied flatly. "Batarian pirates kill your family and friends and you wanted revenge but didn't get it because you had a career. Cerberus is responsible for Akuze and yet you've destroyed countless facilities, projects, and so on."

"The difference is pirates already know they're the bad guys and don't care. Cerberus thinks that killing Alliance soldiers and blowing up element zero tankers over colonies is for the good of humanity. It's not revenge if you don't make it revenge and make it personal." I replied.

I let out a sigh and rubbed my forehead. "Let's get off that topic, we're here to be friendly not start round three of our little fight."

"You're right." Miranda said with a grin. "So what did you do after you left the Alliance?"

"I became a private investigator. I wanted to do something good before I died; help people who didn't have anyone to turn to."

"And yet you became something of a celebrity after your adventure on Thessia." Miranda replied.

I chuckled. "Everyone I've run into says it was the coolest video they've ever seen. But I'll tell you right now, at the time that case was anything but cool."

"I can imagine." Miranda said with a smirk. "Were all of your cases like that one?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I'd be lucky if there wasn't any gunfire involved. I'd have missing persons cases, spouses wanting to know who was cheating, kids who ran away from home or were kidnapped."

Miranda raised an eyebrow at the last one.

"You run away from home?" I asked, picking up on her reaction.

She bit her lip. "My father and I weren't on the best of terms."

"What about your mother?" I asked. Miranda sighed and stood up, walking towards the window next to her bed. I followed.

"Actually I never had one. When I said I was genetically modified, I probably should have said that I was created." She replied softly. "My father used an amalgam of traits and had his Y chromosome modified."

Miranda snorted. "Arrogant bastard. He didn't want a daughter, he just wanted a dynasty."

I scratched the back of my head. "Wow. Tough upbringing, well more difficult than I would have imagined."

She turned around to face me. "It was. He was extremely influential and controlling. I ran away as soon as I was old enough and brave enough."

I leaned against the wall. "I take it you two didn't leave on the best of terms."

"Shots were fired." Miranda replied simply.

"Yeah…couldn't see a simple hug and see you later happening there." I said.

She rolled her eyes. "After that I went to Cerberus for protection."

"You seem more than capable of handling yourself. Why join them?" I asked.

"My father invested a great deal in his dynasty. It wasn't just leaving, I knew he would continue to pursue his…investments." She said, taking a seat on her bed.

_Stop looking at her legs…and everything else…_

I snorted. "That's cold. You're not an investment, you're a person."

"Well I like to know how I fit into the world, it helps me find meaning in how I was created." She replied.

I shook my head. "Meaning of life thing eh?"

"And what's wrong with finding that out?"

"I don't want to know the answer. We're all here for a reason. You could spend your whole life trying to find the answer but if you did that, it would be a waste of time. So what if your dynasty obsessed father spend a ton just to get the perfect daughter? You left and now you have a life of your own."

She grinned. "I suppose you're right. With Cerberus, I feel like I have a purpose, a goal."

"Yet the people you work with hide advanced bugs in your room and tell you that things like Akuze were 'an accident'." I replied.

She gave me a sharp look. "Are you going to continue to shoot down everything I say?"

"No. I just want you to see things from my perspective." I replied as I sat next to her on the bed. "I respect your views on your own life, and I've got mine. I just don't think we're that radically that different. We're just on two different sides of the same coin."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "You're not anyone's tool, Miranda. Remember that."

She grinned. "I'm not sure I believe you but…thanks for saying that."

"You're welcome." I said as I got up and left. I needed to send Watson a message.

* * *

Miranda changed into her white uniform and checked the various messages and reports on her terminal. She was still surprised at what had transpired between her and Mark. One minute, she's ready to crush him with her biotics and the next they're having a friendly chat.

_What is it about him anyway?_

She sat her desk shaking her head. Miranda had only told Shepard about her origins and he told her his opinions. With Mark though, it was different. She actually cared about what he thought.

_He's an enemy of Cerberus. Anything you tell him will be used against you. He's just playing you._

Miranda shook the thought out of her head. Most people she had gone up against were just as manipulative as her. Mark was the exact opposite, he hadn't lied to her since they first met; that much was a fact. Besides, he wasn't the type to get personal and use it to his advantage.

_Face it, you like him. Even if he does get under your nerves._

Miranda smiled at the thought. Sure, he was the competition, but he was here to help Shepard and they were technically on the same side now.

_But what happens when this mission is over? You'll just go back to being enemies again._

She sat at her desk for a while staring blankly at the terminal.

* * *

I went into my room and turned on my personal terminal. I had to get a message to Watson before we docked.

_Watson,_

_I'll be at the Citadel in an hour. There's a few things I need to get and I'll be sending you something in person._

_I need the following:_

_M-29 Incisor sniper rifles_

_M-96 Mattock heavy rifles_

_Kodiak Ground attack package_

_I'm not sure how long we'll be but if you can't get them, I'll message you when we reach another port._

_- Mark _

I sent the message and almost a minute later, received a response.

_Mark, _

_We will be awaiting your arrival. Our Citadel contacts can have the rifles waiting at the docks within the next hour and a half. Timetable for the Kodiak Ground Attack package is unknown but we will have an update upon arrival._

_-Watson_

If there was anyone that could be counted on to get things done, it was Watson. I was just glad that our group that the resources to get everything taken care of in a short time.

As I closed the terminal, I went back to the conversation I had with Miranda earlier. It was hard to believe a woman as talented and beautiful as her would have a past like that.

_Since when has anyone on this ship had any sort of normalcy in their lives?_

I shook my head and chuckled. The door to the rec. room opened and Garrus walked in.

"Mark."

"Hey Garrus. What brings you by?" I asked.

"I haven't seen this room yet. Plus, I wanted to stop by." He replied.

"What do you think?" I said, holding my arms out.

"It's nice in here. I never would have imagined to see a room like this on a frigate."

"I didn't either. Chalk it up to civilian engineers. But there aren't a whole lot of military people on board. We only had rooms like this on dreadnaughts and carriers."

Garrus walked over to the ping-pong table and inspected it. "What is this table for?"

"Table tennis. Or its casual name, ping-pong." I replied getting off the couch and walking up to the table.

"Why ping-pong?" he asked.

"Because of the sound the ball makes when you hit it." I said. "Check it out."

I got one of the paddles and a ball and whacked it over to Garrus.

"Ah. I see." He said as he got the other paddle. "You up for a game?"

"Do you know how to play?" I asked.

"No."

I chuckled. "Let's just warm up, I'll show you the rules."

I explained the rules to Garrus and we started knocking the ball around.

"So how does your face feel?" I ask as we bat the ball back and forth.

"Better now. It's a shame that its going to take a long time to heal."

"Women of the galaxy will be disappointed." I replied.

"I might not have the face, but I've still got the skills. Kind of like you Mr. 'I'm sleeping with an asari Spectre'."

I laughed. "True enough but you gotta take care of that mug. Normally, people hide behind cover when missiles start flying. They don't use their face to stop it."

Garrus laughed. "Good point."

"You know I was like a foot away from grabbing you to keep you in cover." I replied.

"Sorry dad. I won't do it again." He said sarcastically.

"Speaking of your dad, how's your family?" I asked.

Garrus grabbed the ball and put his paddle down. "They…they don't know what I've been doing the past two years. I keep in touch but…"

I put my paddle down and walked over to Garrus.

"So what happened after we went our separate ways?"

"I went back to C-Sec and re-applied for Spectre training. My application got rejected and I wasn't able to do much back at C-Sec so I left. It wasn't hard to find criminals on Omega."

I sat on the armrest of the couch and looked at my turian friend. "So how did you get a team?"

"The same way Shepard got a team to fight Saren. You show people what you can do and they'll come. There were twelve of us. A salarian who I think worked with the STG, a batarian tech expert who wasn't very friendly but he was good, and a few others."

"Sounds like you had a pretty good operation going."

"Yeah. We'd ambush the mercs, blow up supply depots, and do anything to get under their skin. Of course, we only focused on them. We weren't dumb enough to clip any civilians. Everyone in the group had someone they lost to Omega's gangs."

I nodded. "Those tactics sound like things I did against Cerberus."

"How did that go by the way?" Garrus asked.

"Alright. Nothing too serious. I destroyed a ton of property, leaked info I stole from their research bases to the media; stuff like that. As far as money goes, they lost about two billion credits thanks to me."

Garrus snorted. "Please tell me you saw some of that."

"Well with EDI listening in, I can't say. Same goes for a few other things I did to them that Cerberus doesn't know about."

"I understand." Garrus replied.

"I'll send you a message later, detailing a few things."

He nodded.

"So what happened to your team?" I asked.

Garrus shook his head and sat down on the couch. "It was my own damn fault. One of the guys on my team betrayed me."

"Damn."

"A turian named Lantar Sidonis. He sold me out and ran. I'm gonna find him and correct that." Garrus said angrily.

I got off the armrest and sat next to my friend.

"You sure that's what you want?" I asked.

Garrus turned to look at me. "You of all people should know that…"

"What do you mean me?" I asked forcefully.

"Taking on Cerberus is the same thing as me wanting to kill Sidonis. It's all about revenge." He replied.

"It was about revenge at first and you have no idea what it feels like." I shot back.

"What are you talking about?"

"I kept telling myself that I was doing it to make the galaxy a safer place. I made it personal when I thought about my unit, what they did to me. You mix that in with John's mother calling me in the middle of the night, crying her eyes out because her son died…" I said, trailing off. "I spent two weeks drinking myself half to death because I lost my friend, I had months left to live, and I was making my fight personal."

Garrus' mandibles opened up like he was about to say something, but he didn't.

"You can tell yourself that by killing this guy, you'll make the world a safer place. But when it comes down to it, you're just another thug. I'm not a hero…I'm just a guy who wants to give some kid out there a chance to have the life I never had, like that colony on Chasca. I don't want Cerberus turning that kid into some abomination or a biotic experiment." I said softly.

"Mark…"

"Garrus, I'm not your dad. I can't tell you what you can and can't do. I just want you to know my opinion on it."

He sighed. "I understand Mark. Thanks."

We sat on the couch and stared at the giant screen on the wall.

"You only had months left to live?"

"When I left the Normandy, I had six months left." I replied.

"Damn. But, you're better now." He said, trying to bring the mood back up.

"Hell yeah! Plus, I'll be ready to go for our next recruiting mission." I said.

"Nice. Say, want to have a game to ten?" he said pointing to the pin-pong table.

"Game on."

* * *

**Zakera Ward, Citadel**

Pulling into the Citadel wasn't as dramatic as I had imagined. Especially considering that the Normandy had Cerberus logos painted all over the ship.

_Maybe there's only a few people that know what their logo looks like._

I stepped out of the air car with Shepard, Garrus, Miranda, and Jacob. Zaeed, Mordin, and Grunt elected to stay aboard on the Normandy.

"Nothing's changed since the attacks on the Citadel. Same dirty streets, same skyrocketing crime rate. This exactly why I left." Garrus stated as we walked past the C-Sec customs desk.

"Well when you've got the three stooges telling everyone that 'all is well', what do you expect?" I said, getting a chuckle from Shepard.

"Commander Shepard, step forward and claim your free gift." Said an ad kiosk next to the customs desk.

"Huh. Hope this isn't one of those extranet scam terminals. A friend of friend of mine got snaked into one of those things. Two months later he gets found in some sex slave trade out in the Nemean Abyss." I said.

"Damn." Replied Jacob. "Is he alright?"

"Nah. Got scale itch." I replied.

"That's revolting." Miranda said with a grimace.

"Tell me about it. They found him with two asari, a batarian, a krogan, and a varren."

"Mark…just stop." Shepard said.

"Shutting up."

The woman in the kiosk was biting her lip, trying not to laugh. No one else seemed to notice.

"Would you like to try one our new companions? Perhaps, a young petite asian?" the kiosk said.

"She's cute but we should really move on." Jacob said.

"Hm. Your not so bad yourself, handsome." Replied the kiosk.

Jacob jumped back. "What the hell?"

We all chuckled. "Please enter the password Commander Shepard."

"Silence is golden."

"Good to finally meet you Commander. Kasumi Goto. I'm a fan." She replied.

"Oh she's the newbie we're picking up? Cool." I said.

"Nice to meet you too." She replied.

"So what's with all the secrecy and the password?" Shepard asked.

"I'm the best thief in the business, not the most famous. I try to keep it that way."

I scratched my chin. "That makes sense."

"I also had to see if this was all legit and I have no doubt about it now. You're the real Commander Shepard." She said.

"What makes you so sure?" Shepard asked with a smirk.

"There's a certain…aura about you. Like you've seen things other people haven't. Even without looking at a picture, I knew it was you." Kasumi replied.

"But looking at a picture would help even more." I added with a grin. Garrus nudged me in the arm.

"Well, it'll be good to have you aboard Kasumi." Shepard said.

"That's good. I've already taken the liberty of putting my things on your ship."

The five of us looked at each other incredulously.

"I also appreciate the help on the heist." She said.

"Uh…heist?" I asked.

"Cerberus didn't tell you? And they call me secretive." Kasumi replied.

"What about it?" Shepard asked.

"I think it'll be better if I explain it face to face." Kasumi said from behind us.

"God damn!" Jacob exclaimed as Kasumi stood behind him. She giggled.

"Nice entrance." Garrus said.

"I've got a flair for the dramatic."

"Welcome to the club." I replied.

* * *

**C-Sec office, Zakera Ward, Citadel**

"So this guy Hock has the graybox?" Garrus asked.

"Yep. It has Keiji's memories contained inside. Plus there's a dangerous secret inside of it." Kasumi said.

She had told us about the heist. Donovan Hock, a 'businessman' of some reputation. I had heard of him. He was some over glorified weapons dealer with an art fetish. Like a lot of the weapons dealers I had heard of, he was eccentric, rich and dangerous.

They all are…

"What kind of secret?" Miranda asked.

Kasumi shook her head. "Keiji wouldn't say what it was, just that the Alliance could be implicated if it got out."

"Then we should get it back." Miranda replied.  
"Agreed."

We walked through the weapons detector and stopped at the station where a turian C-Sec officer was standing. A buzzing noise went off and he tapped his radio.

"Shut it down."

Kasumi's head darted around. "I swear to God, I didn't steal anything."

Jacob, Garrus, and I chuckled.

"Security has obviously tightened since you were last here." Miranda said to Shepard.

"Commander Shepard? Uh, this is awkward but…out scanner says you're dead." Said the C-Sec officer.

"I was only mostly dead. Try finding that option on government paper work." Replied Shepard.

"Heh. I'll let you through. My captain wants to speak to you." He said. His nametag said Sergeant Haron.

"Thanks Sarge." I said as we passed through. Sitting behind the desk was none other than Captain Armando Bailey.

"You'll have to make him scream a little. He's gonna answer your question just because you ask politely." He said to a female officer.

"Yes sir."

"If you're afraid you'll get reported, just let me talk to him."

"It's okay sir. I'll take care of it." She replied.

"Well, well, well. Long time, no see Bailey." I said. Bailey got up and walked over.

"Good to see you again kid." He said shaking my hand. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. Been traveling around doing this and that. Oh and here's my friend Commander John Shepard." I replied.

"Nice to meet you Commander." He said, shaking Shepard's hand before going back to his desk.

"I see what the problem is. My console says that you're dead."

"Your sergeant said you could help with that."

"Usually you'd have to go through the Station Security Administration to reactivate your ID's. Then to Customs and Immigration to gain access to the Citadel itself. And probably a trip to the treasury. 'Spending a year dead' is a popular tax dodge." Said Bailey.

"Sounds fun." I replied flatly.

"But I can see that you're a busy man. So, how about I push this button and we call it done?"

Shepard smirked. "You're not big on formalities are you?"

"I'm with them right up until they keep people from doing their jobs." Bailey pushed a button on his terminal. "There. I just saved you a week of running around. That said you should go up to the Presidium. The Council probably wants to talk to the one that saved their scaly asses."

"Sure thing. Thanks Captain." Shepard replied.

"If you need anything else let me know." Bailey said. As everyone walked out of the station, I turned to Bailey.

"Told you Boston would get the double."

Bailey shook his head. "Bye Mark."

"Later Captain."

* * *

**Presidium, Citadel**

As the six of us walked up to the Alliance Embassy, Shepard asked me a question.

"So how do you know Captain Bailey?"

"Friend of a friend." I replied.

"You sure have a lot of connections." He said.

I nodded. "I helped Bailey on a case here a while ago. He's a good guy. Last time I saw him, he was about to transfer to Zakera Ward. He worked up here before."

"He's a lot different than some of the officers I've worked with." Said Garrus.

We walked into the office and saw Anderson in his Council robes, talking to the other councilors.

"Oh Commander, we were just talking about you." Anderson said as we approached.

"It's good to see you again Anderson. I hope the last few years have treated you well." Shepard replied, shaking his hand.

"There have been some rough spots. It's good to have you back." He said.

"We've heard many rumors surrounding your unexpected return. Some of them are…unsettling." Said the salarian councilor.

_Here we go…_

Shepard, Anderson, and I stepped forward. The three councilors looked at me but didn't say anything else.

"We called this meeting so you could explain your actions, Shepard. We owe you that much. After all, you saved our lives in the battle against Saren and his geth." Said Councilor Tevos.

_Good luck pulling that card on us. I've got my ace in the hole with me._

Shepard ignored the last sentence. "Listen, the Collectors are abducting human colonies out in the Terminus Systems. Worse, we think they're working with the Reapers."

Valern rolled his eyes. "The Terminus Systems are beyond our jurisdiction. Your colonists when they left Council Space."

"You're missing the important part, Councilor. The Reapers are involved." Anderson said.

"Ah yes, 'Reapers'." Valern replied sarcastically by using finger quotes. "The immortal race of sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space. We have dismissed that claim."

_Oh no you didn't._

Anderson sighed and turned to Shepard. "John, no one else encountered the hologram on Ilos that told you the truth about the Reapers. Only you and your crew ever spoke with Sovereign. I believe you. But without evidence from another source, the others think that Saren was behind the geth attacks."

Shepard turned to the Council, he was pissed. "Saren was an organic. The geth would never accept him as their leader. They only followed him because he was Sovereign's agent."

"Saren was a compelling and charismatic individual. He convinced the geth that the Reapers were real…just as he convinced you." Tevos said.

"It was part of his plan to attack the Citadel. The Reapers are just a myth, one you insist on perpetuating." Valern finished.

Tevos turned back to Shepard. "We believe that you believe it, but that doesn't make it true."

John was looking even more agitated. I walked over to the end of Anderson's desk and stared at a glass of water and began to tap the desk with my fist.

"Go back to Ilos and talk to Vigil. Or just look at what's left of Sovereign—its obvious the technology is more advanced than ours!"

The salarian councilor spoke up. "The hologram on Ilos is no longer functional and we have no evidence to suggest that Sovereign was more than a geth creation."

"The geth are capable of remarkable technological feats. That is probably why Saren recruited them." Tevos said.

Valern decided to spew more verbal diarrhea. "This Reaper theory proves just how fragile your mental state is. You have been manipulated—by Cerberus and before them Saren."

As they were talking, the pounding on the desk grew louder and louder as everyone in the room started to look.

"He looks like he's going to kill someone." Kasumi whispered.

"Just watch…he's gonna tear them a new one." Garrus replied.

I grabbed the glass of water on the desk and chugged it. Once it was empty, I inspected it and then threw it at the wall with everything I had.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're going to pull this bullshit again after I lectured and lectured you two years ago!" I yelled out.

Everyone in the room was dead silent, and shocked. _Good._

"This man saves your stupid asses and you repay him by shitting all over him after he gets blown up! We've done nothing but save lives and try to keep this galaxy from turning into a massive killing field and you have the balls to publicly bury the man? Who did you fuck to get this job?"

"Mr. Sears-" Tevos began.

"Oh shut the fuck up! If I have to stand here and listen to any more of your bullshit I might as well make a bunch of krogan and attack this place myself!"

I took a deep breath and continued. "We gave you all the evidence you wanted to see two years ago and you decried it to save yourselves! Human colonies have been getting abducted for two years and you hide behind the whole Terminus Systems bullshit? Your people know the risks as well as we do! If turian colonies were getting abducted you'd send the entire fucking navy in! Over five million human beings have disappeared in two years and you keep playing the all is well card!"

"What do you expect us to do?" the salarian councilor shot back.

"I expect you to shut the fuck up until I finish!" I yelled pointing at his hologram. "I'm the one holding all the cards, I'm the one who still has all the hard copies. I even saved this little tidbit." I pulled out my omni-tool and played back the Council's congratulations speech to Shepard.

"_The Council also owes you a great personal debt, Commander. One we can never repay. You not only saved our lives, but the lives of billions from Sovereign and the Reapers_."

"Does that sound familiar? I hope so because the three of you were there."

The room was filled with silence as everyone was still reeling from the pure rage I was firing out at the Council.

"You think that the geth are so naïve that they would accept Saren into their ranks? If you do then you're obviously dusted on red sand. He was about as charismatic as the drunk turian bum I see in Tayseri Ward every day, begging for credits to have just one more drink."

"Mr. Sears you are in no position—" started Valern.

"I'm in the perfect position, Mr. 15% approval rating. I know all your secrets while you fumble in the dark." I fired back. "Ah yes, 'faithful to my wife Nolana'. That claim is pure bullshit."

His mandibles flared out. "How dare you?"

"Hey I'm not the one who bought his mistress a mansion to keep her quiet. Anyone with half a brain knows that doesn't work." I replied. "I told you three that if you wanted to come even remotely close to paying off your debt with Shepard, you help him out and listen to him. Now's the time. He gets full reinstatement, no reports to you, and he goes where he wants to with no questions asked."

"Or else what?" Tevos asked.

"I make one phone call to the media and the three of you will find yourself in a bread line in Tayseri Ward. I've got all the evidence about the Reapers, Vigil, Sovereign's little speech, and your Eden Prime cover up attempt."

The three of them collectively swallowed hard.

"This is extortion!" the salarian councilor said.

"It's not extortion, it's politics. You've dumped on Shepard for far too long. I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do. It's justice, pure and simple. You might not know it or like it, but everyone in this room does."

They looked at each other and then back at me.

"Oh and one more thing. Shepard isn't with Cerberus and I'm willing to bet whatever half assed source you got that from was in fact the Illusive Man. You're going to take my word for it because if there's anything you know about me: I'm never wrong, I hold all the cards, and I am that damn good."

The three councilors looked at each other. "Commander Shepard, would you accept this offer?" Tevos asked.

Shepard looked at Anderson who nodded. "I accept. It's good to have the Council backing me again."

Valern snorted but was met with glares from the other three councilors. _I'm glad they were just playing ball._

"Good luck, Shepard. We hope you will be successful and hope for a quick end to…whatever your relationship is with Cerberus." Tevos finished. The three holograms shut off.

I rested both hands on Anderson's desk and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I pushed off the table and turned to my left. Everyone seemed to have either a shocked or amused look on their faces.

"Wow. Remind me to never piss you off." Kasumi said.

Anderson chuckled. "Mark, its times like this I'm glad we're not in the military. Or else I'd have kicked your ass from here to dark space."

"God I hate politics." I said laughing.

"Still, that went a lot better than I expected." Anderson replied.

"Sorry about the glass." I said.

Anderson waved it off. "It was Udina's. Plus, you threw it with enough force that there isn't anything left."

John got me in a headlock. "You crazy bastard. If I ever get pulled over for reckless driving, you're my advocate."

"Okay, so in five minutes?" I replied as he tightened the grip before releasing me.

"Well, I guess there isn't too much to worry about now." Anderson said.

The door opened and in walked Udina. "Anderson. We need to talk about-Shepard. What are you doing here?"

"Just catching up with Anderson." He replied.

"You don't need to cover for me John. Actually, we just finished up a meeting with the Council."

"You what? Councilor, do the words 'political shitstorm' mean anything to you?" Udina asked angrily.

"Whatever it is, don't do it. Sounds kinda gross." I chimed in.

Shepard bit his lip. "The Council reinstated my Spectre status. That's all."

Udina tapped his chin. "I can see how that would work out well. But you really should have consulted with me first, Councilor."

"I don't answer to you Udina. Maybe you should go to your office and think about that for awhile." Anderson fired back. _I'm glad he hasn't lost his military bravado._

"Of course, councilor. Good day to both of you." He replied almost bitterly.

"Sorry about that. Udina's never gotten over the fact that I got the job instead of him." Anderson said.

"He's just doing his job." Replied Shepard. The rest of us decided to step outside and let the two catch up.

* * *

"You think that's the first time Mark's snapped at the Council?" Garrus started.

"Wait. You mean you've done it before?" Jacob asked. I nodded.

"Now this I have to hear." Kasumi said. I retold the stories of how I talked the Council down. Everyone except Garrus was stunned.

"Damn. You pretty much told them that Saren was going to kill them and boom. It almost happens." Jacob said.

"I get instincts man. I can't explain them but they've helped me out in a pinch many a time."

"I'm not surprised that the Council wouldn't listen." Miranda said. "They've always downplayed these incidents."

"Councilor Tevos actually explained her reasons for it when I talked to her face to face." I replied.

"When did that happen?" Garrus asked.

"The day I left the Normandy. I was sitting in a public terminal waiting for a ride home when she came up to me and we started talking. She seemed to fit into the category as I refer to it."

"The category?" Kasumi asked puzzled.

"Two out of every three asari I meet are attracted to me for some reason. Don't ask why. I don't even know." I replied.

Jacob gave me a weird look. "Yeah right."

Garrus turned to Jacob. "It's true. We went to the Consort's one time to help her out with a problem and she was all over him. Including the greeter. What was her name?"

"Nelyna." I replied.

"Did you ever run into her again?" Garrus asked.

I shook my head. "She died in the attacks."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." He said.

"It's all right." I replied as I looked down at my omni-tool. It was a message from Watson.

"All right. Let's move out everyone." Shepard said, as he approached the five of us.

"Hold on John. Got a message from my geth buddy."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Good news. Come on. Let's go to my place." I replied.

"You have a place here?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah. Got it last year. Come on, it's not too far from here."

After cutting through various levels of the Presidium and Ward ring, we made it to my apartment.

"I apologize in advance if it's still messy. I haven't been here in awhile." I said as I opened the door. "Come on in!"

"Wow. Nice place." Jacob said looking around.

Even though my place was in the Ward ring, it was still a luxury apartment. Entering the apartment, you could see the kitchen and dining area to the left. Taking a step down was the living room, a studio on the left of the living room, and my bedroom on the right. Upstairs were two more bedrooms and an upstairs bathroom. There was also another one downstairs and in my room. Decorating the downstairs were various pictures taken of Earth during my ancestors' time. There were also some drawings I had done coupled with Boston Minutemen posters and paraphernalia.

"Mark how did you afford a place like this?" Shepard asked.

"Eh. I just sort of fall ass backwards into it." I replied. Miranda was looking at some of the pictures on the wall. I kept my eye on Kasumi.

"Oh and Kasumi, try not to take anything. All of this is really personal stuff."

She chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it. Not a good way to make a first impression anyway."

"Yo Watson! Are you home?" I yelled out.

"Yes." He replied as he walked into the living room. Watson had his holographic camouflage on which disguised him as a human.

"Watson this is the team. Team, Watson." I said doing a rather quick intro.

"Mark, I thought you said he was a geth." Shepard said.

"We are geth. We choose to be in this form in order to avoid conflict or an adverse reaction." Replied Watson.

"It's cool man. No one's armed." I said.

"Of course." Watson said, as he disengaged the holographic camo. Everyone's eyes collectively widened when they saw his true height.

"Oh yeah. He's a geth prime." I said. "Cool huh?"

Shepard nodded uneasily. Watson stared at him.

"You are Commander John Shepard. Reinstated as a Spectre. We know a great deal about you."

"Really? Mark, what did you tell him about me?" Shepard asked looking over at me. I just shrugged in response.

"We would discuss our plans with you. However, another mobile platform is currently tasked with finding you." Watson said.

"Uh, really?"

"Yes."

"Why can't you explain it to me?" Shepard asked.

"That was not our objective. Our objective is to assist Mark. Even if you asked Mark, we would not be able to explain." Watson said. "The platform tasked with finding you has specific details that it can give you. We cannot."

Shepard bit his lip. "I understand. Thanks for letting me know."

"Of course." Watson turned to me. "Mark. We have acquired the supplies you requested. They are currently at the dock where the Normandy is stationed."

"Awesome. Thanks man." I said pulling out an OSD. "These are the plans I told you about. How long until they're ready?"

"We can have these taken care of in a matter of days. All you have to do is send us the coordinates and they will arrive." He replied.

"Groovy. Thanks."

"Of course." Watson said before walking off into the studio.

I turned to the rest of the team. "He's the friggin man."

"So, you got something for the ship?" Shepard asked, still blown away by the massive geth.

"Yeah. You'll like it." I replied.

"What did you get?" Miranda asked.

"It's a surprise." I said with a grin. "I'm gonna get a few things and meet you back at the ship okay?"

John nodded. "Uh, yeah. See you back at the ship. Let's go." The rest of the team followed but took a few last looks at the apartment.

"I'm on fire today."

"We do not detect that you are currently immolating." Watson said from the other room.

"It's a joke Watson!"

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En route to Purgatory**

Down in the cargo bay, I was opening up the crates that Watson had sent to the ship. Shepard and Miranda were standing off to the side.

"So Mark, what exactly is this surprise?" Shepard asked. I popped open the first crate and pulled out an M-29 Incisor sniper rifle. I tossed to John.

"That is an M-29 Incisor sniper rifle. It's unique in that it fires a fast three round burst designed to knock out a target's kinetic barriers." I said.

Shepard inspected it carefully. "A three round burst?"

"It fires it so fast that it sounds like a single shot." I replied.

Miranda looked at it as well. "How did you get this?"

"Good connections. That's not all." I said, as I opened up the next crate.

"M-96 Mattock heavy rifles." I said, pulling one out and handing to Shepard.

He smirked as he looked at it. "Haven't seen these since training."

"These seem a little out dated. Don't you think?" Miranda said.

"These pack more punch than any other assault rifle on board. Except for mine. Besides, they're more accurate than the Avengers and have more firepower than the Vindicators. Sometimes it helps to use old tech. Throws your enemies off balance." I said. "But not to worry, these aren't too old. They use the thermal clip system."

"What's in the other crate?" Shepard asked, pointing to the giant crate in the middle of the bay.

"Oh that…" I said with a slick grin. "That is the Kodiak Ground Attack Package."

"Why do we need that?" Miranda asked.

"What if the ground team needs to make a hot exit? Having the Kodiak give an extra punch is easier than using a frigate to kill the cavalry." I replied.

"Good point." Shepard said nodding his head. "How long will it take to put on?"

"Maybe a week." I replied, scratching the back of my head. "In order to do it, we need to add a small section on for the fire control stations, the weapons themselves, and move the front engines to the back and replace the front with boosters."

Miranda frowned. "That's too much maintenance and we'd need to be in a port for an extended period."

"Then we'll do it later." I said.

Shepard nodded. "All right. We'll wait until after we pick up our next recruit. Until then, business as usual. Send the new weapons up to the armory."

"You got it." I replied. Jacob appeared out of the gym.

"So that's what you got Mark? Nice." Jacob said, picking up the M-96.

"Glad you approve. I'm taking these up to the armory right now."

"Cool. I'll help you out." He replied. We carried both crates up to the armory and placed the weapons into the weapons locker.

"Whew. Glad we got that out of the way." I said.

"Yeah. It'll be great to use the Mattock's again. Best weapon I ever trained with." Replied Jacob.

"Same here."

Jacob leaned back on one of the tables. "You know watching you tear the Council a new one was probably the most entertaining thing I've ever seen."

I rolled my eyes. "Glad you enjoyed the show."

"I'm just amazed at all that info you got on them. How did you get it?"

"Perks of being in charge of Outer Heaven." I replied.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "So that's who's been revealing all of Cerberus' dirty laundry."

"Yours truly."

"Hell of a thing isn't it, being on a Cerberus ship." Jacob said.

"Cerberus just works here. This is Shepard's ship." I replied.

"True. But they built it and staffed it and put all the bugs in it."

I smirked. "Correction: they had bugs. I destroyed them, except for two which I'm using for the sake of pranks."

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "You're a devious man, Mark. Good to be working with you."

"Same here." I replied, shaking his hand.

Now it was time for me to prep for my first mission: getting a biotic convict to join us.

* * *

_Ah, good times. Now we get to recruit Jack. Chances of the Eliminator blowing shit up: Very High. _

_Thanks for reading!_


	18. Prison Break

_Author's note: Sorry for the delay! Got really distracted reading a bunch of other fics, and forgot what to do lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy this next chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Purgatory, Osun System, Hourglass Nebula**

"All hands, prep for docking procedures." Said Joker as we pulled alongside the prison ship, Purgatory.

"Strange name for a prison ship." I said leaning on the top of Joker's chair.

"No kidding. Wonder who this 'Jack' person anyway." He replied.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." I said, patting him on the shoulder as I walked away, to the briefing room.

Inside the briefing room was the team who were milling about, waiting for Shepard to arrive.

"So who got the new rifles anyway?" Zaeed asked.

"I did." I replied, leaning on the table. The old merc gave me a small smirk.

"Nice grab kid. Didn't expect you to have the funds for it."

"You'd be surprised what I can get." I replied as he nodded.

"I'm surprised we're picking up a convict." Garrus said. Shepard walked in.

"Yeah, a convict with an almost empty dossier." He said, approaching the head of the table.

"The Illusive Man couldn't get anything else?" Shepard asked Miranda.

"I'm afraid that's all he could get Shepard." She replied as he shrugged.

"Well, what do we know about the Purgatory?" He asked as EDI's avatar popped up.

"The Purgatory was once an 'ark ship' that housed various agricultural animals. It is now owned and operated by the Blue Suns mercenary company." EDI stated. Zaeed sighed.

"Do you know who runs the ship?" he asked.

"A turian by the name of Kuril." EDI replied.

"Oh for fuck sake…" Zaeed said.

"You've heard of him?" Garrus asked. Zaeed responded with a nod.

"He's a barefaced bastard. Heard a lot a nasty rumors about 'im." He replied.

"Well we're only here to get Jack and get out. Hopefully that will be all we see of him and his merry bunch." Shepard said. "But in case things go south, I want everyone to be on high alert and armed. Mark, Zaeed, and Grunt will be going with me. The rest of you will holding back if something goes wrong."

I snorted. "It's us. Of course something is going to go wrong."

Shepard smirked. "Let's hope not. Everyone suit up."

We all left the briefing room and went into the armory. Shepard tapped me on the arm.

"Did the doc clear you?"

"Yep. Cleared me when we left the Citadel." I replied.

"I just wanted to double check. I'll be damned if you get hurt out there again."

"I'll be fine. It's this op, that worries me." I said. Shepard started to put his armor on and grab his weapons.

"It'll be fine. But I trust your instincts, we won't be going in without weapons." He replied.

"True." I said, grabbing my pistol and putting into my leg holster. I also put the Eviscerator and Eliminator on. I would be carrying my Nighthawk. Zaeed and Grunt grabbed their new Mattock rifles and put them in their respective holsters. Grunt picked up a Katana shotgun and put it on his holster while Zaeed decided to stick with his Mantis sniper rifle. Shepard grabbed both of the new rifles I got and put them in.

"In case anything goes wrong, I want you guys to have your helmets." Shepard said to Grunt and Zaeed who just nodded.

"All right. See you in the airlock."

"Good luck Shepard." Said Miranda.

He nodded in response as the four of us walked through CIC to the airlock.

* * *

**Purgatory**

The four of us walked through the dimly lit hall from the Normandy's airlock to the entrance of the prison itself. There were three Blue Suns guards standing at the entrance waiting for us, a turian, batarian, and a human.

"Welcome to the Purgatory, Shepard. Your package is being prepped and you can claim it shortly." Said the turian guard.

"As this is a high security vessel, you'll need to relinquish your weapons before we can proceed."

The four of us looked at each other with an, 'are you kidding me' look on our faces.

"Yeah, that's not happening…at all." Shepard said, keeping a hand on his pistol.

Another turian walked into the room, he had no markings on his face.

Zaeed whispered. "That's him. Kuril."

"Everyone stand down. Commander, I'm Warden Kuril, and this is my ship." He said stopping at the top of the ramp.

"Your weapons will be returned on the way out. You must realize this is a standard procedure."

"It's my standard procedure to keep my gun." Shepard fired back. The two of them stared each other down before Kuril backed down.

"Let them proceed. Our facility is more than secure enough to handle four armed guests." He said as the guards backed off. "We're bringing Jack out of cryo. As soon as the funds clear, you can be on your way." Kuril pointed towards the door. "If you'll follow me to Outprocessing for the pickup Commander."

"Let's go."

We walked down the hall slowly. I spent my time making a threat assessment on top of looking at the prison in front of us.

"Cellblock two. As you can see, we keep a tight control on the population." I looked through the glass and saw several heavy-duty mechanical arms move the prisoner's cells around.

"Each cell is a self-contained, modular unit. I've blown a few out of the airlock as an example." He said. I rolled my eyes.

_If that was an attempt to scare us, you did a really bad job bareface._

"The ship is made up of 30 cellblocks identical to this one—we house thousands of criminals. We can put the whole place in lockdown on a moment's notice. Nothing goes wrong here."

We stopped the small tour.

"Can you tell me about Jack?" Shepard asked.

Kuril wrung his hands. "Cerberus hasn't told you?" Shepard shook his head.

"Jack is the meanest handful of violence and hate I've ever encountered. Dangerous, crazy, and very powerful. You'll see soon enough."

_This guy must really be afraid of her._

"How did you end up running this ship?" asked Shepard.

"I was in law enforcement on Palaven, and got sick of seeing criminals escape into the galaxy to continue on with their crimes. Bounty hunters aren't dependable."

"That's because you hired the wrong ones." Muttered Zaeed.

"Eventually, I hit upon this idea. Keep the criminals in space and the galaxy is a safer place."

"You do this because you think its necessary?" Shepard replied incredulously.

"Every day I see the worst that sapient life has to offer. Governments are soft, unwilling to make the hard choices. Someone had to stand up to make the galaxy a safer place." Kuril said.

_Right. A mercenary that wants to make the galaxy a safer place…gimme a break._

"Maintaining a population like this in space can't be cheap." Said Shepard.

"We can cut corners that governments can't. And each prisoner brings in a fee from their homeworld. These individuals are violent and their home planets pay well to keep them here."

"What happens if they don't pay?"

"We explain that we can't maintain the prisoner without their help, so we'll be forced to release him back onto their homeworld. At an unspecified place and time."

"So its an extortion racket." I said.

"You don't have to agree with my methods but don't question my motives. These are despicable people and I am keeping them locked up." Kuril replied.

"Let's get this over with." Shepard said as we continued down the hall.

"Can't imagine there are any escape attempts here." Zaeed said.

"We're in space—they have nowhere to go and they know it. But still, we exercise extreme caution. These are dangerous individuals."

Looking out at the cellblock, I saw two prisoners get in each others faces. Almost immediately, they were separated by kinetic barriers.

"We have many ways to control the population." Kuril chimed in.

"I'm going to confirm that the funds from Cerberus cleared. Outprocessing is down the hallway. Just keep going past the interrogation rooms and the supermax wing." Kuril and Shepard stared each other down again.

"I'll catch up with you later, Shepard."

Kuril walked down the hall while we stood there looking at each other.

"Sounds like that turian wants to kill you." Grunt said.

"You don't say…" Zaeed chimed in.

"I'm just mad that this tour didn't end at the gift shop. I wanted a t-shirt." I said sarcastically.

Shepard chuckled. "Come on."

We passed through various corridors, getting looks from the guards. As we rounded another corner, the muffled noises of a prisoner being beaten could be heard.

"Bah, let him die on his feet." Grunt said.

"No one walks away from torture unchanged. Not the subject, not the torturer himself. Never found torture worth the price myself." Added Zaeed.

"Tell me about it. Spent almost two years getting tortured. Never said a single thing. They wasted their time." I said as we walked by the cell. Of course, Shepard took the initiative and told the guards to knock it off.

As we left one of the cellblocks, a thought crept into my mind.

"Say…that warden seemed really surprised to see you Shepard."

"I did notice a small amount of apprehension when we ran into him. Wonder what that was about?" Shepard said.

"Well after you died, the Blue Suns were hired by the Shadow Broker to look for you." I replied.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Why? I was already dead."

"I'll tell you when we're out of here and not being watched." I replied.

"Deal."

EDI came in over the radio with some interesting news. "Shepard, I have discovered that the Blue Suns are accessing information regarding the bounty the Shadow Broker placed on you."

"Great." He said flatly.

We walked into the outprocessing room, it was largely empty except for a tech who pointed the direction to us before leaving the room.

"Anyone else get the feeling that they set a trap?" Zaeed asked.

"It was set the second we stepped on board." I replied.

"Good. We get fight our way out." Said Grunt.

"What else have you found out EDI?" Shepard asked as he pulled out his assault rifle. The rest of us did the same.

"It would appear as though the Blue Suns have no intention of releasing Jack and I have detected security teams gathering outside of the room you are currently in." she said.

"Can you get into their systems and keep an eye on them?" Shepard asked.

"Of course."

"Thanks EDI." Shepard said as we approached the door at the far end of the room. It was a cell.

"My apologies, Shepard. You're more valuable as a prisoner than as a customer. Drop your weapons and proceed into the cell. You will not be harmed." Said Kuril.

Zaeed, Grunt, and I looked at each other and laughed. "Is that his way of giving up?" I asked.

"You talked up your noble intentions with the prison. But you're just a petty criminal like the rest of your inmates." Shepard fired back.

"Activate defenses!" Kuril yelled.

The four of us got behind whatever cover we could find. I put my hood on and waited for the door to open up.

The Suns stormed into the room firing immediately after the doors opened. "Surprise, cockbags!" I yelled out, tossing a sabotage mine into the crowd. Their weapons were made virtually useless, giving everyone the chance to gun down the mercs. Grunt was overjoyed, as this was his first battle.

"Heh. Too easy." He said.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet." Shepard reminded him. I signaled to Shepard that reinforcements were inbound.

"Sounds like FENRIR's." said Zaeed.

"Agreed." I replied, aiming my assault rifle at the door. "Scanners are picking up four heading our way."

The four mechs bounded around the corner and ran through the door, and right into heavy fire.

"Hope that's all of them." Said Zaeed. "We still gotta pick up this Jack."

"That we do Zaeed." Responded Shepard. The four of us left the room and stopped at the corner that would take us to the supermax and cryo wings. More Blue Suns were there waiting for us; at least ten of them were firing at us from down the hall.

"Shit!" I yelled out.

"Can't get a clean shot, Shepard." Said Grunt. I put my assault rifle away and pulled out the Eliminator.

"Woah." Shepard said, looking at the weapon.

"Let's clear this hall out, shall we?" I said as I turned the corner and fired. The first shot killed the first five mercs that were closest to us. The second shot, I aimed at the far wall, blowing the other five away; two of them flew back with such a force, it blew them through the glass wall.

"Jesus Christ, kid." Zaeed said with a raised eyebrow.

"Heh. Nice." Said Grunt.

"I love using this thing." I replied as we moved towards the door to the cryo wing. I switched back to my assault rifle as we stacked up at the door. I scanned the room with my omni-tool.

"Anyone inside?" Shepard asked.

"Just one."

"Go!" Shepard ordered as the four of us burst into the room.

The lone tech in the room dove behind a table and wildly fired his pistol.

"Shepard is in the cryo wing, requesting immediate backup! I repeat-"

Grunt walked up to the table with his shotgun and fired a single round through it.

"What a mess." Said Zaeed. "Not as bad as what Mark did to Garm but still bad."

I grumbled.

We approached the terminal and I started going through it as Shepard looked over my shoulder.

"Hm." I said, looking at the information on the terminal.

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

"If we use the security override here, every cellblock on this ship opens up." I replied.

"Hmph. How else are we gonna get Jack out of the ice?" Grunt asked.

"You could always use that cannon on yer back." Zaeed said.

"Zaeed its called the Eliminator, not the Master Key." I replied.

"Do it Mark." Shepard said.

"You got it." I typed in a various amount of commands before seeing the cryo cell containing Jack start to rise up. The YMIR mechs began to move towards the cell. Once the frost began to dissipate, we got our first glimpse of Jack…who was a woman.

We were all a little surprised.

"Hmph. Jack is small." Grunt said.

"Well as the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover." I replied.

We all watched as her hands started to twitch and then she suddenly sprung to life. Jack ripped the shackles off, shaking off all the frost before charging at the three YMIR mechs in the room. The thunderous explosions rocked the observation room we were in.

"Holy shit!" Shepard yelled.

"Oh boy, I want to see this!" Grunt said, the excitement showing in his voice.

"We should probably help her before they kill her." Zaeed replied to the krogan. "But it couldn't hurt to watch."

"See? I told you not to judge a book by its cover." I replied. The four of us rushed out of the room and into the cryo wing. It was pure chaos as Jack left a trail of destruction in her wake.

"All guards: restore order! Lethal force is authorized, but don't kill Jack! Techs, lockdown, lockdown!" Kuril announced.

"Why does he care so much about her?" I asked.

"You saw her kid. Girl like that's gotta be worth a fortune to someone." Zaeed replied calmly.

"You sound like you've done that kind of thing before." I said.

Zaeed snorted. "I'm a bounty hunter. If people are looking for someone, they'll shell out as much as possible to get said person."

"No I meant, from the Blue Suns perspective. You know an awful lot about them." I replied.

"I co-founded the group." He said. "Long story, I'll tell you later."

"Dang." I said. We looked out at the cellblock which had become a total warzone. Hydraulic arms swung wildly and fell from the ceiling, fires raged in small areas, and guards fought prisoners who had somehow acquired weapons.

"She's blowing everything up! I like her." Grunt said.

"As long as doesn't cause the place to violently decompress, we're good." I replied.

The four of us ducked behind a large steel grate and watched as the mercs annihilated the convicts. Grunt was ready to charge into the fray when Shepard held him back.

"Just wait." He said. Grunt looked at Shepard sharply before looking at the YMIR mech tear apart the remaining inmates.

"Now we can kill them." Shepard said. I switched to the sniper mode and started picking off Blue Suns mercs left and right. Shepard and the others got into the thick of the fighting and took on the large mech. Our combined firepower took it out with relative ease. We continued onto the next cellblock. The announcements of ship levels and systems that were destroyed continued along with orders from Kuril.

The next cellblock contained a large number of Blue Suns and two YMIR mechs.

"Oh eat me, they've got two?" I asked incredulously.

"Good. I want more." Grunt said.

"Game time." I replied, switching to the Eliminator.

"Alright. Mark you and Grunt take the top level. Zaeed and I will take the lower level." Shepard ordered as we split up and engaged the mercs.

I charged up the Eliminator, hoping to drop the second level YMIR in one shot. I cut the overcharge off with a 1/4 left to go.

_I want to destroy a mech not put a hole in the ship._

I popped out from the crate I was hiding behind and pulled the trigger. The round struck the mech with such force it caused it to fly five feet backwards into a wall and into a helpless merc that was crushed. The resulting explosion killed another six. I could hear Zaeed yell out from the crate he was behind; apparently he just enjoyed the show. I turned and aimed the Eliminator at the other mech and just fired standard shots at the thing. With our combined firepower, it went down like a ton of bricks. The rest of the Blue Suns went down similarly.

"Warning: power plant damage has led to overload. Core systems failure imminent." Said the Purgatory's VI.

"Wasn't me!" I yelled out as Grunt and I regrouped with Shepard.

"I sure hope not." Replied Shepard.

"Trust me. If I let this thing go to full charge, the resulting blast would have done more than that."

"What's it capable of on full charge?" asked Zaeed.

"On full charge its equal to one megaton." I replied.

"Damn." Said Shepard.

I scanned the next room with my omni-tool.

"Please tell me there aren't any more mechs in there." Shepard said wearily.

"Nope. Just mercs and a certain warden we've been looking for." I replied.

"Good." Zaeed said with an evil grin on his face.

Kuril was plugging away at some rioting inmates with his M-76 Revenant as we slowly made our way into cover. The warden noticed us.

"You're valuable, Shepard. I could've sold you and lived like a king!" he yelled out. "But you're too much trouble! At least I can recapture Jack!"

"Not happening! You're a two-bit slave trader and I don't have time for it!" Shepard fired back.

I was cloaked, and lining up a shot as Kuril was firing a few loose shots around Shepard.

"Light's out, bareface." I said, and dropped him with a headshot that his tech armor couldn't stop.

"Damn. Nice shot kid." Zaeed said.

"It's not over yet. More mercs are coming." Grunt said with a wicked grin on his face. The four of us spread out to take on the remaining Blue Suns. I saw Zaeed make a beeline for Kuril's corpse. The old merc leaped up onto the shipping container and grabbed his M-76, mowing down whatever Blue Suns were left.

"You really hate those guys huh?" I said as Zaeed jumped off the crate.

"Noticing this now?" he asked sarcastically. We heard a thud from up above and saw Jack sprinting down a hall.

"Come on!" Shepard yelled as the four of us sprinted down a various set of halls. We finally caught up with Jack who had easily handled two more Blue Suns and was almost capped by another one until Shepard put a bullet in his head. She looked like she was ready to attack us but decided against it at the last second.

I pulled my hood off. "Whew. Man was it a pain in the ass to track you down."

"What the hell do you want?" the tattooed woman asked angrily.

"I'm Commander John Shepard and I'm here to get you out of here." He replied evenly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. You're Cerberus." She fired back.

"What does Cerberus have to do with this?"

"They've been after my ass for years. Anytime I get free, they put a huge bounty on me. That's why Warden Kuril figured he struck gold when he found me." She said.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Oh man…she's one of their biotic experiments John."

He turned his head back a bit. "You know about it?"

"A little. The details are…well they'd keep anyone up at night. Gruesome stuff." I replied.

"You one of 'em or not?" Jack asked, folding her arms.

"Us? Hell no. Why would a human terrorist organization have a krogan come along for the ride?" I replied.

"You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere. You think I'm stupid?" she said angrily.

"Look Jack, this ship is going down in flames. We can get you to safety, and we're asking for your help." Replied Shepard.

"Worst comes to worst, we could always knock her out and drag her arse back to the ship." Zaeed said.

Jack stepped forward, almost goading him. "I'd like to see you try."

Shepard turned around. "We're not going to attack her."

"Good move." Jack said.

"Besides, after having to deal with backstabbing mercs, hordes of mechs and inmates, Kuril's lame justifications, and chasing you across a burning prison ship, I'd rather just get the hell out of here." I added.

Jack snorted. "Look, you want me to come with you, make it worth my while."

"Join my team and I'll do what I can for you." Shepard replied, stepping forward.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Jack fired back. "I bet your ship's got lots of Cerberus databases. I want to look through those files, see what Cerberus has got on me. You want me on your team, you let me go through them."

"I'll give you full access." Shepard responded.

"You better be straight up with me." Jack said. Shepard nodded.

"Then what are we standing around for?"

"Let's go." Shepard said.

"Good because I am starving." I drawled out.

* * *

The five of us took a few detours through the ship in order to get back to the Normandy. It turns out that leaving the rest of the team back at the ship was a good idea as the Blue Suns had planned to board the ship. It didn't end well for them.

"An M-76 Revenant. Nice gun." Jack said. "There's only one guy on the ship that had one." She had a wicked grin on her face.

"Oh it was a hell of a shot. Mark here put a round clean through his head while he was ranting at us. Never saw him coming." Zaeed said.

Jack turned to me. "Are you Cerberus?"

I shook my head. "No. I've been fighting them for two years."

"How did you get on the ship anyway?" she asked.

"Me and Shepard are old friends. Besides, my resume is hard to ignore." I replied.

"Whatever." She said, as Jack grabbed some clothes off a dead female inmate.

"That was good fight." Grunt said. "Those mechs blowing up, Kuril's head exploding, and the tiny human destroying everything…it was glorious."

I chuckled. "Glad you had fun big man."

Jack shook her head and looked at Shepard. "What's with him?"

"Grunt's a tank-born krogan." He replied.

I pretended to cry. "It was like he was born yesterday, and threatening to kill us. So touching."

"That's because he was born yesterday." Shepard said, not hiding the grin on his face.

"You guys are weird." Jack replied shaking her head.

"Take a number and get in line. We're chalk full of weird on the Normandy." I said to her.

"I bet you're the craziest one on board."

"That's what makes me so loveable." I deadpanned.

"Fuck off." Jack said.

"Right now? But everyone's watching."

She grumbled and separated herself from me.

"I like her already." Shepard said.

"Funny." I shot back. "Don't you think we should find Jack a set of armor or something?"

"There's an armory down the hall. Might find something there." She said.

Once we made it inside, the room itself was almost barren. Either from the Suns or the inmates, most of the weapons were gone. Jack just grabbed an M-3 Predator pistol.

"Well there's only one set of armor in here." Shepard said as he opened up the case. It looked like an old set of Ariake Technologies light grade Mercenary armor.

"It'll do." Jack said flatly.

"If it doesn't fit, our armory officer Jacob can take a look at it." Shepard said.

"Whatever." Jack replied.

It was a quiet walk back to the Normandy from the armory.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

On board the ship, things were routine for the most part. Well, except that everyone was on edge due to our newest recruit. I was getting ready to take my armor and weapons off in the armory when Shepard asked me to join him in the briefing room with Miranda and Jack.

This is gonna be fun…

Shepard stood off to the side while Miranda paced back and forth in front of Jack. I just leaned against the table.

"Welcome aboard the Normandy, Jack. I'm Miranda Lawson, Shepard's second in command. On this ship, we follow orders." Miranda said in an even tone.

"Tell the Cerberus cheerleader to back off, Shepard. I'm here because of our deal.

Shepard folded his arms. "Miranda will let you into the system. Let me know what you find."

Jack got off the wall she was leaning on and moved up to Miranda. "You hear that precious? We're going to be friends. You, me, and every dirty little secret."

Jack continued. "I'll be reading down in the hold or somewhere near the bottom. I don't like a lot of through traffic."

She turned to leave. "Keep your people off me, better that way."

"Well, that went better than expected." I said. Miranda turned around to look at Shepard. Clearly, she was agitated.

"Full access? You gave her full access?" She asked, frustrated.

"Miranda, she has a past with Cerberus. Since the Illusive Man was reluctant to leave that out in the dossier…" He responded, tilting his head. "Look, I'm just as curious as she is to find out."

Miranda still glared at him.

"Besides, it was your boss' idea to recruit her." I added. "From what I've seen, she'll do fine."

She was about to add something when Shepard cut her off. "We need her on the team Miranda. If I didn't give her access, we wouldn't have her. I know you don't like it but I'll keep your opinion in mind."

"Yes, Commander." She responded.

He turned to me. "Mark, I want you to be there when Miranda gives Jack the info."

"Why?" Miranda asked flatly.

"To keep the two of you in check." Shepard responded.

"You got it John." I said. "Looks like I'll have to wait on that meal and getting out of this armor."

"Too bad." Miranda replied as we left the room. Jack was waiting outside for us.

"So you gonna give me the data now or what?" she said.

"Yes. Follow me." Miranda said through her teeth.

_Well they're clearly not going to get along._

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked.

"Keeping the two of you from killing each other." I replied. Jack rolled her eyes.

"If I was gonna kill the cheerleader, I'd have done it already."

"I'd like to see you try." Miranda shot back.

"Hey! Cut the shit!" I yelled getting between them. "Look, I'm tired and starving right now and your bullshit is pissing me off. Now unless the two of you are gonna strip down and fight in a kiddie pool full of baby oil, I suggest we get this over with."

Both women looked at each other incredulously.

"Yes, you're right. Sorry." Replied Miranda.

Jack just shrugged. "I bet you'd like that."

"Only if I'm the ref." I replied.

"Fuckin' perv." Jack said as we got into the elevator.

"That's nothing. At least now you can take a shower without the Illusive Man watching you from twenty different angles." I replied. "The guy had bugs everywhere."

"Should I be thanking you for getting rid of them?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Your call. Unless you want to imagine an old man slapping himself silly to you taking a shower." I shot back.

Jack let out a short laugh. "You're a weird bastard, you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

The elevator got off at the crew deck and Miranda led us to her office. She unlocked the Cerberus databases for Jack and gave her a variety of datapads. The good news was that they didn't say much of anything to each other so I didn't need to put on my old officer face.

"I never got your name." Jack said as we walked into the elevator.

"Mark Sears, private investigator." I replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh huh. So you know a place on this ship where no one will bother me?" she asked.

"There's a room underneath main engineering. Some utility room I think. I've never seen anyone down there and there's a spare cot too."

"Better than nothing." Jack replied. We stepped off the elevator and I showed her the room.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Shepard will probably come down too to talk." I said as I turned to leave.

"Wait." Jack said and I turned around. "How did you know I was a Cerberus experiment?"

"I've stolen a bunch of info on them, along with blowing up research bases. We both know what they're capable of." She smirked a little.

"How many of 'em did you kill?"

I scratched my chin. "Close to a hundred and fifty."

Her smirk grew a little wider and she nodded approvingly. "You're alright."

"Later Jack." I said as I left to head back up to the armory and drop off my gear.

* * *

I was taking off the pieces of my armor when Jacob walked into the room.

"Hey, look who's wearing something normal!" I said.

"Yeah, yeah." Jacob replied as he shook his head and started working on his terminal.

"Zaeed finally get to you?"

"Hell no. I got tired of wearing that damn outfit." Jacob replied.

"It didn't look comfortable." I said.

"It wasn't."

"Welcome back to the world of regular clothing, cod piece." I said with a smirk.

Jacob grumbled. "Damn it."

I laughed. "Hey you could have had a worse nickname. That one just happens to be funny."

He shook his head and went back to work. I finally got my armor off and put everything away. I looked up at the bug in the corner that I had liberated.

"You'll be happy to know Jacob that I got rid of all the bugs on board." I said.

He turned around. "Really?"

I nodded. "All except for two, which I plan on using for my own purposes."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" He asked.

"It's not that bad. Besides, I want to get a few people in on this." I turned on my omni-tool. "Shepard, Garrus. Could you come to the armory for a second?"

* * *

**Classified Location**

The Illusive Man was going over the operation report from the Purgatory. He was pleased that Shepard was able to get Jack on board. Miranda's report expressed concern about the convict, but he wasn't as concerned about the potential security leak. Jack didn't seem tech savvy enough to wipe out the databases. As for the Blue Suns, the Illusive Man had some rather nasty things in store for them.

His plan for Horizon was going to be underway soon enough. Everything was in motion and he was a happy man.

"Sir, a new surveillance report from the Normandy has come in." said his secretary.

"Patch in through."

He was a little surprised to see that the reports were only coming from two bugs on the ship. The Illusive Man wasn't terribly surprised that the ones in Shepard's cabin were already down, he had taken care of them once he was aboard.

"Audio log from Bug 327." Said the computerized voice. A silent garbled noise came through.

The Illusive Man tapped the volume control on the haptic interface. The garbled noise grew more and more silent as the volume went up. Then…

"_HEADING INTO TWILIGHT, SPREADING OUT HER WINGS TONIGHT…SHE'S GOT YOU JUMPIN' OFF THE TRACK, AND SHOVIN' INTO OVERDRIVE…HIIIIIIIIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE! GONNA TAKE YOU RIGHT INNNNNNTO THE DANGER ZOONE!"_

His eyes shot open as the rockin' sounds of the 1980's blared throughout his office. The Illusive Man buried his face into the palm of his hand.

"Second audio log from Bug 327."

"_WE'RE NO STRANGERS TO LOOOOOVE. YOU KNOW THE RULES, AND SO DO I…I…I. A FULL COMMITMENT'S WHAT I'M THINKIN' OF. YOU WOULDN'T GET THIS FROM ANY OTHER GUY!"_

"Stop playing audio logs from Bug 327." The Illusive Man said. He slugged down the rest of his Jim Beam Black Label and refilled the glass.

_Sears. Sears found the bugs…and put THAT on._

"Surveillance logs from Bug 43." Said the VI.

Almost immediately, the Illusive Man noticed the bug wasn't in its usual place. Sears walked into the armory. "Oh, hello there. Didn't see you. My name is Brock Strongo and I represent a group that's looking for some willing and able people to do the right thing. That group is Cerberus."

Some very corny, 1980's style music played.

"Cerberus is looking to do something only movie villains and aliens want to do: kill all humans. Here's some people who work for Cerberus and what they think."

Kelly Chambers first appeared. "It's pretty interesting. The satanic orgies are always fun and um…the whole probing thing isn't bad either."

Joker was on the screen next. "They gave me my legs back, more or less. The problem is, they gave me the legs of some dead supermodel, and now I can't stop touching myself."

"See the excellent opportunities we can give you? And that's not all. Aside from advancing humanity into a race of superbeings and trouncing on aliens, we give you the chance to do something great." Sears said as he pointed to a chart.

"Don't like kids? You'll be great in our biotic experimentation department where you can mercilessly beat them until your arms are broken and weak." He said pointing to the first part. The second thing on the list was, killing soldiers.

"Found something neat on the frontier? Think it would be fun to see it kill soldiers? The frontier science division is for you. Among a litany of other things." He said going down the list.

"Well I hope this was as horrifying as it was educational. Unlike previous people who have tried and fail to make humanity all powerful and perfect…" Sears said as pictures of Hugo Drax, Khan, and Hitler popped up. "Cerberus is doing it for real. Remember our motto: Kill all humans." Sears gave the camera a shit-eating grin before the video disappeared.

The Illusive Man sat back and stared at the ceiling, shaking his head.

"Second log from Bug 43."

Jacob was working on his terminal in the armory when Kasumi walked in.

"Hello Jacob." She said cheerfully.

"Hey Kasumi."

"Jacob, I've been having some problems with my weapons. Could you help me out?" she asked almost too innocently.

Jacob didn't take the hint. "Sure."

She handed him the pistol as Jacob inspected it. "Doesn't look like anything is wrong Kasumi."

She grabbed Jacob by the collar. "I think there's another weapon I should check out."

"K—Kasumi? You do realize that someone could be listening in?"

"Mmm-hmm." She replied.

Jacob got a sly look in his eye. "Heavy risk…but the prize."

The Illusive Man raised and eyebrow and adjusted himself in his seat.

_This should be interesting._

The screen faded to black as various random noises such as a rocket launching, bells and whistles, and a wailing wah pedal effected guitar played. It cut to Mark who was sitting in a corner, his hands folded maniacally.

"Yes. Let the evil flow through you." He said. The camera then cut to Jacob and Kasumi who were just playing cards.

"Oh goddamn it! You ruined it! Next!" Mark yelled.

"Third log from Bug 43." Said the VI as the Illusive Man braced for something equally as strange.

It was Garrus, Mark, Shepard, Jacob, and Joker who were all sitting around in the armory talking. Mark and Shepard left the room and the others continued to talk.

_Well this should be nothing…I hope._

Mark and Shepard came back into the room wearing some sort of large wigs. Song credits showed up in the bottom left hand corner of the screen: Killswitch Engage- The Arms of Sorrow.

All five men then broke out into a sort of air band and played the song, except for Mark who actually sang. They all danced around, playing air instruments to the song.

How in God's name did he produce all of that? Oh right, GR9X's…I shouldn't have put so many of them on board.

"End surveillance log."

The Illusive Man sat in his chair, dumbfounded at what he had seen and heard. He took a drag from his cigarette and sat back.

_And they're the only hope we have against the Collectors…_

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Tech Lab**

I was sitting at a terminal in the tech lab, working on some ideas I had for heavy weapons. Mordin was behind me speaking in his usual rapid pace, as he figured out how to counteract the seeker swarm. I stopped what I was working on, a heavy weapon called the M-920 Cain, to help Mordin out.

"You need any help, professor?" I asked.

Mordin tapped his chin. "Hm. Possibly. Know about your engineering background and creative ideas for weapons and armor. Come. Look."

I walked over to his terminal as he showed me what he was working on. It was a module that would fit into body armor.

"Well it seems like its ready to go, what seems to be the issue?" I asked.

"Module would be too big to fit into a set of armor. Need to miniaturize it." He replied.

I looked at his blueprint on the terminal. "Back to the drawing board eh?"

"Drawing board? Doesn't make sense." Mordin said confused.

"It's a human expression, professor. If you come up with an idea and it doesn't work, you go back to the drawing board and make changes. I use one all the time." I replied.

"Ah. I see. Human expressions always interesting. Accurate metaphors for situations."

I uploaded Mordin's blueprint and put it on my terminal. "I wish we had a drawing board. It's easier for me to put my ideas on it than a terminal."

"So drawing board not just a metaphor. Hm, fascinating."

I chuckled as I came up with an idea for interior plating. "When we picked up Grunt, I heard a lot about you working on the genophage project."

Mordin walked over from his terminal. "Ah. Yes. Of course, not original project; too long a period for single salarian lifespan. Worked on modification project."

"I didn't know that. What did the project entail?"

"Krogan were adapting to genophage, overcoming it. Very durable beings." He replied.

"Were they adapting to it naturally or did some brilliant scientist develop something?" I asked.

Mordin chuckled. "Never met krogan scientist worthy of the term. No, they were adapting naturally. All krogan have several backup organs, redundancy systems."

I nodded as I typed in various figures into my terminal. "You know there was a krogan scientist we ran into on Virmire who was working on a genophage cure. I believe the name was Droyas. Of course, I imagine his experiments were like Okeer's."

"Hm. Krogan scientists all follow similar routines, brutal, inefficient. Lacking morals."

"So what was the modification you made?"

"Original genophage attacked various sites. Krogan DNA created garbage code for genophage to attack. We created a different sequence for garbage code to attack." Mordin explained.

"I see."

"Did it to reduce krogan birthrates to pre-industrial levels."

I nodded my head as I looked back at the terminal. I could understand the justification for it, but of all the krogan I knew, they all had a bleak outlook on the future. They believed that their race was dying out because of the genophage, when in fact, they weren't. _Goddamn status quo._

"You think it was the wrong decision?" Mordin asked, sensing my apprehension.

I sighed. "Professor, I know a lot of krogan. They believe that their race is dying out and don't really care. I've explained it to them as best as I could, but as far as their concerned, the krogan are going extinct. The genophage wasn't just a biological weapon, it was a psychological weapon. There's no difference between committing genocide and making them think the turians and salarians committed genocide against the krogan. I've seen their potential. I've seen their passion for… anything."

I shook my head. "It's not right…not to me."

Mordin nodded. "Understand your point. Still don't agree, but glad you voiced your thoughts."

We went back to working on this seeker swarm armor plating.

* * *

After finishing up with the new armor plating upgrades, I headed up to Shepard's room. I pushed the buzzer on the panel.

"Come."

I entered the room and saw John sitting at his desk going over a report.

"Hey Mark."

I whistled. "Nice place you've got here."

His room had a model display case, a fish tank, a large bed, and an L-shaped couch.

"I know. Seems a little much but, I don't mind. So what brings you up here?"

"I just remembered I was supposed to tell you why the Blue Suns were after you. Plus, this is the only part of the ship I haven't seen yet." I replied.

"Ah right." John said as he got up and went over to the couch. I sat down on the opposite side.

"So, why were they after me anyway?" he asked.

"From what I heard, the Shadow Broker was going to give your body to the Collectors for a rather…hefty sum." I replied. John's eyes went wide.

"But…why?"

"I'm not sure. But the Broker now seems to be looking out for himself now. He never used to act like this until recently." I said. Shepard shook his head.

"How much?" he asked.

"For your body?" Shepard nodded.

"It was the combined GDP of the Council races…times two." I replied. John let out a low whistle.

"So Cerberus sent in the cavalry after me eh?" he asked.

"No. It was Liara. I'm not sure about the details but, all I know was the deal, who was involved, and the money. I'm sure if we find Liara, she'll tell you." I replied.

He nodded his head slowly. "Alright. Thanks for telling me Mark."

"My pleasure."

"By the way, those videos we made…where did you get the idea for that?" Shepard asked me with a smirk on his face.

"It's been a long time since I pulled a sweet prank. I was hoping to do it now while we had the bugs."

"Great plan." He said as we sat back.

"Have you talked to your mother at all?" I asked.

John slapped himself in the forehead. "Oh man! I forgot."

"I'd do it before she flips out via email." I replied.

"Yeah I should do that." He said, getting up off the couch and rushing to his terminal. "Have you kept in touch with mom?"

"As best as I could. I sent her a message every week. Had a hell of a time explaining why I stopped sending her messages after almost two years." I replied with a chuckle. "She took it pretty well."

"I'm glad you were there for her." Shepard replied.

"Anytime."

* * *

_Nothing like some good ol' shenanigans to mess with the Man. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	19. Showdown on Horizon

_Author's Note: Alright Horizon! I decided to change this one up a little bit, too much doom and gloom in the original Horizon mission. Again, big thanks to LuxDragon's fic, Fight for the Lost which is probably my biggest influence for this story. I'm pretty psyched after finding out that MASS EFFECT 3 WILL HAVE NO MULTIPLAYER. Best news I've heard all day._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Omega**

I was down in the mess hall, finally getting something to eat.

_I made all that fuss and yet I put it off until now. Bravo, good sir._

Since Shepard picked up some new supplies, everything was of the highest quality, not just military grade provisions. Rupert was happy about it, as was the rest of the crew. I sat in silence, picking through my meal and making a few sketches when Kasumi sat across from me.

"Hey Mark." Said the cheery thief.

"Hey Kasumi. What's up?" I asked.

"Oh not too much. Just finished watching your little prank video again for the fourth time." She replied with a giggle. "It was so much fun to do."

"Agreed. Sure we're on some giant mission to save the galaxy but who says we can't have a little fun along the way?"

"Very true." She replied and looked at what I was doing. "I didn't know that you knew how to draw."

"It's a little hobby of mine. I wasn't good at painting or sculpting or anything like that. Drawing just feels natural to me."

"What are you drawing?"

I pulled my little sketch back. "It's a little surprise I'm planning. I want to get some of these finished up before we pick up anybody else."

"Aww. No fair." Kasumi replied playfully.

"Oh well. I get the feeling you might enjoy it." I said. "But I got a bunch of other drawings and stuff in my room if you want to see."

"I'd love to." She said. I stood up and took my food to my room, Kasumi followed me in.

"Wow. I like what you've done with the place." She said.

"Thanks. You should have seen it before, it was just blank walls before."

"I know. I snuck aboard after the Normandy docked at the Citadel." Kasumi replied.

"Oh you're good."

She giggled.

"So what's this drawing here?" Kasumi asked as she pointed at the large drawing on the left wall.

"That right there is Heaven's Peak on Akuze. I drew this when I was in the veterans hospital."

"Oh…I see." Kasumi replied softly.

"It's alright. You see this area here?" I asked pointing to a large area in the middle of the drawing. She nodded.

"That's where New Edo is. City's not too bad but everyone's still edgy."

"It's a beautiful view." She said as Kasumi looked around at the other drawings I had up. "What about this one?"

It was my drawing of Virmire. "That's Virmire. I was up on this sniper perch helping out an STG team while Shepard was looking for Saren. That right there was my view of the area."

"Looks like a good place for a vacation. Although from what I've heard, that area is probably irradiated." Kasumi said.

"Yep. The rest of the planet doesn't seem that bad. Only problem is the vicinity to the Terminus Systems gangs and stuff."

"What a shame."

Kasumi giggled at the next one. "Who's the guy with the pink suit and rainbow wig?"

"Oh man." I replied laughing. "That's Major Arnold. One of the guys in my old unit pranked him by stealing his lucky uniform, dying the thing pink, and gluing a rainbow wig on it. I'll never forget the way that guy looked…priceless."

Kasumi laughed.

Everything else in the room was various sports memorabilia I had hanging up on the wall. I sat on the couch and Kasumi joined me.

"You know I hadn't heard of you until you came aboard. Hell none of my contacts have either."

Kasumi grinned. "Then I guess I am doing a good job of evading everyone."

"Except for maybe Cerberus and the Shadow Broker." I said.

"Eh. Still, the master detective couldn't find me."

I rolled my eyes. "Hell, I try to stay under the radar and even you've heard of me."

"It's hard not to. Especially when you jump off of a skyscraper and make headline news all over the galaxy." She replied.

"This is true. I'm glad the media didn't find out. I did a damn good job at staying low key. Damn Shadow Broker keeps selling me out." I said. "But enough about me. What about you? Any wacky adventures that you've been on lately?"

"Hm. Not really. Thievery and wackiness don't go hand in hand; except in the vids. Keiji and I traveled all over the galaxy stealing priceless works of art and other objects."

"He must have meant a lot to you." I said.

"He did." Kasumi said, trailing off.

"Well, not to pry but you and Jacob seemed to really hit it off."

Kasumi laughed. "You sure about that? Maybe it was my excellent acting."

"That wasn't acting, Kasumi." I replied.

"How did you figure it out?" she asked rolling her eyes.

"I'm really good." I said with a smirk. Kasumi simply sighed. I leaned back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm not really sure about what to do here. Not much call for thievery aboard a ship." Kasumi said.

"That's probably why your room has a bar and why mine has a ping-pong table and giant vid screen. It's good for long trips." I replied.

"True. At least it won't be boring."

"Yeah. Plus, if that does happen, we can make more videos."

Kasumi laughed. "I'd like that."

We sat back and watched a show on the vid screen.

* * *

After having a friendly chat and a meal with Kasumi, I headed down to the gym to work out. It was something to do until we arrived at Omega. On the way down, I kept thinking about what early spaceflight was like. The dangers of cosmic rays and muscle atrophy affecting the body had more or less disappeared with the discovery of mass effect technology. But even with these technological achievements, it was still helpful to get some sort of exercise.

_That and old military habits._

Even when I had neurotoxemia, I still made time to get some sort of exercise but had to limit the workload and get rest in between. I went over to the bench press and took my shirt off, putting it on the bench itself. I set the weight to something light to start off, for me it was about 140. I lied down and began lifting, doing about fifteen reps. I upped the weight to my body weight, 180. Again, I did about fifteen reps. The maximum amount I could do was 235 and I could only do about five reps on that. I changed the weight again to 235 and did exactly five reps.

I sat up and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Next up was curling free weights. I did that for about ten minutes and stopped. I got up and toweled off the bench and went into the 'gravity booth'. It was a specialized room where you could change the gravitational pull for endurance training. It was similar to being in a hypobaric chamber.

I lied down on the ground and set the chamber to 2.5g's and started doing push ups. The most I could do in a gravity booth was about 40 before my eyes started to hurt (eyeballs out they call it). I decided to take it easy and do half of my max before I got up to go on the pull up bar. This next bit was one of the more physically taxing exercises; doing sit ups on a pull up bar in a gravity booth. It was a necessary training tool in N7 Infiltrator school. It was a way of getting used to climbing and gaining endurance in tough situations or angles. Since doing sit ups in a higher gravity was easier than push ups, I could max out at 80. Again, I took it easy and did 20. I switched the gravity back to normal and got out. Getting used to the ship's gravity was a little different, it always was tough to get used to.

"Whew. Haven't done that in a while." I muttered. I looked out and saw Miranda doing some stretches near the cardio area. She was wearing a similar outfit than the one I saw when I was debugging the ship; a black tank top and short black shorts.

I grabbed my towel, shirt, and water and walked over to the treadmills.

"Howdy." I said as I stepped onto the treadmill.

"Hello Mark." Miranda replied as she looked up from her stretches. I set the treadmill to a jogging speed and hopped on.

Not long after I started, Miranda got on the treadmill next to me and was running at the same pace.

"I got a rather interesting message from the Illusive Man." She said. "Followed by some footage he had received."

I knew what she was getting at. "Hope he enjoyed the show." I replied with a grin.

Miranda let out a frustrated sigh as she kept jogging.

"Did you at least watch them?" I asked.

"I'm not even going to answer that." She responded sharply.

"You did! Hah!" I laughed. It was so easy to get her agitated.

She didn't respond and so we continued jogging in silence. Once I hit my limit I got off, Miranda followed.

"What did you think of my little home movies?" I asked, regaining my breath.

She rolled her eyes. "The fact that you got Jacob and Chambers in on it was just…" Miranda just shook her head.

"Are you mad that I didn't ask you to join in?"

"No." she replied flatly.

"Are you mad for the sake of being mad?" I asked.

Her eyes flickered briefly before she replied. "Yes."

"Well whaddya know. Someone's trying to play battle of wits with me. Game on, Ms. Lawson." I replied with a smirk on my face.

"It's hard to play a game of wits with someone who isn't very witty." She replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Ooh. Good comeback. What's next? Are you gonna cave into your throbbing biological urges after getting one look at me?" I ask, making a show of my shirtless torso.

"There's really nothing to see." She replied, the smallest of smirks appearing on her face.

"Funny. If you keep smiling your face might crack."

"I doubt it. It's too perfect." Miranda replied, the smirk growing slightly.

"Well played." I said, throwing my shirt back on. I headed for the elevator, as Miranda followed. When the doors closed, I decided fire off one more salvo.

"Miranda, you're stinking up the lift. Try deodorant next time." I replied with a grin.

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as we looked at each other.

"Kidding of course." I said holding my hands up, expecting a slap.

"I know." She replied with a smirk. "Got you."

I rolled my eyes. "Good times." Of course I couldn't help but look at the woman. It didn't matter what she wore, she looked amazing either way. I was stuck in a bit of a daze when she snapped me out of it.

"Mr. Sears, are you checking me out?" she asked, in a faux incredulous tone.

"Uh…no. I was giving you the cross-eyed stare. You can't tell?" I replied.

She snorted and approached me. "I doubt it. I know you've been staring at me the whole time and when I caught you in my room."

I folded my arms. "I won't argue that. But you're not innocent either. I know you were watching me on the Lazarus station, and the whole time I've been here."

"Have not." She replied.

"Can't fool me Miranda. I already came clean." By the time the elevator stopped, we were almost nose-to-nose.

"I gotta take a shower." I said. "We'll talk later." I pulled my shades down slightly and winked before heading off to the shower.

* * *

Miranda was a little surprised at herself. More back and forth bantering with a man that's supposed to be the enemy. Yet, on the inside, she enjoyed it. Miranda never really had the opportunity to have any non-work related conversations with her Cerberus colleagues. Either because they were too busy, or because they simply didn't like her. She knew that she had a reputation in Cerberus as the 'ice queen' and it didn't bother her consciously. On the inside, however, she was a little envious that she couldn't have a conversation about nothing. She had seen Jacob and Mark do it on the Lazarus station numerous times. Hell, even Shepard had managed to convince so many people to help him and in the course of recruiting, he had gotten to know every single person on the ship.

She put her hand on the wall of the bathroom and leaned on it as the warm water washed over her. Miranda had spent two years putting Shepard back together, spent two years learning everything about him and when Mark came into the picture all of those personal profiles seemingly went out the window.

She barely knew anything about Mark. When she hunted him down, all she had on him was a one page dossier highlighting his commendations, service record (all except for three assignments were blacked out), and psychological profile.

_Maybe that's another reason why you find him interesting. He hides himself as well as you do._

Then again, he didn't seem like the type to hide much about himself from the conversations she overheard him have with Shepard, or anyone else.

Miranda shook her head as she turned off the shower and dried off. After getting dressed, she headed back to her room and noticed that the door to his room was still unlocked. It was late at night, most of the crew was sleeping or working. She wanted to go in and see what he was up to but decided against it.

Miranda walked back into her room and sat down at her desk to see if there were any more messages from the Illusive Man. She typed the password into her terminal.

"What? Denied?" she muttered to herself. Miranda typed it in again, slowly.

"DENIED." It said on the terminal screen. She huffed in frustration and tried it again.

"DENIED."

Miranda rubbed her forehead until a message popped up. "GIVE UP?"

"What the hell?" she asked.

"FIRST LETTER: M."

She realized who it was. "Mark." Miranda typed his name in as the password. Again, the word 'denied' popped up.

"Oh for fuck sake." Miranda angrily said as she got up and marched into the rec. room.

Mark was sitting on the couch typing away on his terminal.

"Hi Miranda." He said, raising an eyebrow.

"What did you do to my terminal?" she asked. He held up his hands.

"I just changed the password. Nothing else." He replied with a grin.

Miranda just sighed. "What's the password?"

"Well you figured out the first part, that being my name. The second part begins with the letter: I." He replied.

She sat down on the couch next to him, figuring out what it could possibly be.

"Mark is…"

Miranda glanced over and saw Mark doing some goofy, seductive pose. She buried her face in her hands.

"Looks like you figured it out." He replied with a laugh. "Would you mind repeating it?"

"I would mind actually." She shot back.

"Come on…" he drawled out.

The nerve of him…

"Mark is sexy. That's the password." She replied flatly.

"Why thank you. You're not so bad yourself." He responded cheekily.

Miranda sighed but not before letting out a small laugh.

"You're not going to stop pestering me are you?" she asked.

"Probably not."

"Why?"

"Because your reactions are priceless. Well that and it's pretty easy to set you off." Replied Mark.

She sat back on the couch and put her legs up on the table, shutting Mark's terminal.

"Oops." Miranda said, with a small smirk.

"Oh you're a cruel woman." He responded with a sarcastic shudder.

"Well if you expect me to sit back and take your little pranks, think again." She said giving Mark an evil grin.

"I look forward to it." Mark replied. He opened his terminal back up. "Your password is back to what it was before."

"Thank you." Miranda replied standing up and moving towards the door.

"Hate seeing you go, love watching you leave." Mark said with a smirk. Miranda rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small grin on her face as she left.

* * *

Shepard got a message from Kelly before he headed up to his quarters for some rest. The Illusive Man wanted to talk to him.

_Great…At least the bastard has some sense of timing._

Shepard activated the communications terminal and stepped into the holographic projector and into the office of the Illusive Man.

"Shepard. I think we have them." Said the Illusive Man. He opened up another window, showing a planet.

"Horizon—one of our colonies in the Terminus Systems—just went silent. If it isn't under attack, it soon will be. Has Mordin delivered the countermeasure for the seeker swarms?"

"Not to my knowledge." Shepard replied.

"Let's hope he works well under pressure." Said the Illusive Man, stubbing out his cigarette. "There's something else you should know…" he lit up another cigarette.

"One of your former crew, Ashley Williams is stationed on Horizon."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Last I knew, Ash was Alliance. What's she doing out in the Terminus Systems?"

"Officially, it's an outreach program to improve Alliance relations with the colonies. But unofficially, it's something else and if Chief Williams is involved, it must be big." Said the Illusive Man.

Shepard thought back to his conversation with Anderson. Ash was promoted to Operations Chief and was on a 'top secret' assignment. Even with Mark's passionate defense and mountains of evidence, Anderson was still reluctant to give Shepard any details on her assignment.

_I guess this is it._

"The Collectors just happen to pick a colony with one of my former crew? I don't buy it." Said Shepard.

"It shouldn't be a surprise that the Collectors are interested in you. Especially if they're working for the Reapers. They might be going after her to get to you." Replied the Illusive Man.

There was something about this that Shepard didn't like. It was too coincidental.

_Why now?_

He had a bad feeling about this. "Fine. Send the coordinates."

"This is the most warning we've ever had, Shepard. Good luck." The Illusive Man said, ending the transmission.

"Joker, set a course for Horizon." Shepard ordered as he walked out of the briefing room.

"Aye, aye."

He walked into Mordin's lab and saw the salarian was hard at work.

"Tell me you have something." Shepard said. Mordin turned from looking at the lone seeker in containment and gave Shepard a big grin.

"Yes. Took some time but was able to get help from your friend Mark." Mordin replied as he pulled up the blueprint for the armor plating.

"So what is it exactly?" Shepard asked.

"Special plating that goes inside body armor. Originally tried to make it as VI module. Was unable to do so until Mark helped."

Shepard looked at the seeker in containment. "Uh, where did you get that?"

Mordin turned around and looked. "Cerberus supplied genetic material recovered from Ferris Fields. I cloned it in containment and studied it. Can kill it now. Learned as much as I could."

Shepard nodded. "Good job, Mordin."

Mordin returned the nod and Shepard left the lab. _Might as well get some sleep before we touch down._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En route to Horizon**

I woke up before my alarm the following morning.

_Yeah. About three hours too early. Its five in the morning._

I got up and staggered to the shower to start my day off. I wasn't the only one up which was a surprise. After I got out of the shower, I ran into Garrus. He was sitting at the mess hall table, digging into some turian rations.

"Didn't expect to see you up this early Mark." Said the turian.

"Same could be said for you man. You know it's like five in the morning." I replied groggily.

"Yes I know." He said. I went over to get some iced coffee.

"Why do you drink cold coffee?" Garrus asked.

"I like cold drinks." I replied with a shrug as I took a seat next to my friend.

"Haven't talked to you in awhile." Garrus said.

"Sorry. Been a little busy lately." I replied. "How have you been?"

He simply shrugged. "You forgot to tell me about your little Cerberus adventures."

I tilted my head back. "Oh damn. Right…about that…" I whispered to him, hoping that EDI wouldn't overhear.

Garrus sat back in his chair after I told him how Cerberus captured me and how I was cured.

"Wow." He said simply as started drinking my coffee. "But why take such a huge risk?"

"It's what I do. If I didn't find anything, then 'oh well another facility down, no extra forces for them' but if I found something, then it was worth the risk." I replied.

"Hmm. You're right. It's not something I would do but…it makes sense." Garrus said.

I sat back in my seat and looked up at the ceiling. "You don't seem like your sleeping well anymore."

"What makes you say that?" Garrus asked.

"I can hear it in your voice." I replied.

Garrus snorted. "I didn't know humans could tell that sort of thing in turian voices."

"Most people can't. I just have trained ears and I know that you haven't slept well."

Garrus leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Well you would be right."

"I won't ask why. No sense in pissing you off this early." I said.

"Yeah." Garrus replied darkly, picking at his food.

We sat there in silence as the rest of the crew began to get up.

* * *

After breakfast, everyone was called into the briefing room. For what, I wasn't sure. I sat on the handrail as everyone gathered in the room. Jack and Grunt were bickering at each other with Zaeed laughing at both of them. Kasumi and Jacob came in next followed by Mordin and Garrus.

"Why the fuck were we called here?" Jack asked.

"It's called a briefing, cue ball. Just gotta keep yer skirt on 'til Shepard gets here." Zaeed said. She turned to the old merc ready to hit him but she just let out a short laugh.

"You remind me of this guy I knew back in the Alliance. Always gave people nicknames." I said.

"His name wasn't Sanderson was it?" Zaeed asked.

I nodded. "Yep that's the guy."

Zaeed chuckled. "He was a funny old bastard. Is he still working as a janitor at the academy?"

"To my knowledge, he is." Jacob chimed in.

"Good to know, cod piece." Zaeed replied.

Jacob bit his lip and glared at Zaeed. "What did I tell you about that?"

"To keep doing it at every opportune moment." Said the old merc. Kasumi chuckled and tapped Jacob on the arm as a way of telling him to let it go.

"You got nicknames for everyone?" Jack asked as she hopped up on the table to take a seat.

"Still workin' on a few." Zaeed said. "Jacob's Cod Piece, your Cue Ball, Mark over there is Kid. I didn't even need to think of a nickname for Grunt as Mark came up with it; called 'im Biggin."

I laughed while I sat on the railing.

"What about the turian?" Jack asked.

"Garrus? Eh…it's a draw between his alias Archangel and Big Blue." Zaeed replied.

Miranda and Shepard walked in, they had their game faces on.

"Alright everyone, listen up. By the looks of things, we'll be getting our first chance to face the Collectors head to head." Shepard said. Almost immediately, everyone simultaneously sharpened up.

"EDI, bring up what we have." Miranda said. A holographic projection was brought up on the table, showing a planet.

"This is colony of Horizon. Population: just over 650,000. According to some records, they've only faced one threat to the colony and that was a pirate attack. Since then nothing. We've also found out that the Alliance donated some GARDIAN anti-air batteries to them." Shepard said.

"So the Collectors are going to attack the colony?" Garrus asked.

Shepard nodded. "The Illusive Man informed me several hours ago."

"Oh boy." I said rolling my head back. Shepard continued.

"To hour knowledge, the Collectors have just landed planet side. We're only half an hour away. The plan is to go in, and stop them from taking the colony."

"So they're already taking the colony?" Jacob asked. "What about the GARDIAN systems?"

Miranda nodded. "They were too quick and possibly disabled the GARDIAN systems but we plan on stopping them from taking the entire colony."

I put my hands on the table and shook my head.

"Mark, you have something to add?" Shepard asked.

"The Illusive Man tipped you off before they attacked this specific colony?" I replied.

"Yeah." Shepard said.

I nodded again. "Just wanted to make sure I heard that right."

"Let me guess, you think he tipped off the Collectors too." Shepard added.

"Just look at the timetable. He calls us up, says they're going to attack this colony and we're just barely near them." I replied.

"Look, I don't like it anymore than you do. But we've got a job to do." Said Shepard. "EDI, do you have any scans of Horizon in the last hour?"

"Bringing them up now, Shepard." Replied EDI as the holographic projection changed to the area the Collector ship landed.

"Holy shit! How did they land a ship that size on the planet?" Jacob asked incredulously.

"My scans indicate that the ship is considered to be a cruiser class equivalent. The technology required to land a ship of that size on a planet is not known to us." EDI stated.

"This is the furthest point from the heart of the colony." I said pointing to an area on the outskirts. "We land here and its all good."

"Mordin, you and Mark will be in charge of fitting in the seeker countermeasure on everyone's armor." Shepard said. Mordin and I nodded.

"I'm not sure about what we're going to run into down there, so keep your eyes peeled and stick together. We'll make it out." Said Shepard. "Let's suit up."

All of us exited the briefing room. Mordin and I went to the tech lab to collect the plates and went into the armory.

"Is your armor all set, professor?" I asked.

"Yes. Made the adjustments last night. Should be fine." He replied.

Mordin and I passed out the plates to everyone. Luckily for the team, I made them compact and easy to put into body armor. Everyone seemed satisfied with how they fit.

"So Mordin, is this plating supposed to keep the swarms from seeing us?" Kasumi asked.

"Certainty impossible. But in limited numbers, should confuse detection, make us invisible to swarms…in theory." Replied Mordin. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Mordin.

"In theory?" Miranda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That sounds promising." Garrus chimed in.

"Meh. Bring 'em on I say." I said getting a laugh of Grunt.

"Once you're all ready, head down to the shuttle." Shepard said, making the final preparations.

* * *

**Horizon, Iera System, Shadow Sea Nebula**

The shuttle ride down was a little cramped and awkward. Everyone was quiet as we broke the atmosphere. You could cut the tension with a knife. I was in my own little world, listening to the song 'Nerve' by Soilwork.

"Anyone ever see a Collector up close before?" Jack asked.

"Video footage." Shepard replied. "This will be our first engagement."

"Getting cold feet cue ball?" Zaeed asked the convict. She shot him a sharp look.

"Settle down." Shepard said tiredly.

"Wonder if anyone's ever killed a Collector before." Grunt thought out loud.

"Not to my knowledge." Jacob said.

I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Grunt asked.

"Just something my old instructor said at the N7 academy." I replied. Grunt leaned forward slightly, almost curious. Shepard chuckled as well. "Here we go."

"He was from the Netherlands. No one could pronounce his last name so we just called him 'Dutch'. Gave me a good pointer if you ever go up against an unknown enemy." I replied looking at the young krogan.

"What was it?"

"If it bleeds, we can kill it." I responded with a grin. Grunt let out a loud laugh.

"I like it."

Everyone else shook their heads. "Hey. It carries more weight than you'd think. Even the geth bleed…well its some kind of mechanical fluid but still, they bleed."

"Commander, we're approaching the LZ." Hawthorne said over the intercom.

"All right. Arm up everyone." Shepard said. I turned off my music and put my recon hood on.

"Game time." I said, pulling out my assault rifle. Once the shuttle touched down, me, Jacob, and Garrus were the first ones out.

"LZ is clear, Commander." Garrus said. Everyone got out and pulled out their weapons.

"Damn." I said, looking at the Collectors ship.

"That's something you don't see everyday." Kasumi said.

"Come on." Shepard said. Something about him seemed different today. John was as professional as it got when it came to a mission but he would usually let some things slide.

_I wonder what made him so damn serious today._

As we moved up to a clearing with a cargo truck, a buzzing sound could be heard. That's when the Collectors made their first appearance. They looked like some kind of humanoid bugs with four eyes. I even picked up that of the squad that ambushed us, two of them were biotics.

"Open fire!" Shepard yelled as we split up to find cover. I went to the right with Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus to engage the biotic Collectors. Zaeed, Jacob, Jack, and Grunt split off to the left and engaged the larger contingent of Collectors.

With our numbers and tactics, we easily handled the Collector group that ambushed us.

"Huh. They look like bugs." Grunt said.

"And we just squashed the fuckers." Added Jack. Mordin was busy scanning their bodies.

"Wish I had more time to study. Should continue with mission." He said.

The ten of continued forward and noticed a large black cloud moving toward us.

"Seekers!" Shepard yelled out. All of us hit the ground and looked up as they moved past us.

"Ah. Looks like countermeasure is working. Good." Mordin said.

"Great job professor." I added, tapping him on the arm. We got up and slowly moved forward.

"Commander…all kinds…interference…can't maintain…" It was Joker in a cut off transmission.

"Guess we're on our own." Shepard said.

"Ah. Seeker swarms also capable of electronic warfare. Communications impossible." Mordin added.

"Wonderful." Said Garrus.

We approached a set of houses and saw several Collectors hovering around some pods. What was moving the pods was something I never expected to see.

"Are those husks?" I asked out loud. I looked through the scope again.

"Yep. Those are husks." Garrus said.

"Open fire!" Shepard said. I already had a bead on a Collector and gunned it down with a headshot. A variety of tech attacks, biotic attacks, and gunfire ripped all of the Collectors and husks apart.

"Those look like the husks the geth used on Eden Prime." Shepard said, looking at the remains of a husk…the remains only being from the waist up.

"I thought the geth got those from Sovereign." Jacob added.

"Well there's the link between the Collectors and Reapers." I said.

We continued forward, coming up to another choke point with several Collectors nearby.

"Damn it's quiet here. Usually takes lots of chemicals to get me this kind of quiet." Jack remarked.

"It's unsettling…that's for sure." Garrus said.

"I count four up ahead, none of 'em are looking at us." I said. "Got a bead on one of them. Just say the word."

"Do it." Shepard said.

I pulled the trigger on my sniper rifle, causing the Collector's head to blow up.

"Ouch." Kasumi said as all of us moved up to attack the other Collectors.

"Kid what kinda ammo do you use in that thing?" Zaeed asked.

"Sledgehammer rounds." I replied.

"Nice. I'm surprised you can bypass biotics and shields with those." He said.

"It's easier than you think. The polonium coating bypasses all of that. You'd need some heavy duty barriers to stop something like that."

I made my way over to a warehouse, with various plasma containment cells lying around. I heard the garbled sounds of Collectors nearby, but noticed something else.

"Shepard, we've got civvies nearby. They don't look like they're moving." I said into the radio.

"Roger that. I see them too. Looks like they're in some kind of stasis. Everyone watch your fire." Said Shepard.

Three Collectors slowly moved through the crates. They knew we were in the area and no one engaged them. I turned my omni-tool on.

"Bye bye." I said, activating the overload mines I placed on the containment cells. They were engulfed in flames and fell to the ground.

"Nice job." Shepard said. "Everyone move up. Mordin, check the civilians."

I followed Mordin as we looked at the one of the frozen colonists.

"Is he alright?" Shepard asked.

"Vitals are normal. Colonists are in stasis. Likely to survive." He said. I looked at the man and saw his eyes dart around.

"Professor. Look at his eyes." I said. Mordin watched as I waved my hand back and forth. He followed my hand.

"If you can understand me, blink once." I said. He blinked once.

"Listen, we're gonna get you to safety. Just…uh…sit tight." I gave him the thumbs up.

"Remaining colonists should be fine. We should move." Mordin said. I nodded and regrouped with everyone.

"This looks interesting." Shepard said, picking up a large rifle next to a pod.

"A Collector rifle eh?" I replied looking at it. "Wonder what it fires."

"I guess we'll find out." Responded Shepard, with a wicked grin.

The ten of us slowly moved forward and watched several Collectors land in front of us. One of them, began to change. It started to levitate and convulse and looked as though it burst into flames. It's eyes glowed and stared at us.

"We are the Harbinger of your ascendance. I am assuming direct control." It said.

"Well that wasn't creepy." I said as I whipped out of cover and got a bead on it. I pulled the trigger, scoring a clean headshot on this fiery Collector. All it did was flinch backwards and continued to move forward.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." I said.

"You are ignorant. We are all knowing. We are your genetic destiny, your worlds will become our laboratories." Said this 'Harbinger'.

"This isn't just a Collector. It's a Reaper!" Shepard said. The Collectors then opened fire on us. The firefight was a virtual stalemate. Kasumi did her little 'disappearing act' and reappeared by giving a Collector a power punch. This Harbinger was giving us all hell.

_Damn thing took a headshot from an anti-materiel rifle and didn't die._

I was off to the left side watching Harbinger use some kind of biotic attacks against Shepard…and only Shepard. I pulled out a damping mine and chucked it at Harbinger.

It blew up in its face and writhed in pain, leaving an opening for Garrus to plug a round in it.

"You have only damaged the vessel. We will return Shepard. Releasing this form." Harbinger said, as its body disintegrated.

"God damn. That was a tough bastard." Zaeed said.

"No kidding." Replied Shepard. "Never fought anything like that. Except for Saren's reanimated corpse."

"I think it was a Reaper." I said. "The damn thing knew your name."

"What makes you think that?" Miranda asked.

"You said yourself John. Last time you fought something like that was against Saren. That along with everything it said; reminded me of Sovereign." I replied.

John scratched his cheek. "You're right. We should keep moving."

"That was just fucked up." Jack said.

Kasumi went over to a warehouse and unlocked the door. We walked inside and heard something hit the ground.

"Company." Shepard said. "Come out! Now!"

A colonist poked his head out and everyone lowered their weapons.

He came out from his hiding spot slowly. "You're—you're human! What are you doing? You'll lead them here!"

"Relax. You had to hear them out there. Seems like it's hard to hide from the Collectors." Shepard said.

"Those things are Collectors? You mean they're real?"

We all nodded.

"Look. Name's Delan, I'm a mechanic." He said in a rush. "Collectors? I thought it was just propaganda meant to keep us in Alliance space…No! They got Lilith and Sten!" he said.

Shepard walked up to him. "Calm down. Just tell us what you saw."

"We lost comms a few hours ago so I came here to bring them back up. Next thing I knew, I saw these swarms of bugs just freezing people. I—I sealed the door." The mechanic wrung his hands. "Damn it its the Alliance's fault. They stationed that Chief Williams here and built those damn defense towers and made us a target."

_Wait…what?_

"Tell me about this Alliance rep." Shepard said, about as evenly as he could.

"Chief Williams? She was some kinda hero or something. Didn't mean nothing to me though. Would have preferred if she stayed in Council Space."

_Ash is here? That might explain why John's been acting…strange._

"What's she doing here?" Garrus asked.

"She was supposed to get the defense towers up and running. I got a weird feeling she was here for something else though. Spying maybe." He said in a disgusted tone.

"The transmitter is around here?" Shepard asked flatly.

"Yeah."

"Then that's where we're going. We'll get the towers back up." He said.

Delan shook his head. "You'd need to calibrate the targeting matrix and that's never worked right. Friggin' Alliance gave us guns that didn't work. Stupid sons of bitches."

Shepard gave him an icy glare. "Shut the hell up and stay here." John turned to us and gestured to the door. We all walked out, the transmitter wasn't too far away.

_Ash is here…I've got a bad feeling about this._

* * *

We slowly made our way out of the maintenance area and into the heart of the colony. John was double-checking his Mattock.

"John, you alright?" I asked softly. He glanced up and looked me in the eyes.

His eyes were glassy. "No. I'm not." Shepard slapped in a new heat sink. "Let's move up."

There were three Collectors standing around, seemingly waiting for us. Everyone opened fire on them, and one of the Collectors started to turn into Harbinger.

"Oh fuck this! Plan B." I said trading the Nighthawk for the Eliminator. I had a damping mine ready and tossed at the group of Collectors. All of them writhed in pain while until I fired a single round at them with the Eliminator.

"I'm getting really sick of these bastards already." I said. Almost on cue, dozens of Collectors and husks appeared in droves.

"Good. I want more." Grunt said with a grin. Jack seemed equally as excited. I saw a new husk appear from our right. Unlike the others, it had a cannon for an arm and a giant sack on its back. It fired something that looked like a biotic shockwave, knocking Jacob and Garrus off their feet.

"What the hell is this stuff?" Jacob yelled.

"That's it!" I yelled out and rushed the giant husk thing, firing everything into it. Surprisingly, it dropped after two shots of the Eliminator. I was so fed up, I put it away and pulled out the Judgement and fired more rounds into its corpse.  
"Fucker!" I whipped my hood off and spit on it. "Any more of you bastards want some? Huh?"

"Geez kid calm down. They're gone." Zaeed said. I took a few deep breaths and put my pistol away.

We cleared the rest of the area and found no other Collectors or husks.

"I don't see any more frozen people." Grunt said.

"Collectors finishing up here. Almost out of time." Added Mordin.

I put my hood back on as we approached the large door leading to the array. Shepard turned to the team. "I'm not sure what else we're gonna find back here so we're going to split up five and five. Jack, Mark, Miranda, and Garrus will be going with me. The rest of you stay here and hold positions in case they bring any reinforcements to stop us."

Everyone acknowledged the order. "Mark, open the door." Said Shepard.

I nodded and bypassed the lock. Once inside, we saw the array, sitting right in the middle.

"There's the uplink." Said Miranda.

"No shit." Muttered Jack. Both women stared daggers at each other.

"Cut the shit. We've got a job to do." Shepard said.

I pulled out the Eliminator to be on the safe side. _An area this open has got to have something to surprise us._

As we approached the array, two of those giant husks appeared, along with several of the regular husks.

"Oh crap." Jack said.

Garrus and I opened fire immediately once we saw the giant husks. Thanks to the Eliminator, that threat was neutralized quickly leaving us the other husks.

With Jack and Miranda using their biotics to toss the husks around and kill them easily, Shepard, Garrus, and I approached the array.

"Work your magic, Mark." Shepard said as I worked on the array's terminal.

"Got it. Contacting the Normandy now."

Shepard put his hand up to his ear. "Normandy, do you copy?"

"Joker here. Signal's weak but we read you Commander."

"EDI, can you activate the colony's defense grid?" Shepard asked.

"Errors in the calibrations software are easily rectified, but it will take time to bring the towers to full power." Replied EDI.

"How long?"

"Approximately seven minutes."

"Seven minutes. Should be all right." I said.

"I'm afraid not. Enemy reinforcements are closing in. I suggest you ready weapons." EDI added.

"Great job jinxing us, asshole." Jack said.

A loud buzzing sound could be heard as the Collectors arrived and husks seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The five of us found whatever cover we could and unloaded on the reinforcements. There would be a lull every now and then as we simply waited for more of them to show up. It was worse than facing down dozens of the buggy bastards.

The five of us fought four waves of the Collectors and husks and waited for the next round when the defense towers came on line and fired at the Collector ship.

Off in the distance, I saw something that looked like a giant crab…or a spider.

"Uh, John. Are you seeing this?" I asked pointing at the object moving toward us.

"Yep. Looks like we've got another new friend to play with." He said darkly. "Weapons free!"

All of us unloaded on the thing. When it landed, it send out a shockwave that knocked us all over. That's when I got a better look at it. There were dozens of husk heads in the mouth of this…thing.

We ran around the entire area, firing like crazy at this thing. Every time we damaged it, the large husk regenerated its barriers.

"I got an idea." I said, pulling the Eliminator back out and letting it charge up.

"Well hurry the hell up!" Jack yelled. The small beep, let me know it was ready.

I popped out of cover and fired. The full power of the Eliminator hit this massive husk, driving it backwards into a prefab unit and causing it to land with a sickening thud and explosion.

"Woah." Said Garrus.

"Well I hope the violence junkies got all moist in the pants with that." I said. "Nothing like watching something get hit with a one megaton explosion…awesome."

Shepard and Jack chuckled slightly before a larger explosion hit the colony; the Collector ship was leaving.

"Damn. The Collectors are getting away…we couldn't get them all." I said.

Delan came running out of another prefab unit and yelled at the sky.

"What are you doing? They're getting away!" he yelled.

"One sec, let me get a rock to hit the thing and bring it back." I muttered sarcastically.

"Half the colony is in there! They got Egan, and Sten, and Lilith! Do something!" Delan yelled again.

"We didn't want it to end like this. We did what we could to save as many people as possible." Shepard said.

"More than most Shepard." Added Garrus.

"Shepard? Yeah I know that name. You're some big Alliance hero or something." Delan said.

"Commander John Shepard."

Walking out from behind a prefab unit was none other than Operations Chief Ashley Williams.

_Oh Christ._

"Captain of the Normandy. Hero of the Skyllian Blitz. First Human Spectre. Savior of the Citadel." She said, turning to Delan. "You're in the presence of a god Delan. Back from the dead."

Delan rolled his eyes. "All the good people we lost and you get left behind. Figures. Screw this, I'm done with you Alliance types."

"Keep walking asshole. We just saved your sorry ass." I said as he walked away muttering to himself.

I looked back over at Shepard and Ashley who stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn't see his face, but I saw Ash's; she was smiling at him. They hugged each other tightly.

"I thought you were dead skipper. We all did." She said.

"Me too, Ash. Me too." Shepard said softly. Ashley let go and glanced over, seeing Garrus.

"Garrus?" she asked.

The turian nodded. "It's good to see you again too, Chief."

_Oh man. I think I might be next._

"He's not the only one from the old days that's here." Shepard said pointing to me. Ash looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

I sighed internally. _Might as well._

I took of my recon hood and looked at her. "Hey Ash."

Her eyes widened. "Mark? I…I thought you died too."

"Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. Same goes for our fearless leader." I said with a smirk.

Ashley shook her head. "Wow. I can't believe this…"

"Miranda, radio Mordin and tell him and Jacob to help the survivors. You'll be helping them as well. Mark, you take the rest of the team and clear the area…just to be safe."

"Copy that." We both said, as all of us cleared out.

* * *

Shepard and Ashley sat in the bed of a truck nearby. It was hard for both of them to believe the other was here right now. John was just relieved to find her and he was nervous as to what their conversation might entail.

"What happened to you skipper?" she asked.

"That attack two years ago on the Normandy was the Collectors. I was spaced and Cerberus found my body and…brought me back to life." He replied.

"Cerberus. As in the same assholes we hunted down two years ago. The same ones that killed Mark's unit. That Cerberus?" Ash said angrily.

John nodded.

"You're with _them _now?" She shook her head. "I can't believe the reports were right."

"I'm not with them and the reports you got are a bunch of bullshit. Mark's got a mountain of evidence to say otherwise." He replied. "What about Anderson? Didn't he relay that to you?"

Ashley darted off the truck bed. "He knew?"

"Only after I got a message from him saying that he wanted to have a meeting. I got reinstated as a Spectre. Of course, I have to thank Mark for that too…" Shepard said with a small grin.

She shook her head. "What happened with him?"

"Went off the grid and got cured. I haven't asked him but he's got sources everywhere, clearing our names left and right. I might have to send you the video of him tearing the Council a new one…again."

Ashley chuckled. For Shepard, it was good to hear her do that again.

"But…you said there were reports about me being with Cerberus."

Ash nodded. "Alliance intel said that Cerberus could be behind the missing colonies. We got a tip that this one could be the next one to get hit."

Shepard rubbed his forehead. "Oh goddamn it."

"What?" Ash asked, concerned.

"I think I know who sent you the tip. Cerberus' leader, the Illusive Man. Mark had a suspicion that he lured the Collectors here as well…I guess he lured you here too." Said Shepard.

Ashley frowned. "Damn it. But you're working with them? Mark too?"

"We're using their resources. That doesn't mean we answer to them. Same thing goes for when I was a Spectre. I wasn't technically with the Alliance but I assisted them too because they needed my help."

"I guess you've got a point." Ashley said. "But why didn't you try to contact me or anyone else?"

Shepard grabbed her hands. "I wanted to. I really did. But I was clinically dead. I wanted to contact everyone but…after the Normandy was destroyed everyone was split up and had moved on. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I've lost two years of my life. I tried to ask Anderson but he told me you were on some top secret mission and that because of my association with Cerberus, he wouldn't tell me."

Ashley nodded.

"Aside from Garrus and Mark, Dr. Chakwas and Joker have helped me catch up on the last two years as well."

"The doc and Joker are with you too?" Ashley asked, surprised by their act of loyalty.

Shepard nodded. "With me…not Cerberus."

"Why not come back to the Alliance?" Ashley asked.

John shook his head and leaned on the truck. "The same people who threw us all under the bus because it was politically convenient? The same Alliance that denounced the Reaper threat? The same Alliance that's let millions of humans disappear without a trace and call it pirates and slaver attacks?" He started to pace back and forth. "The same people who called me a lunatic for trying to save lives. They won't help me and the Council was reluctant to as well, aside from Anderson."

Shepard turned to face Ash and continued. "They find out that I come back to continue to save lives and call me a traitor because Cerberus sent me a bunch of supplies and a ship. I can't go back to them."

They stood there awkwardly gazing at each other in silence.

"Do you think the Reapers are behind it?" she asked.

"I know they are. One of them is controlling the Collectors, calls itself Harbinger. They're using the Collectors the way Saren and Sovereign used the geth."

Ashley began to pace back and forth now. "So that's why Cerberus brought you back? To fight them and the Collectors?"

"Yeah. I don't like being associated with them anymore than you do."

"A pro-human group with Garrus in the mix?"

"They wanted to go outside the box on this one. But no one on board seems to care either way." Shepard replied. "So, what's next for you?"

"I have to report to Anderson on the Citadel. They need to know what's going on." She said.

"All right." Shepard replied. "Just be careful not to mention the Reapers. Unless you want the turian councilor to finger quote you to death."

Ashley chuckled. "Will do skipper."

"John, we finished our sweep of the area. Nothing but Collector corpses. We're all good." Said Mark over the radio.

"Copy that Mark. You and Garrus can come back." Shepard replied. "Normandy, send the shuttle in."

"Roger that Commander." Replied Hawthorne.

"Well, I heard from Anderson that you got promoted. Congratulations." Shepard said with a smirk and a small salute.

Ashley returned it. "Thanks skipper."

"I bet your mother and sisters were happy to hear that."

"They were. Thanks. Because of you, I wouldn't have made it this far." She replied.

"I know because you're with the Alliance that you won't be able to join me." Shepard started. "But…since I've come back, you're all I've thought about and…"

Ashley moved closer to Shepard grabbing him by the waist.

"For two years, I tried to move on but…I couldn't." she said.

"Ash. I've wanted to do this since I came back." Shepard said, drawing her in with the most passionate kiss the man could muster.

They broke apart once they were unable to breathe.

"How—how can we make this last?" Ashley asked, panting.

"I can wait as long as I can." Shepard answered with a smirk. Ash playfully hit him on the arm.

"Two years gone and you still say the cheesiest things."

"Here I was worried Ash would freak out…" Mark blurted out.

"Tell me about it. I'm amazed she didn't go for a knee to the groin." Garrus said agreeing.

"Oh she wouldn't do that. Bad tactical decision." Mark added.

The two of them turned to look at the snipers.

"Can't we have one romantic moment without an interruption?" Shepard asked out loud.

"You did. We just sat here politely and watched." Garrus answered.

Mark chuckled.

"Hope you boys picked up a few pointers." Ashley said.

"Yeah I did. Mostly on, things not to say to the woman you love." Said Mark.

"Knock it off guys. Gotta have one last moment here." Shepard said.

"Fine." They both said.

"We'll see each other again Ash. I know it." Shepard said.

"I hope so. Or there's gonna be hell to pay." She playfully replied.

"Commander, the shuttle's landed." Miranda said over the radio. "We don't have the numbers to get the everyone out of the pods but we've treated most of the injured."

"Got it. Be there in a bit." Shepard replied.

Ash gave both Garrus and Mark hugs and they headed for the shuttle. John and Ashley looked at each other and smiled before walking away.

* * *

_Woo! I felt pretty good doing this Horizon ending, it's better than having the shit hit the fan and everything being depressing._

_Up next, loyalty missions, old friends, and Illium. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	20. Old Faces, New Places

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I tried to pack two missions into one chapter. I also made a small change with Tali's recruiting mission, yeah its probably been done but I like it. Anyway, thanks for reading, reviewing and being patient!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

The ride back to the Normandy was dead silent. I was a little surprised, figuring that Grunt or Jack or would raving about taking on the Collectors. I guess they saw one look from Shepard and decided against it. John had been staring out the window since we left Horizon. Of course, we had to do it in a hurry as Alliance vessels were on their way to assess the damage.

_Hell of a mission._

"Stand by for docking." Said Goldstein. Everyone collectively groaned.

"It's good to be home." I muttered.

"You said it." Replied Shepard. The rest of the team looked around at each other, guessing that it was all right to talk. The shuttle rocked slightly as the docking clamps engaged.

"Docking complete. Welcome back." Goldstein said. We grumbled and made our way out of the shuttle. Dr. Chakwas was standing in the bay, arms folded.

"I sincerely hope no one was hurt down there." The doc said in a lecturing tone.

"Nothing too severe." Replied Shepard. "But I hit with some sort of attack down there. I want to get checked out, to be on the safe side."

"All right then." Said Chakwas. "Anyone else?"

"Jacob, Garrus, and Kasumi. I saw the two of you get hit by one of those giant husks and Kasumi, I saw you take a pretty good shot by a Collector." Shepard pointed at the three.

"If you say so, Commander but I feel fine." Jacob said.

"Well I'm going to get checked out. Come on Jacob." Kasumi added, dragging the former marine with her. Garrus chuckled and followed them.

I leaned on a terminal and waited for the elevator to come back down.

"I'm glad that's over with." I said.

"Yes." Agreed Miranda. "It was probably a good thing that we didn't underestimate them."

"We pissed 'em off, that much I know." Jack added. "Totally worth it."

"They were a worthy opponent. Hearing them crunch as the fell was great!" Grunt said.

"That's because you crushed their heads on purpose ya big idiot." Retorted Jack. They started staring daggers at each other.

"Oh so that's what's on your boot." I said, pointing at Grunt's feet. "Nasty."

"What you said before we landed was right." Grunt replied, pointing a large krogan finger at me. "They bled and died."

"They sure did." I said. "They sure did."

The elevator came back down and we all got in. The next stop was the armory.

"Colonists stasis wore off after Collectors left." Muttered Mordin.

"I noticed that too." I added. "I guess the seeker swarms are only effective at a certain range."

"Hmm yes. Will need to study this more." Responded Mordin. The elevator got off at CIC and all of us dumped our weapons and armor. The adrenalin had worn off and now we were all feeling the various aches and pains from the day's action. I was sitting down on one of the chairs in the armory, taking my boots off when Jack walked up to me and hit me on the arm.

"Hey fucker." She said.

"And a friendly hello to you too." I replied. Jack simply pointed down. "What am I staring at?" I asked, confused.

She grabbed at her pants, one area was darker than the rest.

"Uh…"

"You said something about 'action junkies getting moist in the pants'." Jack said. "Bravo."

My eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"You say one word to anyone and I'll cut your balls off." Jack whispered, jabbing a finger into my chest.

"Secret's safe with me." I replied, grinning like an idiot. Jack just shook her head and walked off along with Grunt. I went back to taking my armor off, leaving just Miranda and I in the room. I put my armor in its case and stowed my weapons in their locker.

"And I am wiped out." I drawled out, slowly heading towards the door.

"Me too. I never expected us to face that kind of resistance." Miranda answered, putting her weapons away while still in her armor.

"Well I think it'll be less stressful. We know their weapons and tactics now." I said.

"I hope your right. That Harbinger worries me…you shot it in the face and it didn't die. Then there are those husks we've never seen before…" she said, trailing off into a worried rant.

I walked up to her and put both hands on her shoulders. "It'll be fine. Trust me."

Miranda lightly snorted. "Good know you and Shepard are on the same page."

"We're always on the same page." I replied, taking my hands off her shoulders. "You need help getting out of that?"

She raised both eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"The back seals are always tough to get. You need help with it?" I asked, matter of factly.

Miranda sighed. "Fine." She turned around and I undid the back seal.

"There ya go. All set." I said.

"Anything to get a woman out of clothing eh?" Miranda asked sarcastically.

I laughed for about two minutes. "In your wildest dreams Miranda. The only women that like it when I do that are asari."

She just rolled her eyes and finished taking off the rest of her armor.

"See ya later." I said walking out of the armory.

* * *

I headed down to the crew deck to check in on Shepard and the gang. It turns out, aside from some scrapes and bruises, they were fine. I found out through some of the crew that they were going to celebrate our first victory against the Collectors.

_I'm not sure I'd call it a victory but meh…it's a good excuse to get drunk._

It turns out, there was a drinking limit.

_Damn._

The crew gathered in Kasumi's room for drinks, but I was too tired to bother. I was sitting on the couch in my room, going over several messages I got from Watson and even Eviana.

_Mark,_

_I hope your mission is going well. I got saddled with a hot-shot turian Spectre candidate. In a weird way, he reminds me of you. He tends to use a lot of human mannerisms, not sure why but he says he learned it from his old partner in C-Sec. To use a human expression, I heard through the grapevine that you and Shepard had a meeting with the Council. What I also heard was that you called them out in such a way that Councilor Valern has put in an inquiry as to how you found out about his mistress. It was funny watching him flip out about it. No one else seemed to bothered about it. Anderson hasn't stopped grinning about it since. I heard that the Collectors attacked another colony. No one here is doing anything about it, but I hope that you and Shepard are. Well, I have to go. Another super secret, Spectre assignment awaits!_

_Love,_

_Eviana_

I smiled as I read the message. _Oh man. I have a turian equivalent? Is the galaxy going to collapse on itself or something?_

Of course that wasn't going to happen. Unless Mordin created some doomsday device.

_Ronin,_

_Upon receiving your last message, we have made the appropriate arraignments for delivery and will implement the codename system for all further communications. You will receive the following:_

_30 Trident missiles plus launchers_

_M-490 Blackstorm_

_Arc Projector_

_We have also activated our informant on Illium. Codename: Thor. He will deliver the packages to the Normandy._

_Good luck,_

_Silverback_

I chuckled at the thought of Watson calling me by my codename (Ronin). Of course the system was to be used as a safety measure. We had no idea if Cerberus was monitoring any messages coming from my terminal, even with the heavy encryption.

_At least the weapons will be ready._

I closed my terminal as I heard the door open. It was Shepard.

"Hey Mark."

"John. What brings you by?" I asked.

He pulled out a large bottle of scotch. "Want to share a bottle?"

I looked at the handle of scotch, a bottle of Johnnie Walker Gold Label.

"Hmm. Good choice. What's the occasion, sticking it to the Collectors?" I asked with a smirk.

John shook his head. "Drink with an old friend."

"Sounds good to me." I replied getting up off the couch. The party in Kasumi's room sounded like it was in full swing. Of course with the four drink minimum, it was probably going to end sooner than later. The two of us got in the elevator, Shepard's room being the destination. When it stopped at the top, we entered the room. I was still amazed every time I went in.

I took a seat on the couch as he poured two glasses.

"Haven't had Gold Label in a long time." I said.

"Me too." Replied John. We had a small, silent toast, tapping our glasses and sipping on the scotch.

"I apologize for acting strange on Horizon. I probably should have mentioned Ash was there." Shepard said.

"It's fine. I figured out once that mechanic said it was Ash. I don't blame you." I answered. John smirked and took another sip of his scotch. "I take it everything went fine."

He nodded. "Yeah, it did. I was afraid that she would have been upset at me. Everyone on a need to know basis seems to think I'm working for Cerberus. At least you're backing me up."

I snorted. "I think you would have done fine, even if I wasn't here."

"No." he said with a heavy sigh. "To be honest, I didn't even want to go to the Citadel, even if it was to see Captain Anderson. I knew the Council was going to throw the book at me, go back on their word. I just wanted to get away."

I sat there silently and let my friend vent.

"It's like…no matter what I do, everyone wants to find some fault to it. I try to save lives, do the right thing, and yet no one wants it. They'd rather just roll over and die blindly." John paused, taking another sip. "When I first looked at Ashley in the eyes, I thought she was going to blow up and do what every politician and military official has done to me. I mean, her of all people should know this better than anyone."

"It was a tough two years for all of us." I said. "I didn't even go to your funeral. I was in denial, drinking myself into oblivion and slowly dying my own painful death. I didn't see the point."

"Yet, here we are." Added John.

"Yeah…"

"I wanted to ask you this after the meeting with the Council but didn't have the time to. All of that other stuff that you dug up on the Council, tracking me down on Omega, and etc. Where are you getting it and who is giving it to you?" he asked me.

I took a big drink and a deep breath. "Well I didn't lie to you when I said I had a lot of sources now. Truth be told, it's a group I created along with some old family friends. It's called Outer Heaven."

"Strange name." Shepard said.

"I thought it sounded cool. Plus, there's sort of a symbolic thing too."

"Like?"

"We're on the outside, looking in." I answered.

John chuckled. "Of course. So what does your group do exactly?"

"We're an information organization. The only military power in the group is Watson and myself. It's not like the Shadow Broker. We're not in it for the money, just for doing the right thing."

"How many people are in it?"

"Only a handful. I only wanted people who weren't in it for the money." I stated.

Shepard snorted. "Heh. Idealists eh?"

I chuckled. "Just like us. We might not have numbers, but we've got a ton of connections. People like what we're doing."

"So that explains why the turian councilor is pissed off at you. You found his dirty laundry." Shepard said.

"Finding dirt on politicians is easy. Finding groups like Cerberus? Not so much." I replied.

"If you're not in it for the money, how did you get those rifles and your place on the Citadel?"

"Oh that? Most of that was from payments I got from the Shadow Broker when I did a few jobs for him. Well, after I got out of Walter Reed." I said, taking one last sip before I refilled my glass.

"He must have paid really well."

"I got paid more for doing three jobs for him than anything I've ever done. Hell even more than people with ties to him." I added.

"What did you do?"

"He wanted me to retrieve some packages located near some Citadel quarantine zone. I didn't look at them, just checked for traps. When I found nothing out of the ordinary, I dropped them off at some designated location and got a bank account number." I took a big sip from the glass. "Man, I'm amazed I didn't faint after seeing the number."

"May I ask how much?" John asked.

I glanced around and whispered. "Three hundred million."

His eyes went wide. "You've got to be kidding me."

"God's honest truth man. Even I asked him. He told me that it was a big help to him and he rewards people handsomely who do the Broker a favor."

"Damn. Remind me to ask you for creds some time."

I chuckled and we both drank again.

"You said that you have a girlfriend. An asari Spectre?" John asked. Although, it felt more like a matter of fact statement.

"Yeah. We've been going out for about two years or so. It's still tough to call it a relationship though."

"What makes you say that?"

"I dunno. She's been all over me since we first met. I mean I care about her and whatnot, it just feels…different." I said, still feeling unsure. "Here. I got a picture of her."

I pulled out my omni-tool and showed John.

"Wow."

"I know right?"

"Geez. You have one awkward moment and suddenly asari all want a piece of you." Shepard laughed, shaking his head.

I grinned. "The weird thing is, it's not entirely my fault."

"Uh huh."

I simply rolled my eyes at my friend and went back to my drink.

"How do you do it?" John asked me.

"Get asari attracted to me?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"No. Keep a long distance relationship." He corrected.

"Oh okay. Well, keeping in touch is always good. I usually do it every other day or once a week." I said.

John nodded. "I'll have to do that." He turned to me, holding up his glass. "To old friends."

"I'll drink to that."

* * *

**1 hour later**

_What was the drink minimum again?_

The elevator ride down from John's room to the crew deck felt like it took forever. Then again, after draining a handle of scotch to only 1/4th left I shouldn't be surprised with the way everything was moving around.

John and I spent most of our time drinking and reminiscing about the old days. It felt good to do that, especially with everything we went through in the last two years.

The elevator stopped, almost causing me to fall over.

_Good thing there's a railing here._

I slowly made my way out of the elevator, trying not to make too much noise or trip over my own feet.

_Should be a piece of cake. My room's only across the hall._

Man was I wrong. Two steps off of the elevator and I got to have a face-to-face chat with the ground.

"Ow fuck." I said, slowly getting back to my feet. I heard footsteps approaching me from behind as I quickly got up and opened the door to my room.

"You do realize there was a minimum." Said the familiar Australian voice.

Turning around, I saw Miranda. Her arms folded, and wearing an agitated look on her face.

"I never got the memo." I shot back. She rolled her eyes.

"I'll have to tell Shepard about this."

"Good luck with that. Me an' him shared the bottle…probably out like a light." I said.

Miranda rubbed her temples. "Shepard is drunk as well…"

"Prob'ly. I dunno. He said he was gonna take a leak so I said 'night man and left. He didn't seem all that drunk to me."

Miranda tapped her chin for a second before looking back up at me. "What were you doing exactly?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Because out of everyone on board, you know him the best. Something was bothering him earlier."

I raised both eyebrows. "You didn't notice? It was Ash…that's who he was worried about."

"Ash…Ashley Williams?" Miranda asked.

"The same."

Miranda snorted and had a small smirk on her face. "Well that would explain a great deal."

"Not that its any of your business, but I was helping him out. In case you haven't noticed, it's been a long two years." I replied.

She held a hand up. "It's fine. I understand. I assume it went well for both of them."

I grinned and laughed when I thought back to when Garrus and I eavesdropped on them. "Oh yeah. Couldn't have gone better."

She gave me a strange look. "Okay then."

We stood there awkwardly in silence.

"Am I all set or are you gonna slap me or something?" I asked.

"Would you rather I did so it would knock some sense into you?" she fired back playfully.

"Nah. I'm not into that sort of thing."

She rolled her eyes. "Good night Mark."

"Night Miranda." I drawled out before walking into my room. I rolled over the top of the couch and fell asleep. The only worry I had now was the hangover in the morning.

* * *

As expected, I had a hangover. Nothing crippling, just a minor hangover that had a lingering, annoying headache. I got up and went through my usual morning routine. After getting my breakfast, I sat at the table with Garrus, who had a funny look on his face.

"What are you smiling at?" I said with a mouthful of bacon.

"You look like you had a rough night." Garrus said, mandibles twitching.

"John and I split a bottle of scotch." I replied, drinking my coffee. "I wonder if he's hung over too."

Sure enough, he walked over with his tray and sat down. "Morning guys. How are you doing?"

I groaned while Garrus laughed.

"What's wrong Mark?" Shepard asked with a small smirk on his face.

"He's hung over." Garrus said.

John chuckled. "Funny because I'm not."

I dropped my head down onto the table. "Damn it!"

Both of them laughed as I picked my head up.

"Well I'd love to stay and get chewed out by you guys but I've got a weapon to build." I replied, grabbing my coffee and getting up from the table.

I headed up the lift to the tech lab where I was almost done building the M-920 Cain.

The original design of the weapon was created by Rosenkov Materials as a prototype to be used by the Alliance frontier divisions on uncharted worlds. However, due to the cost of the project and to the weapon, the project was dropped.

_Might be expensive for the Alliance, but not for us._

I smirked as I put the finishing touches on the Cain. I took it into the armory and put it on the table.

"Damn. What is that?" Jacob asked.

"Our newest heavy weapon. I wouldn't test fire it on board though, unless you want to rebuild the ship." I replied.

"Nice. Don't worry, my job is just maintenance not test firing." Jacob said, looking at the Cain.

Shepard walked in. "Hey guys. What's going on-holy hell what is that?"

"One of the new weapons I just built. Say hello to the M-920 Cain." I replied picking up the large black and yellow cannon.

"Cool. What does it fire?" asked Shepard.

"High explosive rounds." I replied.

"If that's the case then why is there a radioactive symbol on it?" Jacob asked flatly.

"Don't worry about it, that's why." I shot back. "Just don't fire it at close range. Also, there's a four second charge time."

"Huh." Shepard replied picking it up. "Nice work Mark."

"Thanks." I activated my omni-tool. "There's the owners manual."

John rolled his eyes. "Mark, can I talk to Jacob in private?"

"You got it." I said as I turned and walked out. I headed down to the hangar deck, deciding to put together some of the guns that would go on the Kodiak later on. Stepping off the elevator, I saw a few crewmembers milling around, either working out or doing maintenance. Grunt was even down in the hangar, sitting on a crate and observing everything. I made my way over to the large crate containing the Kodiak ground attack package and pulled out various parts that would make the large six-barreled 30mm M70 Thunderbolt cannon.

_Shouldn't be too difficult._

I took the various parts and started putting the whole thing together. Grunt got off the crate he was sitting on and made his way over.

"Mark."

"Hey Grunt. What's up?" I asked.

The young krogan looked up. "The ceiling."

I chuckled. "It's slang. Just another way of saying, how are you?"

He grunted and shook his head. "Humans have strange expressions."

"Part of our charm I guess." I replied, working on the firing mechanism.

"I'm fine." He continued to look around. "The hold is too open. Armor is limited. Warlord Granth would target here to scatter heavy cargo, and then focus on engines. That's what tank imprints show about human ships anyway."

I scratched my jaw. "We do it differently. Disable the engines with another ship and board it, focus on command areas."

"Hmm." Grunt said.

"Well, that's I did when I was in the military. You chase pirates down, knock out their engines and if they have weapons attached, take those out too. Then, we board it."

"Krogan operate differently." The young krogan said simply. I nodded and continued to build the cannon.

"So what other human info is floating around in the tank?" I asked.

"Less than a finger deep to sever your spine. You're soft, salarians, asari, all soft. Quarians, not so much. Turians, you have to work the blade, I guess. Never saw much point to it though." Grunt chuckled. "Heh, much point." He added with finger quotes.

I chuckled too before he said. "Ah, never mind."

"Well that's always good to know." Said Jack, walking up behind the two of us.

"Hey Jack." I said.

She simply nodded and hopped up on top of the large crate next to me.

"Well, something's gotta drive you. You're krogan."

Grunt snorted. "I see suffering, the dead and I think 'weak'. I'm supposed to be strong, my guts were grown from thousands more worthy." He grabbed a random part and inspected it. "The dead were weak. If they were strong, I wouldn't be needed. I don't know why Okeer started teaching…the first time he turned on the tank, I screamed. Weak, pitiful."

I stopped what I was doing and turned to face Grunt. "Well, I think of it this way." I started. Jack moved in closer as well.

"Those krogan you're descended from weren't weak. From my point of view, they were the greatest warriors in history. They stared death in the face for centuries and kicked its ass. Sure they're dead now but it doesn't mean they were weak. We all started out weak. We all came out of the womb kicking and screaming but we became what we are."

Grunt snorted. "I'm built for strength but didn't earn it. I just am. Those dead were strong enough to try, even if they lost."

"Trust me man, you'll get your chance. We already went through round one against the Collectors. Hell after this we can face off against them again and maybe take on the Reapers."

"Heh. Good. Anyway, I'll take another look at what happened to the krogan. Find a reason to care about it." Grunt said before walking away.

I went back to the weapon I was working on and saw Jack giving me a smug look.

"What?"

"Didn't think you'd be one for sappy krogan speeches." Jack answered.

I laughed and shook my head. "He's just a kid. Besides, I like acting out my inner child with him."

"Strange." She said, rolling her eyes. "What are you working on anyway?"

"Well, whenever we get to some colony, I plan on putting some weapons on the Kodiak. Make it a shuttle and a ground attack vehicle. This right here is one of the weapons."

"Damn. Wouldn't want to be in the crosshairs of that thing." She replied.

"Me neither. Can't wait to use this, the 50mm cannon and the 155mm mass accelerator cannon." I said. "Just have to sit back, push a button, and watch it all unfold on a screen."

Jack had a wicked grin on her face. "Stop describing things damn it. I don't want to change pants again."

"Cool things are cool." I replied with a smug grin.

"Funny." She said flatly. I shook my head and continued to piece together the cannon.

"You find anything interesting in those Cerberus files?" I asked.

"Still working on finding what I want. Everything else is just nasty shit." Replied the convict. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

I nodded. "If you can think of the worst possible things one person can do to another, chances are they've done it more than once."

"No shit. What's the worst thing you've seen 'em do?" she asked. The fact that she was down here talking to me was a little unusual. Most of the rumors going around the ship indicated that she didn't like anyone and only seemed to talk to Shepard. But she seemed to be on good terms with Zaeed and Grunt.

_Guess I'm the next one._

"The worst thing…that's tough. Both times were on Akuze. The first time was when I was in the Alliance. My whole unit was wiped out by thresher maws. Two years ago, I found out that Cerberus was responsible. Hence, my own little war with them." I said starting off my little tale.

"Fuck." Jack responded, surprised. "I heard about it but…damn."

"The second time was last year. It was probably the first time since that day that I went back. Turns out that Cerberus still had a research base there, buried in a mountain." I shook my head. "They were doing all sorts of experiments, mostly chemical weapons research. They had…they were testing it on all sorts of people. Men, women, children, you name it."

I rubbed my forehead. "I saw them all. Skin melting off their bodies while they were still alive. Blood everywhere, screams of pain…they wanted me to end their suffering. There was an incinerator built into every chamber so I turned it on."

She stared at me with a blank expression on her face, but her eyes told a different story. They looked…sad.

"So to answer that question, those are the two worst things I've seen them do."

"I don't know what to say to that." She said softly.

"You don't' have to. What they did you to was more or less the same as what they did to me. I spent six years believing that I was going to die. Now, I've got a second chance and I don't plan on wasting it." I said.

"You're alright, you know that?" Jack said with a small smirk on her face.

"I think you said that before." I replied with a smirk of my own. She rolled her eyes at me.

"You're alright too." I said. She gave me a nod and walked off, back to her little hidey hole.

* * *

**2175 Aeia, Alpha Draconis System, Rosetta Nebula**

I finished assembling the M70 Thunderbolt and had to go back upstairs. Shepard was taking the Kodiak along with Jacob, Miranda, and Mordin. Apparently, it was a personal mission for Jacob. I wouldn't pry into the why's so I headed up to the bridge to provide back up over the radio. The good news was that there were no anti-air batteries so we would be tracking the team the whole way.

From what I gathered, Jacob's father was on the ship that crash-landed here ten years ago. The odd part about this whole mission was that the distress beacon had been activated recently and if there were survivors, they may have had to resort to eating the local flora which was toxic and caused neurological damage.

I had a bad feeling about this.

Not too far from where the team had landed, they ran into a woman who was speaking nonsense. Behind her were over eight men armed with decade old weapons. The chances that they were all on the freighter were very good. John determined that it would be safe to just go for the limbs instead of killing them.

_Might explain why Mordin is tagging along._

The team approached a camp nearby which was inhabited by women and only women.

"This doesn't seem right at all." Said Joker.

"No kidding. Guess we'll need to think ahead on this one. God knows what else we're gonna find." I replied as Joker nodded.

"Hadley, can you get me full readout from the team's current position and search for any other human life signs within a two mile radius?"

"You got Mr. Sears." He replied.

"Thanks." I said as Hadley sent a map to my station. "Ground team, this is Normandy. I've got a combination of human and mechanical readings for the next click and a half."

"Mechs?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Probably older models. The one you saw before reaching the female camp was a prototype LOKI. Good news is that they've got a very exploitable weakness."

"What kind of weakness?" Jacob asked.

"The kind that goes boom. The prototypes were outfitted with a specialized self-destruct feature. Mostly, so competitors or anyone else wouldn't be able to make their own mechs. It's located on their backs. Shoot one of those in a crowd and it should set off the rest." I answered.

"Nice. Thanks for the tip Mark." Shepard said.

"You got it. I've sent you the map for the rest of the area including enemy positions. Get some." I added before cutting transmission.

The team made their way through the camp, hearing the women say some interesting things.

"He protects us, keeps us safe and we please him like he demands." Said one.

Joker and I looked at each other. He mouthed out the words 'what the fuck?'.

In the middle of the camp was a large looking statue, cobbled together from various parts of the vessel and other objects.

Out of all of us, Jacob was the disturbed by this. They ran into the old mechs up ahead.

"Your leader demands obedience. Relinquish your weapons." Said the mechs before opening fire.

The mechs went down easily and another woman approached the team. After hearing some of the broken ship's logs, she sounded like the Gernsback's doctor.

She gave Jacob a datapad containing information on what went on here during the last ten years. It was a crew logbook. As for what was on it, the information painted a grim picture for the survivors.

The crew was split up between the officers and the crewmembers; the officers hoarded the food stores while the crew was forced to eat the toxic food and hope for rescue. The captain of the Gernsback was killed in the crash and Jacob's father Ronald was promoted to captain from first officer.

Over time, it got worse. There were five officers on the ship from three departments: bridge, medical, and engineering. After the beacon was fixed, they were killed within a week of each other. Then, all the male crewmembers were either exiled or killed; the women were then separated and assigned to the officers.

"Oh man." I said, leaning back in the co-pilot seat, shaking my head.

"Sounds like Jacob's dad decided to turn into some douchebag philanderer." Joker said.

"You said it." I replied. The team detonated a deactivated mech and continued the search for Jacob's father.

A loud announcement echoed across the area, it was Ronald Taylor. He had played it off as though it was some regular search party, not one that had his son involved. It took some time for the team to punch through the mechs but with their combined firepower and my small tip about the prototype LOKI's, they made good timing.

"Oh crap. Mark, we've got a problem." Said Shepard over the radio.

"What's up?"

"Looks like a YMIR mech up ahead." Jacob whispered.

"I see it. That's a prototype as well. The good news is that unlike its current counterpart, it doesn't have a composite armor. These YMIR's are weighed down with two inch tungsten plating on their limbs and four inch plating on the chest." I replied.

"Solutions?" Shepard asked.

"Because of its armor plating, it's slow and takes time to bring its weapons up. The inner joints aren't as reinforced and its shields only have one level of protection. Focus on either shooting its head off or take out its limbs."

"Thanks for the tip."

The team scattered around the battlefield, wounding the male 'hunters' and opening fire on the heavy mech. Shepard and Jacob concentrated their fire on the joints while Miranda and Mordin distracted the mech. Shepard had an easy time, as he used his adrenaline rush to focus in on the YMIR mech's joints. The heavily armored mech collapsed onto itself, the leg joints and arm joints destroyed and it fell to the ground.

"Enough of the toys. I want to look my father in the eyes and hear him justify this." Jacob stated angrily.

The four of them approached Ronald Taylor's hideout where the man himself was standing, looking out at the ocean.

He was overjoyed to see the team, thinking that they rescued him from his insane crew.

The bastard didn't even notice his own son…

Shepard introduced himself and Jacob. All of the joy in Ronald's eyes disappeared when he saw his son. He had been caught red handed in a lie and immediately retracted what he had said. The burden of command had broken him, and he wasn't ready for it. He tried to convince him that he did the best that he could do, describing the events in detail. The officers had found their consciences too late and attempted to revolt against Ronald. He had the mechs and the weapons to stop them. Jacob was disgusted with his father, saying that he lost control and played out some childhood fantasy for a decade. In the end, it was decided to arrest him and let the Alliance handle it.

* * *

**En route to Haestrom, Dholen System, Far Rim Cluster**

After securing Ronald Taylor, Shepard and his team had treated the wounded with basic first aid and got the hell off the planet. We loitered in the system until the Alliance came in and secured the survivors.

"The Alliance has Captain Taylor in custody and they've secured the survivors, Commander." Joker said over the intercom.

"Don't even give 'em the taillights. If you do, you're on decaf." Shepard joked.

"Why would you torture me like that Commander?" Joker asked.

"Because its easy." Shepard retorted as he walked into the comm. room. Jacob was on the line with the Illusive Man.

"Okay, so you didn't send the message. Who the hell did?" he asked frustrated. Jacob had received the tip about his dad from an anonymous Cerberus source. It annoyed him to no end, thinking that someone inside the organization was hanging it over his head as some sort of blackmail.

"Jacob if I had sent you the message, I would be smiling at the result. I am not smiling." Replied the Illusive Man.

Shepard walked into their conversation. "Really, because given the result this feels like something you'd have a hand in."

The Illusive Man sent Shepard a stern look, the only time he had ever seen the man give any sort of emotional response. "You know very little about me, Shepard. Don't jump to conclusions without any sort proof." He continued, "Cerberus is ultimately about humanity, I care about the people who work for me."

Shepard rolled his eyes. _I've seen enough of your work to know that's a bunch of crap._

"Fine. It wasn't you. So who the hell was it?" Jacob asked again.

"I did it." It was Miranda, who had jumped into the conversation. The Illusive Man raised an eyebrow as he took another drag from his cigarette.

"Figures. Who else could access Cerberus channels?" Shepard said.

Miranda turned to Jacob. "There was a time when this mattered to you. I sent it to keep an old promise. I keep my promises."

"Miranda, we'll discuss your liberal interpretation of security protocols in private. Shepard, Jacob." Said the Illusive Man, cutting the transmission.

The two operatives looked at each other until Miranda left the room.

_Obviously they have an interesting past._

Shepard patted Jacob on the arm. "You good with this Jacob?"

He shook his head. "Captain Taylor can rot in prison for all I care. I already mourned the man that he was a long time ago."

Shepard nodded. "You had no idea Miranda did it?"

Jacob shook his head. "Nah. She's got a good memory, selective, but good. Can't remember which promise she meant. Not sure I want to know which one. She…requires a better man than I."

"Come on. Let's get back to work." Shepard said.

"Aye, Commander." John started to leave when Jacob stopped him. "Shepard. Thanks."

He turned around and shook Jacob's hand. "Anytime, Jacob."

The next stop was a planet inside geth territory, Haestrom. Tali was there, on a mission presumably. Why the quarians were there was anyone's guess.

The good news was that the Far Rim cluster was less than a day's cruise so they could 'kill two birds with one stone'.

_It's good to get most of the old gang back together, even for something like this._

* * *

I was in the armory, prepping for our next mission where we would be picking up Tali. It had been a while since I did any sort of cleaning or maintenance on my own weapons and armor, so I figured now would be as good a time as any. I disassembled the Nighthawk and began cleaning each individual part. Jacob came walking into the armory from the briefing room.

"Hey Mark." He said, as he approached his terminal.

"Jacob." I replied.

"You know, I can take care of that for you." Jacob said, turning around.

"It's cool. This gives me something to do. Besides, all my weapons are coded to my DNA, I'm the only one that can use them and disassemble them." I replied.

"Why would you do that?"

"So no one can get their hands on 'em. Everything except for the Eviscerator I made myself. No offense, but I don't want anyone else touching these." I replied.

"Nah, I get it. I'm the same way." Jacob said, as he logged the ground team's weapons in.

I went back to cleaning my weapon in an awkward silence. It just didn't seem right to mention anything about what went on down on Aeia. Oddly, Jacob was the first one to mention.

"Thanks for lending a hand on Aeia. We would have been stuck down there for a long time if you didn't tell us about the mechs."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad its done, hearing everything over the radio was probably as bad as seeing it unfold in person." I replied.

Jacob nodded. "I just can't believe it…now he's gonna rot in prison for the rest of his life. He deserves it."

I grunted, as I cleaned the last part on the Nighthawk.

"What could anyone do in that position?" he asked rhetorically.

"Being in command isn't easy." I said. "Sometimes it just comes naturally."

Jacob turned around and leaned on his desk. "I'm sure you and Shepard know that better than anyone."

I nodded. "The difference between me and him is that I cracked. Even if I didn't get infected on Akuze, I would have turned my papers in after it. I couldn't go back…I'll never go back. Too many ghosts."

"I hear that. I don't blame you either." Jacob agreed. "Did the same thing after I got benched after Eden Prime."

I pulled out the Judgement and started cleaning it.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you deal with Akuze?" asked Jacob.

I raised both of my eyebrows. It seemed a little odd for Jacob to ask, he rarely got personal with most people and kept to himself.

I stopped working on my pistol. "I spent two years in a veterans hospital, diagnosed with PTSD. For those two years, I didn't say a damn thing. To be honest, since that day I never got over it. The only promise I made to myself was to remember every single person that died and…to live for them. The latter I made to Toombs." I paused for a second. "I'm not sure what kind of advice I can give you but…just remember who your father was, not what he is now."

Jacob looked like he was in thought before he nodded. "Thanks. I'll try."

I nodded and went back to finishing up on the Judgement.

* * *

I was down in the mess hall, making myself a sandwich after finishing up in the armory. Not long after I left, Kasumi went into the armory, probably to talk to Jacob. Part of me was puzzled but at the same time, I knew she had a thing for our resident armory officer. I was reading a datapad which had some information about Haestrom and the Dholen system. It was a known fact that Haestrom was a former quarian colony.

The colony was established partly to study the Dholen star which was prematurely turning into a red giant. The reason why was unknown. Haestrom eventually fell to the geth in 1896.

I shook my head as I read it. _By the time they were ousted, we were learning how to build automobiles and airplanes_

Zaeed took a seat next to me. "Hey kid. Whatcha readin'?"

"Hey Zaeed. This is just some info about Haestrom, learning about the planet and whatnot."

"Anything interesting?"

"Well aside from the fact that the geth took over the planet back when we were trying to figure out how to fly? Not too much. Except that the star in the system is blowing off into a red giant when its not that old." I replied.

"Hm." Said the old merc as he took a bite out of a large piece of beef jerky.

"Plus the geth seem pretty dug in. They've got orbital platforms with geth platforms stationed inside and because of the sun's radiation the temperature is about 110 degrees." I added.

"Can't wait to work on my tan." He said sarcastically.

I chuckled.

"Heard about what happened to Jacob's dad. I remember running into a batarian camp years ago that was just like that. Learned that day that despots are cowards. You show them that you're in charge and they cry like little girls."

"Despots are usually weak anyway. Just some way for them to get some revenge on the world. Like if they got picked on too much in school or something."

"That's how it usually starts." Zaeed said.

We sat there for a bit, eating in silence.

"You know for a mercenary, you don't really seem like one." I said.

He laughed. "Just because I'm in it for the money doesn't mean I gotta be some heartless bastard like the rest of 'em. It's just like any other job."

"You got a point."

"Of course I do. I'm old." He replied.

I shook my head and laughed.

"Word 'round the ship is that you've been making some home movies for the Illusive Man." Said Zaeed.

"Yes. Yes I have."

"I want in." he replied.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Just cause the check hasn't cleared doesn't mean we can't have a little fun." Zaeed said.

"Alright. I'll let you know when I'm doing it." I replied.

"Good." He said with a wicked grin.

"All fire team members report to the briefing room. All fire team members report to the briefing room." Said Rolston over the PA.

"Let's go kid." Zaeed said as we both got up to head to the briefing room.

* * *

**Haestrom, Dholen System, Far Rim Cluster**

"Good. Everyone's here." Shepard said as we all stood around in the briefing room.

"I miss the days when we had chairs in the briefing room." I said. Garrus chuckled.

"Me too." Replied Shepard. "Anyway, EDI bring up the diagram of Haestrom."

"Yes Shepard." EDI said as a holographic projection of the planet popped up.

"Haestrom is going to be a little different than most of the planets we've been to. By different, I mean that the side facing the sun is bathed in radiation from the Dholen star. Surface temperatures at a minimum will be 110 degrees Fahrenheit. On top of that, it'll knock out our shields."

Jack leaned her head back and groaned. "God this sucks."

"What's wrong cue ball? Afraid of a little sun?" Zaeed asked.

"Fuck off old man."

Shepard rolled his eyes and sighed. "Knock it off. There's good chance that there will be some geth resistance on the planet."

"Curious. Why would quarians be deep in geth space? Migrant fleet not close by, no nearby bases…" Mordin said rapidly.

"We'll find out once we find the quarians." Shepard replied, gently cutting off the professor.

"Commander, I have traced a garbled transmission from the surface. The quarians on the surface are under attack. I have sent the coordinates for a drop zone to the Kodiak, it is as close as you can get to the quarians." Said EDI.

"Gear up and head down to the shuttle." Shepard ordered.

* * *

The shuttle ride down was fairly lively. Some people were worried that the geth's orbital platforms would be tracking us down to the surface. It wasn't too much of a problem as Joker and EDI found a gap in the geth's LADAR range. Add that with the intense radiation from the nearby star and everything was looking good for us. On the downside, we couldn't see them either but we had the advantage of stealth.

I had just turned on 'Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter' by Soilwork as we broke the atmosphere. I checked the reinforced knee joints on my armor, which I always did as a force of habit. Unlike the standard version of the Terminus assault armor, I added some reinforced and motorized knee joints. The main reason was for mobility and durability. For some reason, I always had difficulty with the knee part of the armor so I added them in.

_Hell if it works for mining crews and EOD crews then its good enough for me._

"What are you listening to? It sounds fuckin' awesome." Jack said to me.

_I guess it is pretty loud, even if I'm the only one listening to it._

"A band called Soilwork. They were around back in the early 21st century." I replied.

"Let me listen to 'em." She said.

"Sure." I said, as I turned on the external speakers on my omni-tool.

"Woah!" she yelled out as the first verse began. John nudged me with his elbow.

"I guess some habits never change eh?"

"Hell no." I replied.

"You always listen to music before we go on a mission?" Garrus asked.

I nodded. "Gets me in the zone."

"Ah. Use of music before a battle similar to krogan." Mordin added. "Was unaware humans did the same. Interesting."

"Everyone's got their own little rituals professor. This is just one of mine." I replied.

"Would you mind turning it down?" Miranda asked in an annoyed tone.

"I would mind." I replied as she rolled her eyes.

Shepard looked out the window. "Alright we're on the ground."

"I barely noticed." I said, getting my recon hood. The team pulled their weapons out as I looked down at the hood.

"Game time." I pulled it on my head and stepped out.

In front of us was the former quarian colony. From the look of it, the entire colony looked like it was under construction. Massive white stones were strewn about all over the place, buildings that were made out of the stone interconnected with rusted out steel blast doors.

Kasumi said exactly what I was thinking. "It looks like the quarians were just starting to build here."

"Since when can you read my mind?" I asked.

"Starting now." She cheerfully replied.

A large orange, cockroach like bug ran past us and right into the sunlight. Seconds later, it burst into flames. Grunt's eyes widened and a large grin appeared on his face.

"Heh. That was great! Anybody else hungry?" said the young krogan.

Everyone except for me and Zaeed, collectively sighed. The two of us laughed.

"Hey lardo didn't you eat before we left?" Jack forcefully asked.

"I want more." Grunt simply said.

"If we find a space cow, its all yours." I blurted out. Shepard chuckled.

"Just stick to the shadows and you won't end up like that." Said Shepard.

We quickly made our way down a ramp, our shields draining and recharging as we went from light to dark.

"Losing shields Shepard! Must get out of sunlight." Said Mordin.

"So we'll fight in the shade…but no hiding!" Grunt yelled.

"I wish we had arrows to block out the sun." I muttered. Garrus gave me a strange look.

"Why would you want that?"

I shook my head. "Reference to an old movie. What Grunt said kind of reminded me of it."

"Commander, got a blood trail over here. It's going into the door." Jacob said.

"Jacob and Mark, stack up and prepare to clear the room." Ordered Shepard.

The two of us got next to the door as I scanned it with my omni-tool.

"No life signs inside." I said.

"You ready?" he asked. I nodded.

"Go!" We went inside the small room and saw the bodies of three quarians and two geth destroyer platforms. A message on the terminal played out, one of the quarian's final messages, asking to keep Tali safe.

"Guess is this the gate switch." I said as I pressed the button. The gate opened up and we regrouped.

"Fuck! Dropship!" Jack yelled out. We dove behind cover as it dropped geth from above. Almost immediately after dropping from the ship, they opened fire on us.

"Grunt, Zaeed! Flank their left!" Shepard yelled out.

"Got three coming in from twelve!" I shouted out.

Jack used a biotic charge and slammed into a geth shock trooper and followed it up with a shotgun blast. Garrus and I split off from the rest of the team and went right.

"Top shelf!" I yelled to Garrus as he shot a geth on the ramp up. I sprinted up the ramp with Garrus behind me. Kasumi seemingly appeared out of nowhere and was right behind us. The three of us came to a corner and I held up a fist.

"I've got three around the corner, heading this way." I said.

"Here's a little present for them." Kasumi said, as she tossed a flashbang grenade around the corner. It blew up, knocking the geth off their feet and leaving the three of us to finish them off. Shepard and the rest of the team were barreling through them but were in the sunlight.

"Shit! I see eight geth down there, half of 'em got rocket launchers." I yelled out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something.

A containment cell!

"Garrus! Containment cell, ten o'clock!"

He fired his Incisor sniper rifle, landing a direct hit on the canister causing it to blow up and wipe out three more geth. Jacob, Jack, and Miranda used their biotics to take care of the rest with some back up from Shepard, Mordin, Grunt, and Zaeed.

"All set! Move up!" ordered Shepard. We regrouped and ran into three more geth platforms and the corpses of some quarian soldiers.

One of the radios near the dead quarian's body began to chatter.

"Break, break, OP 1 this is Kal'Reegar do you copy? We're bunkered up here, can you send support?"

Shepard picked up the radio.

"This is Commander John Shepard of the Normandy. Can we provide assistance?"

"Shepard? The Spectre that Tali'Zorah worked with? Don't know why you're here but its good to hear a friendly voice. Have you seen any of my marines?"

Shepard looked down at some the bodies of the quarians. "I'm sorry but the ones we've run into so far are dead."

"Damn. Alright Shepard, patch your radio into channel 617 theta." Said Kal.

We all adjusted our radios to the channel and gave Shepard the thumbs up.

Kal'Reegar continued. "We're on a high risk mission. We found what we were looking for but the geth found us."

"How are you holding up? We can be there in a few minutes." Replied Shepard.

"I'm fine Shepard. Take it slow and careful. You should know that the sunlight fries your shields all to hell. It's probably the only reason we've managed to hold them back."

"What's your location and where's Tali?" asked Shepard.

"Bunkered down at a base camp across the valley. She's secure, getting her out is our top priority. If you can get her out, we'll keep the geth off ya."

"John, we've got gunfire nearby." I said. While Shepard was on the radio, Garrus and I moved up to oversee the area. There were three quarian marines pinned down by a large number of geth.

"Dropship overhead!" Miranda yelled.

The dropship appeared above us and made its way toward the quarians. Once we heard the sound, I whipped out the Eliminator and fired a few rounds at it. The dropship, instead of attacking the quarians, began to rapidly ascend and fly away, smoke trailing out near its gun ports.

"Hell of a shot Mark." Garrus said.

"Glad you liked it." I replied.

We rushed forward to assist the three quarian marines.

"Afternoon folks." I said rushing up next to the quarians. Miranda and Garrus rushed up next to me.

"Covering fire!" Shepard yelled as he and the rest of the team flanked the remaining geth forces from the left. Jack, Grunt, and Zaeed rushed into a nearby warehouse and started mowing down the geth inside. The damaged dropship dropped off an additional squad of geth, one of them was a prime.

I switched to my sniper rifle as the prime began to scatter the rest of the team. I took a shot at the prime in the knee, causing it to buckle. The quarian marine next to me pulled out his M-97 Viper and fired three shots into the prime, finishing it off.

"Nice shot." I said to the marine.

He reloaded his rifle and turned to me. "Glad you liked it."

"Area's clear, Shepard." Jack said. The rest of the team regrouped on my position.

"You three all right?" Shepard asked the marines.

"Yes. We're fine thanks to you." Said the lead marine. It was just her and two male quarians. "I'm Rina'Malo vas Tesleya. This is Kenn'Rau vas Idenna and Yan'Tasi vas Tonbay."

"Command John Shepard of the Normandy."

The three marines looked at each other. "You're THE Commander Shepard?"

John chuckled. "Yeah that's me."

"Tali has mentioned you before." Said Rina.

"It's an honor to meet you." Added Yan.

"Same here. How long were you three holding out?" he asked.

"Way too long." Replied Kenn. "We've been on the surface for the past two weeks, as for this position probably two days."

Garrus looked at the door behind the marines. "What's in there?"

Rina turned around and looked at the door. "Our base camp. We haven't been in there in two days. We actually hid out in that warehouse across the way. I needed to get some more thermal clips but the geth cut us off. And here we are."

"Thanks for taking care of the dropship by the way." Yan said to me. "Damn thing's been hammering us for too long."

"Any time." I replied.

"So I assume you're here for Tali?" Rina asked Shepard.

"Yeah. But we'll get you and any other survivors out of here." He replied.

"Thanks. Come on, lets go inside the camp." Rina said as she led us into the camp.

The door opened up and revealed a massacre. Bodies of geth and quarians were strewn about the room, blood splatters on the stone walls.

"Keelah!" shouted Kenn. A heavily damaged geth was crawling along the ground slowly. Grunt walked up to it and crushed it with his boot.

"Crunchy." He said with a wicked grin.

"Jeez kid…" Jack grumbled as she watched the young krogan pump his fist.

"Tough bastards." Zaeed muttered. I walked over to a desk on the right side of the room.

"Check it out Garrus, geth pulse rifles." I said, picking one up.

"Not bad." He replied. "I don't think the geth would mind if I take this back to the ship."

Garrus put the rifle on his back and we continued looking around the room. Mordin and the other quarians were checking the bodies for any signs of life, but they were all dead.

Yan shook his head. "We were gone two days…two days!"

"There's nothing we could have done Yan." Rina replied. Yan punched the wall.

"Damn it."

Shepard was near a terminal, listening to an audio journal Tali left. She was in awe of the planet. He smiled when she mentioned him.

"She was always a good kid." I said to him. Kasumi and Miranda were inspecting the door.

"Shepard, there's no way out of here. The door's locked." Miranda said.

"It's hardwired somewhere, but its not in here." Kasumi added.

"The activation switch is at the observatory." Kenn said. "It's not far from here. That's where Tali is."

"So basically its behind the door?" Jack said flatly. Kenn nodded and everyone collectively sighed.

* * *

I took my hood off and grabbed the small hose inside my neckpiece which contained a water pack. The pack itself was located on my back.

"Even with the temperature control, I'm sweating my balls off here." I said.

Miranda had a disgusted look on her face as I sat on a cot. "Do you have to be so…graphic?"

"Yes." I said flatly, taking another drink. She rolled her eyes at me and sat down. I pulled the hose out a little more and soaked my head and ran my hand through my short hair. I turned to Miranda and held the hose up.

"Drink?"

She held her hand up. "No thanks."

"It's not backwash."

"I'm all set." She replied.

Now we had to wait and see if Tali would contact us. The problem on our end was that we couldn't use the communications terminal here, we could only answer calls, not make them. The quarian sniper Yan walked over to me and looked at me. Unlike his comrades, he wore black and silver armor. Rina had a dark yellow and white colored armor while Kenn had green and brown, an almost woodland camo patter.

"You look familiar." Yan said to me.

"Really?"

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Mark Sears." The other two quarian marines turned and looked.

"The same Mark Sears that attacked the Vogel Tower on Thessia?" Rina asked.

I nodded. "That's me."

"I knew it!" Yan exclaimed. "I've heard so much about you. Stories of your actions reach the fleet all the time. We've gotten a list of all of your military records. They are very remarkable."

"Looks like you have a fan Mark." Shepard said laughing.

I chuckled too, turning back to Yan. "Glad you like them."

"Sorry. I just didn't expect to meet someone such as yourself." Yan said, holding his hands up. "May I ask how you pulled off the distance record with the sniper rifle?"

"Sure. To be honest, when I made that shot, I was on a hill shooting down wind." I replied.

"Still, to get that kind of distance with a standard rifle is amazing." He said.

"How far was the shot?" Garrus asked.

"3.15 miles." I replied.

"Spirits…" Garrus said, shaking his head.

"I have tried to emulate your results. It's not close enough but among my people, I am the best." Yan said.

"A quarian version of Mark?" Shepard asked biting his lip. "Now I know the galaxy is coming to an end."

"Very funny John." I replied with a laugh. "Well, welcome to the sniper club Yan." I said, shaking his hand.

"I'm honored. But I'm not just a sniper, I'm also a biotic." He replied. There was a beep at the terminal and Shepard went to look.

_Guess Tali decided to call._

I turned back to Yan. "You're a biotic."

He nodded. "There was an accident on the ship I was on when I was a child. I don't have a family, hence Tasi."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I replied. "I know what that's like."

We were so busy having a conversation, the two of us didn't realize that Tali had opened the door.

Miranda tapped me on the arm. "Come on."

"Let's rock n' shock Yan." I said to my quarian counterpart.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Human expression. Just another way of saying, let's kick some ass." I responded.

"Ah, I see."

The team and the quarian marines stopped at a corner. "Geth drones with stealth camo!" yelled Shepard.

"Optical camouflage huh? I hope that's not you're only trick!" I yelled out at the drones.

The battlefield in front of us was a variety of large stone pillars spread out everywhere followed by various concrete tubes that looked like part of a sewer system. All of us spread out and took on several waves of drones. I activated my stealth camo and moved up with Yan, Miranda, and Zaeed.

"Watch out! Geth Prime!" Miranda yelled out.

"Yan, can you get a shot?" I asked.

"Yeah. I just need a distraction." He said.

"I am krogan!" yelled Grunt in the background as the prime focused on Grunt.

"There's your distraction." Zaeed said. Yan let out a laugh as he took a shot with his Viper rifle.

"Let's move up!" I ordered as we continued to sweep up the right side. We blew through fairly easily as did Shepard and the rest of the squad, who regrouped with us at the end.

"Are we almost there?" Shepard asked Rina. She nodded.

"It's just past this next door."

Shepard walked up to a door control and pressed the button. It also lowered the steel shutters. That's when we saw…

"Colossus!" Miranda yelled.

"Oh fuck me sideways." I blurted out. The Colossus fired its main cannon and all of us hit the deck.

All of us got up and bolted out of the door.

"Definitely like old times!" Garrus said.

"This is why I follow you Shepard. Big things!" Grunt added.

"Yeah but when we took these out we used a freakin' tank." I said.

Heading down the stairs, we saw Kal'Reegar, decked out in red armor.

"Kal!" yelled Rina.

"Get to cover!" he yelled. "Squad leader, Kal'Reegar, Migrant Fleet marines. Which one of you is Shepard?"

John nodded as he was crouching next to Kal. "That's me."

"Still got no idea why you're here. But now's not the time to be picky. Tali's over there." He said nodding towards the observatory. "Geth killed the rest of my squad and now they're trying to get in the door. But its hard when someone's firing rockets at ya!"

"Heh get some!" I added.

"The damn colossus over there has a repair protocol, huddles up and fixes itself. I can't get a shot like that when its down. I tried to but got a shot clean through my suit." Kal said.

"Are you okay, sir?" Kenn asked.

"I'm fine. Combat seals clamped down to prevent contamination and I'm swimming in antibiotics. The geth might get me but I'm not gonna die from an infection in battle. That's just insulting!"

"Hell yeah!" shouted the marines.

"Let's take that thing out." Shepard said.

Kal nodded. "I'm not moving so well, but I got a rocket launcher that the sun hasn't fried yet. How about you move in close? I'll keep the colossus busy and maybe bring its shields down. With luck, you can bring it down." He stood up, ready to fire but was grabbed by Shepard who brought him back into cover.

"Stand down Reegar, you've done enough!"

"Wasn't asking your permission. Our job is to keep Tali'Zorah safe! The geth killed my whole squad!"  
"And if you want to honor your squad, you'll watch our backs."

Reegar finally nodded. "Alright Shepard, we'll do it your way. Keelah se'lai!"

"Okay, here's the plan: I'll take Mordin, Kasumi, and Jacob and we'll go left. Zaeed, Jack, and Grunt you'll go up the middle. Mark, Garrus, and Miranda will take the right side." Shepard ordered. We broke up and got into position.

The quarian marines got into position, Kenn started to check on Reegar, while Rina and Yan would lay down covering fire.

"Hope you don't mind Mark, but I call the colossus." Shepard said over the radio.

"Oh yeah?"  
"Yeah. I want to field test this M-920 Cain." He replied.

"Sounds good. It's all yours."

Garrus, Miranda, and I rushed up the ramp and ducked behind some crates.

We were all taking some serious suppressing fire from the geth.

"Fuck!" I yelled out. "That's it. Now you've really pissed me off!"

I pulled out a high explosive grenade and tossed next to a geth destroyer. The explosion completely destroyed the platform.

"Miranda, cover me!" I said, as I got ready to move up.

"Gotcha!"

"Movin' up!" I replied as I sprinted up to the next piece of cover; the sound of my shields going down, ringing in my ears. I opened fire on more geth platforms.

"Come up folks!" I shouted as Miranda and Garrus made their way up.

Looking down at the battlefield, Shepard and his team were making great progress. Zaeed and his group were slow to get moving as the colossus was focused on them along with other heavy geth platforms.

I made the decision to make it up more rapidly as I switched to the Eviscerator. Two shock troopers popped out of cover, I killed one while Garrus got the other.

The three of us made it to the end of the path, facing the left flank of the colossus. It was still focused on Zaeed's team but not mine nor Shepard's.

"Overload mines now." I said. The three of us pulled them out and threw them at the colossus. Kasumi threw one as well.

"Shields are down, Shepard!" Jacob said into the radio.

"Nuke 'em!" I yelled. Shepard let the Cain charge up and fired at the colossus. The direct hit struck it with an incredible force, destroying the colossus and any other geth near it. The resulting blast caused a 'mushroom cloud' freaking everyone except for me out.

"Mark…" Shepard drawled out in a pissed off tone despite killing the massive geth.

"It's not a nuke!" I yelled out as we regrouped.

"Just a second. Let me get the door." Tali said over the radio. Shepard, Garrus, and I approached the door.

"If it's not a nuke, why does it look like one?" Garrus asked.

I let out a heavy sigh. "That's what was in the blueprints! There are no nuclear components!"

Both of them laughed as we walked into the room.

"Thank you Shepard." Tali said, turning around to face us and giving Shepard a hug.

"What about us? We helped too." Garrus said in a fake whiny voice.

She giggled. "You too Garrus." Tali gave him a hug as well.

"And then there was one." I said. She stood back giving me a strange look.

"Who are you exactly?"

"Don't say you've forgotten me…Tali." I said as I took off the recon hood.

"Mark! You're alive!" she exclaimed giving me a hug.

"Alive and kicking." I replied. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise. I didn't expect to see any of you here." She said.

"We thought about getting the band back together." I added.

Tali laughed again. "It's good to see that some thing's haven't changed."

"So Tali, why are you here?" Shepard asked.

She sighed. "This whole mission has been a disaster. I wish I could have joined you back on Freedom's Progress. Anyway, we were researching the star in this system." Tali paused as she brought up a diagram on her omni-tool. "Haestrom's sun is destabilizing. When this was a quarian colony, it was a normal star. It shouldn't age this quickly.

"Any guess as to what's causing it?" I asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was dark energy affecting the star's core. The effect is similar to when stars blow off mass to enter a red giant phase, but the sun is far too young for this to be happening."

Shepard turned around and saw the quarian marines approaching. "A lot of quarians died here. Was it worth it?" he asked.

Tali sighed. "It wasn't my call. The Admiralty Board believed the information here was worth sacrificing all our lives for. I have to believe they know best."

John shook his head. "I didn't want to know what some admiral thought. I wanted to know what you thought."

"A lot of people died here. Some of them were my friends and a lot of them were good at their jobs. That damn data better be worth it. The price was too high." She said.

"Well not everyone died here." I said as the four marines came in.

"Rina, Kenn, Yan, Kal!" Tali yelled out as she approached them.

"It's good to see you again Tali." Rina said. She caught up with the team briefly.

"When you deliver that data, I'd like for you to join me. It'll be like the old days." Shepard said.

"I promised that I'd see this mission through and I did. If the admirals have a problem with that they can go to hell. I saw most of my team die." She said with a bit of fire in her voice.

_Someone got angsty in the last two years._

"Your old captain is as good as you said." Kal said to Tali. "Damn colossus never stood a chance."

"If you need to, the Normandy can get you and your team out of here Reegar." Shepard offered.

"The geth didn't find our ship. As long as we get out of here, we should be fine." Kal said.

"I won't be going with you. I'll be joining Commander Shepard." Tali said to the injured quarian.

"I'll pass the data along to the Admiralty Board and let them know what's happened. She's all yours now, Shepard. Keep her safe." He said.

Shepard shook his hand. "Will do Reegar."

* * *

_There you have it! Again, I wanted to add the three marines in because having a bunch of quarians get massacred seemed odd. You'd think the people who made the geth would be able to...I dunno, last longer against them. Just saying._

_One last little tidbit about Mark's armor, the knee joints I took from the Cerberus Assault Armor. Seemed odd to have that on a Cerberus suit instead of something made in the Terminus Systems and described to withstand any environment._

_Up next, my favorite...Illium! Good times will be had!_


	21. Welcome to Illium

_Author's note: Illium! Yes! Get ready for some explosions and an interesting turn of events_

___Dislcaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Illium**

After leaving Haestrom, our next destination was Illium. I think I could speak for everyone when I said that it was good to finally head to a civilized world. I was in the briefing room with Shepard, Miranda, Jacob, and our newest recruit, Tali. We stood around the table in the briefing room, still in our armor.

"Welcome to the Normandy, Tali." Miranda said as she leaned forward on the table. Jacob stood next to her while across the table Tali stood next to Shepard.

I was at the end of the table, staring at everyone.

_Clearly she doesn't like them. Pissing off the Migrant Fleet was a bad move, Illusive Man._

"I'm Miranda Lawson, Shepard's second in command. This is Jacob Taylor, the ship's armory officer."

Tali stood there, arms folded.

"Cerberus saw footage of you in action, Tali'Zorah." Jacob said. "Looking forward to having you on the team, your engineering expertise will be a big help to the mission."

Tali stepped forward, standing next to Shepard. "I don't care who you are. Cerberus threatened the security of the Migrant Fleet. Don't make nice."

"That's why you're here Tali. I need people that aren't Cerberus, people I can trust." Shepard replied.

"Neither of us were part of what happened on the Migrant Fleet. But I understand your distrust. I hope we'll get past that as we work together." Jacob said.

_Nice of him to offer an olive branch. Then again he's not really Cerberus._

Tali turned to Shepard. "I assumed you were undercover, Shepard. Hoping to take Cerberus out. If that's the case, I'll loan you a grenade. Otherwise, I'm here for you, not them."

"With the weapons and intel I have, it won't be long." I said with a smirk. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"If it helps, check out our new ride. We've gotten some upgrades." Shepard said.

"I'll take care of her clearance, Commander." Miranda added.

"Thank you. I can't be a part of your team if I don't know how the ship works." Tali began to leave the room. "Remember, Shepard. These people thought enslaving thorian creepers and rachni was a good idea."

"I haven't forgotten." He replied.

As Tali left, Jacob added one more thing. "Don't forget to introduce yourself to EDI, the ship's artificial intelligence."

She turned around and glared, a dead silence fell over the room.

I groaned. "Remember that nice welcome mat you laid out? I think you just took a dump on it."

Tali left and Shepard and Miranda glared at Jacob. He looked surprised at first, looking at everyone in the room.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. That's when the realization hit him.

"Oh hell…I'm sorry Commander. I didn't mean it like that." Jacob said shaking his head.

Shepard and Miranda sighed.

"It's fine Jacob." Shepard replied.

"I should go apologize…" he said trailing off.

"Jacob you might want to wait. I'll get her to cool off. I'd rather not lose an armory officer today." Shepard responded with a smirk.

"Alright Commander." Jacob said as he began his slow walk back to the armory.

"Miranda, I want you to make Tali the ship's chief engineer."

"I'll take care of it Shepard." She said as she headed in the direction of the armory.

Truth be told, we all had to go there. We did just get back from Haestrom after all. As John and I walked in, we saw Joker sitting on the table.

"Hey Commander! It's great to see Tali again." He said looking around, "It is her, right? Because with the helmet…ah never mind."

I chuckled. "Yeah it's her."

"She seems a little more…I dunno, straightforward now." Shepard said.

"I noticed that too." Joker replied.

"Well after the wacky shit we did, she probably got bored on the flotilla." I added.

Joker shrugged. "Maybe. Hey Mark, when are you gonna do another one of those Normandy movies again?"

Miranda sighed in the background.

"After I get out of this stuff and take a shower." I answered.

"You do realize that the Illusive Man is going to be very upset with us." The XO said flatly.

"Fuck him. What's this movie business about?" Jack asked in her usual pissed off manner.

"Yeah. It's not like he's gonna sternly lecture all of us." I said turning to Miranda.

I turned to face Jack. "It's a bunch of goofy pranks I made with the help of some of the crew."

"Sounds stupid."

"Don't knock it 'till you've seen it." I said.

"Then show me already." She replied, annoyed. I turned on my omni-tool and sent her the videos.

"I also tacked on my little tirade on the Council as a bonus. Apparently that one's gotten more praise from the crew." I said.

I took a seat next to Joker and started taking off my boots.

"We'll I'd love to stay and chat but someone's gotta get this thing to Illium." Joker said.

"Later Joker." Shepard replied.

Grunt was in the corner, taking his weapons off and looking at Jack's omni-tool.

Moments later, a deep rumbling laugh echoed through the room.

"That was great. Any chance I can get in this movie thing too?" asked the krogan.

"Hell yeah. I got this one idea that would be a perfect fit for you." I answered.

Jack turned off her omni-tool and threw the rest of her armor off. Apparently, she was only wearing her underwear.

"Hey Mark, nice little bit about Cerberus. That was good. Smell ya later." She said strolling out of the armory.

"Who should tell her that you usually wear pants under armor?" Zaeed asked.

"Someone who can withstand a woman's wrath." I replied.

"Well you do pretty good with the cheerleader so that'll be you kid." Zaeed shot back.

Miranda bit her lip and shot back. "I am not a cheerleader."

"Too late. Cue ball's name already stuck." Said Zaeed.

"Oh knock it off Zaeed. I can't see her with pom-poms anyway." Kasumi said.

"Meh." He said as he walked out of the room, followed by Grunt.

The only squad member that hadn't been present was Mordin, who was most likely busying himself with the Collector info.

"Well we got Tali back and more people like my movie idea. I call that a good day." I said as I removed the chest piece and arm guards.

"Agreed. I can't wait to see what you've got in store Mark." Replied Kasumi.

I smirked. "Same here."

Miranda butted in and changed the subject. "Commander, I received word that we'll be getting new armor plating and main gun on Illium."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Really? The Illusive Man I assume?"

She nodded. "The installations may take some time. However, I've made the necessary arraignments for the entire crew. We'll be staying one of Nos Astra's luxury hotels, 'The Monaco'."

"Groovy." I said.

"Wow." Shepard replied, at a loss for words. "Sounds great. Plus we still have two more people to pick up and we'll be all set."

"Almost…" I added. "Got another delivery coming in as well."

"Delivery?" Miranda asked.

"More weapons. I've already sent word to my contacts. They'll be ready when we arrive." I replied.

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you notify me of this before?"

"Need to know basis. Now you know." I replied with a grin.

She huffed out. "I'm the bloody XO on this ship!"

"And I run Outer Heaven. I wouldn't have told you anyway." I answered.

Her eyes went wide. "You? I shouldn't have been surprised. You're the only person that's been revealing our projects in the first place."

I held up the chest piece. "Plus I've got the logo right here." I said pointing to the logo just below the collar. "Surprised you didn't notice earlier."

Miranda shook her head and left in a huff.

"You really know how to push her buttons Mark." Kasumi giggled.

"She makes it too easy." I replied.

"Just try to keep it civil, alright?" Shepard politely asked.

"Can do."

_Strange. Haven't seen her publicly freak out since I was held on the Lazarus station. Wonder what's got her bent out of shape._

* * *

**Classified Location**

The Illusive Man was going over the recent mission report from Haestrom. The discovery of the Dholen star prematurely turning into a red giant had fascinated him. He had nothing but hypothesis' over the cause of dark energy making the star turn into a red giant.

_The geth? Or the Reapers?_

"Sir, I've received another surveillance report from the Normandy." Said the Illusive Man's secretary.

He sighed, knowing exactly what it could be. Then again, the bug had also been sending footage of the armory regularly.

Unless Sears is messing with me…again.

The Illusive Man had decided not to bother with the audio bug.

_You can only listen to A-ha so many times…_

"Surveillance logs from Bug 43." Said the VI.

The first log played, showing a graphic on the screen. "Life Lessons with Zaeed Massani."

The Illusive Man lulled his head back and silently swore at himself.

The camera zoomed in, showing Zaeed sitting at a table cleaning a rifle with a couple of shot glasses around him. He turned to the camera and a narrator began to speak. "Zaeed on first dates."

"When I was sixteen, I went on a date with this nice girl. Went to some swanky bar, shitty music pounding out through the speakers and people dancin' everywhere. It was great when she started grindin' up against me. Long story short, I was the only one who got out of that club alive that night."

"Life Lessons with Zaeed Massani." The narrator said again.

The Illusive Man shook his head, not wanting to see what could be next up.

A second log played. There was a gathering of crewmembers in the armory all in a crowd.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen!" said the loud booming voice of Rupert Gardner. "Our next match is between the man known as the 'Pride of Glasgow', the one and only Ken Donnelly!" Ken stepped up and waved to the crowd.

"And his challenger! They call him the ultimate ladies man, he's got a girl in every port and sometimes, more than one. Give it up for Ron Matthews!" Matthews stepped up and waved to the crowd. Mark stepped in between the two men.

"Listen up guys, I want a good clean fight and no funny business. I see any sign of cheating and your ass is mine. Got it?"

Both men nodded.

"Good. Put on your helmets and may the best man win." Mark said, as both 'fighters' put large cooking pots on their heads and backed up.

"Fighter one ready?" Mark said pointing to Ken, who nodded.

"Fighter two ready?" Matthews nodded. He made a chopping motion and yelled. "Go!"

Both men charged head on and hit each other. Donnelly was the only one standing.

"Winner!" Mark yelled as the crowd cheered, some shook their heads; who presumably lost their bets.

"And now, the champion and still undefeated. Grunt!" Mark said, pointing to the krogan who came out of the crowd, grabbing Matthews pot.

"Let's do this." Said the krogan. Ken audibly gulped and the log ended.

_Where do they find the time for this?_

The next log started playing some kind of slap bass and cut to Mark, Kasumi, and Shepard looking out the window near the engine room.

"Seriously? She's naked?" Mark asked.

"Yeah. She must be one of those nudists." Replied Shepard.

"Don't they do everything naked?" Kasumi asked.

"Oh yeah. They wash clothes naked, cook naked, sleep naked. You name it." Shepard said.

The door opened and the camera cut to Grunt walking into the room and slamming something down on the table. "I'm out." Said the krogan.

"Wait, what?" Mark asked as the three of them turned to face Grunt.

"I said, I'm out. I'm out of the contest." He replied staring at the three of them, who looked at each other in shock. A laugh track was playing.

"End of surveillance logs." Said the VI.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

The rec. room was full of activity. I told the crew it was alright to hang out in here, except when the door's locked. Patel and Goldstein were playing ping pong, Hadley and Rolston were watching sports on the large vid screen. Even Zaeed and Jacob were down here, watching the screen as well. I was sitting back on the couch, checking my email.

"I still don't get it." Jacob said.

"Get what?" Zaeed asked.

"What was that whole 'contest' thing anyway?" Jacob said to me.

"From an old television show. They had a contest to see who could go the longest without masturbating." I replied.

Zaeed laughed. "Sounds like good show."

"It was." I replied. "Hasn't been many shows like it since."

"It sounds kind of strange." Jacob added.

"Cod piece doesn't have a sense of humor." Zaeed said.

"God damn it." Jacob muttered. I chuckled and closed my terminal. I decided to head down to engineering to check on Tali.

She was busy working away on a terminal.

"Hey Tali." I said.

She turned around. "Oh hello Mark. How are you doing?"

"Doing fine. You?"

"I'm alright. I've been studying the ship's engines." She replied. Tali looked around and signaled me. She started walking towards the core and I followed.

"This is probably better. I don't want anyone else to hear us." Tali said.

"EDI can still hear us." I replied.

"I'll chance it." She walked up to me. "More importantly, what the hell are you doing here? This is a Cerberus ship!"

"It's a long story." I replied.

"Then summarize it." She shot back.

_Jesus, since when did she become such a hard ass?_

"I got cured and I've spent the last two years fighting Cerberus. They captured me, I found out they were bringing Shepard back to life, and so I broke out of captivity and met up with Shepard on Omega."

Tali nodded. "I had heard about your activities against Cerberus. I'm just puzzled as to why you're here."

"The Illusive Man saw the bigger picture so we made a 'temporary cease-fire'. Once the mission's over…" I replied trailing off.

"I see. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. The past few days have been a little stressful." She said.

"Don't worry about it. I understand." I replied as I leaned back on the railing. "How have the past two years treated you?"

Tali shrugged. "It was good to go back to the flotilla. The geth data Shepard gave me helped me with my pilgrimage. Of course the news about a quarian helping to save the galaxy was good too." She said with a giggle.

"That's good. I bet you came home to a hero's welcome." I replied.

"You could say that. Father was proud, but he didn't really show it. Other than that, I've spent a lot of time leading various research teams, looking for other worlds to colonize."

I nodded. "Sorry to hear about the dad situation. Sounds like the fleet's priorities have changed eh?"

"They have. Cerberus' attack on the fleet sped things up." She said.

"I heard about that. Some of the details are pretty…interesting." I replied.

"Cerberus tried to capture or kill a young biotic. I wasn't there but I heard about it as well." Said Tali. "It doesn't make sense."

"The girl was a Cerberus experiment." I said. "She was a student at the Ascension Project, a school for biotic kids, savants, you name it. She was accompanied by two people who worked at the school and a quarian on his pilgrimage. There's some more details to the story, but its kind of long."

"How do you know about that?" Tali asked.

"Cerberus databases. I pieced some of the information together from one of their outposts and other information from some of my contacts."

"It sounds like you've been busy as well." Tali said.

"Yeah. It hasn't been easy, that's for sure."

"You said that you were cured? That's good."

"Yeah…I got it with only two days left." I answered slowly.

"Two days until what?"

"Until I was going to die. When I left the Normandy, Dr. Chakwas told me that I had six months left to live." I replied.

"Keelah! I didn't know." She exclaimed.

"It's fine. Only a handful of people knew about it." I said. "But I'm better now."

Tali nodded. "Yes you are. It's good that you're still alive."

"Likewise." Both of us walked back into engineering. "By the way, the ship is surveillance bug free so you don't have to worry about having super secret conversations."

"That's good…still…" she looked over at Ken and Gabby. "I don't trust them."

"Well in my time on board, the crew is the furthest thing from the real Cerberus. Besides, a lot of these people joined up after the attack on the Citadel." I replied.

Tali just shrugged and went back to her terminal.

"Two years and we've all changed…yet John's still the same." I muttered. Tali sighed.

"I know."

"Garrus is off on his whole revenge thing. I'm hunting down a large terrorist group and you're a total hard ass." I said with a smirk.

"What?" she asked flatly.

"Just saying. That whole thing in the briefing room was probably the most agitated I've ever seen you."

"As you said earlier, its been two years and we've all changed." She said softly.

I nodded. "Yeah…well, I'll let you get back to work. Nice talking to you."

"You too Mark."

As I walked out, I turned. "Don't worry about Jacob, he's probably going to be down to apologize anyway."

I walked out of engineering and went down to the hangar deck to assemble the second M70 and begin to build the L100 50mm auto cannon. Once on the hangar deck, I poked through the crate to get the parts for the rest of the M70 and took out the L100 parts as well.

* * *

Miranda was sitting at her desk, head in her hands as she read over Lanteia's message over and over again. She had done everything in her power to keep her father at bay all of these years. When he stopped hunting Miranda, he focused his efforts on Oriana. Miranda had taken her newborn sister from her father and gave her a home and a family, in the hopes that Oriana would never have to live the same wretched life she had. When she had thought back to her experiences as a child, Miranda felt nothing but disgust and hatred for her father.

She had uncharacteristically asked Shepard to help get her sister to safety. The plan was set, give her family some cover story to move away from Illium. She even called her childhood friend Niket. It was all about timing now as the Normandy was set to dock in Nos Astra soon. Once there, she would contact Lanteia again to double check and make sure everything was all set and finalized.

The stress was driving her up a wall.

_I have to stop dwelling on this. Shepard's going to help and we'll be there soon._

Miranda changed into her workout clothes and headed down to the hangar deck to hit the punching bag. She made it down to the deck and saw a couple of crewmembers milling about. Mark was down there as well, assembling the rest of the weapons for the Kodiak. He didn't seem to notice she was there.

_Good. I'm not in the mood for his games anyway._

She walked up to the punching bag and started striking it over and over again. Miranda utilized every facet of her martial arts training she received when she first joined Cerberus. Punches, kicks, flying knee strikes, she used it all against that bag for what felt like an eternity.

"Someone's more pissed off than usual." Mark said.

She was breathing heavily, and looked up to see Mark still working away.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Well I haven't said a word to you until now. So I know that I'm not the one who pissed you off. Besides, whenever I've seen you practice on that bag you don't hit it with that much intensity." He replied. "Something or someone must have set you off."

She rolled her eyes at his first response. "Just having a bad day."

Mark sighed and got up, walking over towards her. "You're deflecting."

"Glad you noticed." She shot back.

"Seriously, what's wrong? You've been like this since that whole mess with Jacob's dad." Mark said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why would I tell you?"

"Because I'm a good listener." He replied, crossing his arms.

Miranda looked at him. _If anyone could help, it's him. Mark's only done this kind of thing for a living._

She shook the thought out of her head. _Mark Sears helping you get your sister? He'll use her as leverage. He's just using you anyway…_

Miranda just turned back to the bag. "Forget it."

Mark stood there. "Whatever." He said in a dejected tone and went back to working on the Kodiak's armaments.

Miranda continued to pound away at the punching bag. Part of her had actually felt guilty. He genuinely wanted to hear her problem and Miranda just shut him down. She hit the bag even harder than before, and then turned and left the hangar. Miranda took one last look at Mark, who was finishing up on the M70 and starting on the L100.

_Why do I feel so damn guilty about brushing him off?_

Her mind began to battle itself. _Because he cared about what was bothering you. Since when has Mark been the kind of person to play off of other's emotions?_

_He's the leader of Outer Heaven. His main goal is to destroy Cerberus and anything Cerberus is involved with._

_Mark said it himself, he doesn't use people. Why would he use you?_

She shook her head again. Experience taught her that everything Mark was doing was an act. She had seen it before and had even done it before. Then her thoughts started up again.

_That's because Cerberus taught you how to do it. That's how your father did it._

_You're comparing Mark with Cerberus and father? Might as well compare apples to hand grenades while you're at it._

_But…_

_Face it. The only reason you're so wound up about him is because he's the opposite of every opponent and every person you've encountered._

She walked back to her office, lost in her thoughts.

* * *

**Illium, Tasale System, Crescent Nebula**

I woke up the next morning to find out that we were within spitting distance of Illium. The crew was excited as this was the first 'civilized' world we had been to since we traveled to the Citadel. They were even more thrilled at the fact that they would be getting shore leave at one of Illium's most luxurious hotels.

_The crew deserved some time off, especially since we're going to be going after the Collectors once we get our final two recruits._

After getting cleaned up, I sat down at the table in the mess for breakfast. I was then joined by Garrus and Jacob.

"Hey guys." I said as they took their seats.

"Morning Mark." Jacob replied. He seemed cheery today. "I dunno about any of you guys but I can't wait to move my stuff into the Monaco."

"It's strange to think we'll be getting some shore leave here. I mean, we do have two more people to pick up." Garrus added.

"Yeah but we might as well enjoy it while we can. Who knows when we'll get another chance."

"I hear that." I replied. Miranda walked out of her room, wearing some casual clothing. She had on a silky purple, low cut shirt and black pants on, along with her heels.

"Hopefully the three of you won't get into trouble during our stay here." She said flatly.

"Who us?" I replied cheekily. Miranda just rolled her eyes.

"Of course we're going to get into trouble. Shepard's with us." Garrus said. I laughed.

"Funny Garrus." Shepard replied as he took a seat next to the turian. "So Mark, when are your packages showing up?"

"They should be there when we arrive." I replied.

"Seriously?" Shepard asked raising an eyebrow. "How do your contacts even know where we're going to dock?"

"It only makes sense to dock near the Monaco. The Monaco's located near the Nos Astra trading center and it's big enough to house the Normandy." I said.

"Sometimes your knowledge creeps me out." John replied.

I chuckled. "Same here."

I couldn't help but occasionally glance over at Miranda who was sitting next to me. She looked good…I mean really good.

"Attention everyone, we've officially docked on Illium. Thanks for flying Air Normandy. Don't forget to leave tips in the jar on the way out." Joker said over the intercom.

Everyone except Miranda laughed out loud.

"Well I should go see if my delivery is here." I said, getting up from the table.

"Yes. I have to check on something as well." Miranda added, as she followed me into the elevator. It was silent on the way up.

I didn't bother to say anything, she still seemed pissed off about something.

We both stepped off the elevator and headed for the airlock.

"Equalizing interior pressure with exterior conditions." Said EDI.

I looked over at Miranda again. "Are you gonna be alright?"

She glanced over at me. "I'll be fine. I'm an adult, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "If you say so."

The door opened up and revealed the docking bay. The hot air from Illium hit us as soon as we walked out of the airlock. Miranda walked off into the Nos Astra crowds and I looked around for my contact. On the right, I saw a familiar looking krogan standing next to a large crate. I walked over to the krogan.

"Are you Thor?" I asked.

The krogan stared at me. "Only if you're Ronin." He said with a smirk.

I nodded. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise. Don't know why we have to use codenames now." Said Thor.

"Security reasons. I take it this is my package?" I asked. The krogan nodded.

"All you have to do is sign for it." He said, passing me the datapad. I signed the pad and handed it back. I looked back at the Normandy and saw Shepard step out of the ship along with some crew members, Garrus, and Tali. Shepard was giving out various orders as the ship was getting new armor. The Hammerhead and Kodiak were taken out of the hold to make way for the refit and supplies.

"By the way, can you meet me at the Eternity Lounge? It's not too far from here. There's some intel I was asked to pass on." Said Thor.

"Sure. I'll see you in a bit." I replied as the krogan walked off. The crate was already on a hydro lift so I pushed it into the hangar bay. Two crewmen, Gordon and Allen, who spent most of their time hanging around the water cooler in the mess hall came out.

"Alright guys, in here are a couple of heavy weapons and some missiles. Just leave 'em here in the bay until I come back."

"You got it Mr. Sears." Said Gordon, giving me a quick salute. I walked out of the hangar deck and went to the Eternity lounge. I'd only been Illium twice but I knew where the place was. Eternity was a good place to just hang out and get a drink.

I walked in and saw 'Thor', wearing his black and navy colored armor.

"Well, well. If it isn't Mark Sears." He said.

"Nakmor Telal. Good to see you again." I replied, shaking his hand. I took a seat across from him as he slid me a beer.

"Don't worry, it's not ryncol." He said.

I chuckled. "Good. I don't want liver failure today." I took a drink and sat back.

"So how's the family?" I asked.

"Dad's doing fine. He's planning on forming a permanent alliance with Urdnot Wrex."

"That's good. Wrex is an old friend of mine." I replied.

Telal nodded. "He's a friend of my father's too. Of course with your intervention, it helped speed the process along."

I smirked. During the course of my Cerberus hunting mission, I had sent some weapons and credits to Wrex, who in turn was able to supply me with some allies. Telal was the son of Clan Nakmor's leader, who was the son of Nakmor Krall. Krall was one of the krogan's most powerful warlords, who fought legions of turians during the rebellions and won.

"So what intel did you have for me?" I asked. Telal pulled out a datapad.

"I got this from your friend Watson." I picked up the datapad and read it. Most of the information on it was about important people who were currently on Illium. Thane Krios, one of the galaxy's best assassins was rumored to be on Illium. An asari Justicar by the name of Samara was also on Illium. Finding her might be easier than finding Thane. There was one other piece of information I found, that was…interesting, to say the least.

_The missing daughter of multi-billionaire Henry Lawson, founder and CEO of the galactic investment firm Sydney Initiative, has been located on Illium. Current alias: Oriana Solheim. Eclipse mercenaries are preparing to capture Oriana Lawson within the next 48 hours._

I tapped my chin as I read over this bit of information. _Why is that name so familiar?_

I thought back to my little prank on Miranda. When I changed the password on her computer. Then it hit me.

_Her password was Oriana…No…Miranda's sister? She has a sister?_

"You alright Mark?" Telal asked.

"I'm fine. There's…there's someone I have to show this to." I said.

"Alright. Well, it was good seeing you again." He replied, finishing off his glass of ryncol. "I'm heading back home. My dad wants me to be at the neutral ground on Tuchanka, help our ambassador with the talks."

"You got it man. I'll see you around." I said, shaking his hand as the large krogan walked off.

He might be young but he's a tough bastard.

I headed back to the ship as fast as I could. Kasumi was loitering around as the crew started to get ready for leave and take the armor plating off.

"Kasumi, have you seen Miranda?" I asked.

"No. I haven't seen her since this morning." She replied.

"Damn." I looked around and went into the ship. "EDI, do you know where Miranda is?"

"I am sorry Mr. Sears. Operative Lawson has restricted me from disclosing her location. All she has told me is that she would return to the ship later for her belongings." EDI replied.

I slapped the wall. I hope she didn't run off already.

I went up to the armory to get my equipment together.

_She didn't even have any weapons or armor on her._

As I walked out of the airlock, I saw Miranda briskly walking towards the ship.

"Miranda, I need to talk to you." I said.

"Not now." She replied back.

"It's about your sister."

She stopped in her tracks and walked up to me. Miranda grabbed me by the shirt collar and shoved me up against the wall. "What did you do you bastard?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Liar."

"I didn't even know that you had a sister." I replied. "Look…" I pulled out the datapad from my pocket.

She read over the information I had.

"Why would I lie about something that I just found out?" I asked her. Miranda gave me the datapad back and looked at me.

"I-I'm sorry. I just want to help her." She replied softly.

"I want to help her too." I said. Miranda gave me a surprised look.

"Why?"

"It's what I do for a living. I've seen enough cases like this in my time. But…she's your sister. If you don't want me to help, just say the word."

She stared at me. I swear I saw the faintest hint of tears forming before she gave me a grin.

"Could you help me?" she asked.

"Of course I can." I replied with a grin of my own.

"Okay. I just…need to get my things." She said. "Do you know where Shepard is?"

"Commander Shepard has just returned from Liara T'soni's office. I have told him to meet up with you and Mr. Sears." EDI said.

"Thank you, EDI." Miranda replied. "Well, I'll…I'll meet you back here okay?"

"Sure. I won't go anywhere." I said. She gave me another small smile before going into the ship.

_Well, that went better than I expected._

* * *

Miranda, Shepard, and I walked into the Eternity lounge and navigated our way through the crowds. The night crowds were starting to come in; people just getting off from work, looking for a good time. Miranda's contact Lanteia would be meeting us in a private lounge. In order to avoid any suspicion, we carried our gear in some duffel bags and left the heavy weapons behind.

It was a little difficult for me to navigate through the crowd as various asari would start dancing up to me, asking me if I wanted a drink or they just started to grind on my legs.

"God damn it! Not again!" Miranda yelled out as I was stuck between four asari.

John did his best to avoid bursting out laughing and helped drag me along.

"Sorry ladies! Maybe later!" I yelled, as John dragged me into the private lounge.

"Whew. That was intense." I said as Shepard shook his head, smirking at me.

_Miranda's contact is an asari…please don't be attracted to me…_

"Ms. Lawson." She said greeting Miranda before glancing at Shepard and I.

"It's alright, Lanteia. They're with me." Miranda said.

Lanteia nodded. "Who's your sexy friend? The one with the glasses."

My eyes shot up to the ceiling. _Goddamn karma._

"Lanteia…" Miranda sighed.

"Sorry Ms. Lawson. There's been a complication." She said, averting her gaze from me back to Miranda.

"What happened? Is Oriana alright?"

"She's fine. But…you listed a man named Niket as your trusted source. He contacted me, warning that your father sent Eclipse mercenaries to make a sweep." Lanteia said.

Shepard turned to Miranda. "Who's Niket?"

"He's a friend. We go way back…" she replied.

"Do you want me to bring in any of your other Illium contacts, Ms. Lawson?" Lanteia asked.

Miranda shook her head. "No. You and Niket are the only ones I trust on this."

"How do you want to do this Miranda?" Shepard asked.

"We'll follow Niket's suggestion. We take a car and get the mercenary's attention. Have Niket escort the family to the shuttle and give him full access to the family's itinerary, just to be safe." Miranda said.

"Understood, Ms. Lawson." Replied Lanteia, who glanced at me again before walking out of the room to get us a car.

"So the plan is for us to get shot down by Eclipse while your sister gets to safety?" Shepard asked.

"Eclipse will be under orders to take her alive. They won't risk anything to kill us, not until they get her." Miranda answered.

"I guess we're drawing first blood then." I blurted out.

"Not yet." Miranda said. "Thanks for this guys. I hadn't planned on Eclipse, but they hadn't planned on both of you."

We followed Miranda and Lanteia to a nearby carport where we got into our armor. Lanteia was flirting with me the entire time, which seemed to agitate Miranda. So Lanteia just did it silently. Once we were ready, we got into the car and sped off to the Nos Astra transport terminal.

* * *

**Nos Astra Spaceport**

I started to check my weapons as we sped towards the terminal.

"All set Mark?" Shepard asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm trying to piece this whole thing together from a tactical stand point."

"What do you think?"

"They'll touch down in the cargo terminal. It's out of the way, not a whole lot of employees milling about as its mostly automated. They shut down the systems and cause delays. But they won't be dumb enough to go straight at the passenger terminal; cops cover transportation hubs like a wet paper bag." I answered. "We'll make it."

"You're underestimating Eclipse. My father will have hired the best." Miranda shot back.

"If he's hired Eclipse then he's really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Just because they dominate Illium doesn't mean they're the best. The three people sitting in this car can call themselves the best because we've saved the Council, destroyed giant AI dreadnaughts, and killed crazy Spectres." I replied.

John let out a small laugh.

"I've only done one of those things." Miranda muttered.

"Still means you're part of the club." I said.

"Thanks." She replied flatly.

"Heads up on our nine. A61 gunships with Eclipse logos." Shepard said. "Drop us behind that container." He added, pointing at an area below us.

"Let's hope they do want to take us alive." Miranda said, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Maybe we should toss them some credits." I muttered.

The mercs opened fire on our car as we dropped it down. Then they suddenly stopped firing.

I pulled my recon hood on. "Game time."

The three of us walked up to the Eclipse mercs. Only one of them had tech armor on and was signaling the others.

_Probably in charge._

"Since you're not firing, I trust you know who I am." Miranda said.

"Yeah. They said you were coming. You're the bitch that kidnapped our boss' little girl." The merc in tech armor said.

"Kidnapped? This doesn't involve you, I suggest you take your men and go." Miranda shot back at the merc. He looked unimpressed.

"You think you've got it all lined up huh? Captain Enyala's already moving on the kid and she knows about Niket. He won't be helping you." Said the Eclipse merc.

_Uh oh. This just got a little more complicated._

"What do you mean he won't be helping us?" Shepard asked angrily.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Nobody's going to get killed unless you do something stupid." He replied. "You walk away now, the girl goes back to her father. Everyone's happy."

"Everybody but my sister…and me." Miranda said bitterly.

"You've got one chance to leave. I suggest you take it." Shepard threatened.

The merc simply folded his arms. "Captain Enyala ordered us to give you one chance to walk away. But this whole time we've been talking, my men have been lining up shots." He walked up to Shepard. "When I say the word, we unleash hell on your squad. So I suggest you walk away nicely, unless—"

He was cut off as Shepard grabbed him and broke his neck. Miranda fired on the merc next to their leader and I pulled out my assault rifle and shot another. John casually pulled out his pistol and fired on a crane holding a large fuel container. The crane dropped the container on the Eclipse reinforcements and exploded, killing their back up.

"Cover now!" Shepard yelled. The three of us dove behind crates and flatbed trucks. I poked out from the crate I was hiding behind, waiting for a merc to pop out. A salarian engineer jumped out from behind a crate and right into my line of fire.

Two more Eclipse mercs rounded a corner, firing as they ran. Both of them had missile launchers and both of them were gunned down by Shepard and Miranda.

Miranda had seemingly charged forward, with Shepard chasing her. She was more stressed out than we had ever seen her. I checked the area to make sure there were no other threats and went around the corner where Shepard and Miranda were.

Of course, I had a small obstacle; the large fire from the destroyed fuel container.

"God damn it." I muttered. Through the fire, I heard Shepard and Miranda calling out positions, trying to kill a lone Eclipse merc hiding behind a flatbed truck. I could barely make out the merc's armor through the fire, but I saw the yellow flash near the passenger side window of the truck. I switched to the sniper rifle and timed my shot.

"Gotcha." I said as I pulled the trigger. The blood splatter against the far wall along with the slumping body confirmed my kill.

"Mark?" Shepard yelled out.

"I'm on the other side of the fire. One sec." I said as I walked through the flames. Truth be told, it wasn't as bad as it sounded. My armor was built to withstand the harsh elements, even fire. I couldn't walk on a star or inside a furnace, but something like this was fine.

"Well that's one way to make an entrance." Shepard said with a smirk.

I shrugged. "Its just fire."

Miranda was inspecting one of the Eclipse radios.

"Team four? Team four do you read?" came the frantic message from the radio.

"Hold on." She said as Shepard opened the elevator doors. "I've got one of their radios. I'll patch us in, see if I can get an idea of what we're up against."

Miranda turned around and approached us. "Shepard. I think I owe you an explanation. Oriana is my twin, genetically. But my father…grew her when I was a teenager. She was meant to replace me. I couldn't let my father do to her what he did to me. So I rescued her. She's almost a woman now."

_Woah. Did not know that._

"Why didn't you tell me we were saving a kid?" Shepard asked.

"She's not a child, she'll be 19 this year. But…well it didn't seem relevant at the time, I suppose." She replied.

Miranda had an angry expression on her face. "There are people who would use her against me. I'm very protective when it comes to Oriana."

"No kidding." I muttered.

"I'm sorry I didn't trust you sooner. You deserved to know."

The three of us stepped inside the elevator. "I understand going your own way but…you took a child." Shepard said, the sound of confusion in his voice.

"If you knew my father you would understand. I wasn't the first one he made only the first one he kept." Miranda shot back.

"Son of a bitch…" I said shaking my head.

"I don't know what happened to the others…" she began to say. "I don't know how many there were before me."

Miranda looked down at the ground solemnly. "I was brought up with no friends, pushed to meet impossible demands. I wasn't a daughter to him. I was…I don't know what I was."

She looked back up at us. "Oriana has had a normal life, a happy life. I made the right decision."

"You sure did." I agreed. She glanced over at me before pressing the floor control.

"If Eclipse knows about Oriana, they'll be moving in on her soon. I'm a little worried about what the merc said." Miranda said looking at the floor indicator.

"About Niket?" I asked.

She nodded. "If they got to him somehow, this is going to be harder than I expected."

"What do you think Mark?" Shepard asked.

I shook my head. "Dealing with Eclipse isn't what's worrying me. There's something else…I don't know what it is, but I got weird feeling."

Shepard nodded. "Alright. Let's stay sharp."

"According to the specs I reviewed, we need to cut through a cargo processing yard to get to Oriana." Miranda said. "Expect blind corners, ambush points, and anything of the sort. There's also some hazardous materials that are shipped through the port so watch your shots."

"You got it." Shepard replied.

"Sure thing." I said.

* * *

We slowly crept into the cargo processing yard with no signs of the Eclipse in here. As we moved in closer, a squad of five mercs were grouped around several crates.

"They're on the far side of the conveyor line. Time your shots." Miranda said.

"I've got an idea." I said.

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

"I'll use my cloak, get in close and put a charge on that fuel containment cell."

We both looked at Miranda, who raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead." She replied. I switched to my pistol and activated my tactical cloak. The mercs were too busy having a conversation over paychecks and why the boss was being such a hard ass. As I made my way over, I saw not one but two fuel cells and put charges on both of them.

I ducked behind a crate and detonated both of them. The mercs were either burned alive or killed in the blast.

"All clear Shepard." I said.

"Great job."

I switched back to my assault rifle and we jogged through various open containers and into another area of the yard. This time, they had LOKI mechs out.

The three of us got behind a wall and fired at the mechs and gradually made our way forward. On our right was another squad of Eclipse mercs, unloading everything they had on us.

"Heavy on our right!" I yelled out as the merc fired a missile at us. Shepard hit the merc with a quick burst of his Mattock, dropping her. Miranda moved up as well, using her biotics with deadly effect, throwing two of them into a container with a sickening crunch.

"Damn." Shepard muttered.

"I'd pay some serious money to never hear that sound again." I added.

Miranda snorted. "Then you can do it when this is over."

"Hah!" I replied.

After finishing off the mercs we took a left, cutting through more containers.

"Divert everyone except my guard from Niket. I'll handle him and the kid personally." Enyala ordered over the radio.

"Damn it! I'm not letting them get Oriana!" Miranda said angrily.

"That won't happen. Not on our watch." I replied.

More mechs and Eclipse engaged us through a hallway that led to another conveyor line.

"Hold up." I said.

"What?" asked Miranda.

"I count four in front of us on thermals. An engineer in the back another on the left accompanied by a heavy." I replied.

"Can you take them Mark?" Shepard asked me.

"I can take the engineer in the back. The ones on the left are all yours." I said.

Shepard nodded as he and Miranda moved into position. "Whenever your ready."

I pulled the trigger and watched the salarian engineer's head blow up in a puff of green blood. Shepard and Miranda engaged the other two mercs and killed them. Miranda tossed an overload mine at another fuel cell, killing another Eclipse mercenary. A squad on our left came out guns blazing and we engaged them as well. Most of them were vanguards and engineers.

"Shutting 'em down!" I yelled out as I tossed a damping mine. The lone engineer and vanguard writhed in pain from the mine while Shepard and Miranda finished them off.

We approached a larger cargo area littered with crates; the elevator leading to the terminals was nearby.

"Eclipse operatives have attempted to delay you by disabling the elevators. I am overriding their lockdown now." EDI said to us.

"Thanks EDI." I replied. "She's a real sweetheart."

"Thank you Mr. Sears." She replied back.

The three of us looked at each other.

"Okay…did not know she was monitoring that closely." I muttered. The elevator opened up, as more Eclipse mercs funneled out. We had the advantage as they ran right into our crosshairs. It was a massacre.

When the last merc fell, Enyala came over the radio again.

"Niket has reached the terminal. He'll switch the family over to our transport."

I glanced over at Miranda and saw her eyes go wide.

"Niket? But…that can't be right." She said softly. The three of us got inside the elevator.

She walked up to the panel and pressed the button that would take us to the top level, Dock 94.

"Maybe…maybe she knows we're listening in and she's feeding us false information about Niket to throw us off." Miranda said, thinking aloud. "Or maybe it means something else."

She looked at control panel, seeing the lift make a slow ascent to the top. "Damn it why won't this thing go any faster?"

Miranda hit the panel with her omni-tool activated, causing the lift to ascend even faster to the top.

"Did Niket know that you took Oriana from your father?" Shepard asked Miranda.

She shook her head. "No. He just found out about that recently. It was too personal to involve someone else." She replied.

"Wait…'just found out'?" I asked. "Oh crap…"

Miranda looked me. "No. He'd have to understand why I did it. He knows what I went through."

Shepard bit his lip. "Well, we won't know anything until we find Niket."

"And then I'll have a word with this Captain Enyala." She replied coldly.

"That'll be fun. By word you probably mean, beat her to death with her own limbs I bet." I blurted out.

Miranda was busy looking at the panel, but I swear I saw the faintest of smiles form on the side of her cheek.

* * *

When the doors opened, my theory was right. There was Niket, standing next to the asari captain Enyala.

_Oh crap._

I couldn't tell by looking at Miranda, but suddenly it just felt a lot colder in here.

"Miri." Niket said, the look of shock on his face.

"This should be fun." Enyala said, getting off the crate she was sitting on and pulling out her shotgun. The three of us already had our weapons drawn. Glanced off in the distance and saw a rather large fuel cell hovering over the lift where six mercs were standing. I turned off my omni-tool's exterior display and flicked an overload mine at the fuel cell.

The transport officer was about to make a run for it but was shot in the back by Enyala.

"Niket. You sold me out." Miranda angrily said.

"No, no. It isn't like that." Niket responded holding his hands up.

"Shut up." She shot back. "Why Niket? You were my friend. You helped me get away from my father."

"Yes! Because you wanted to leave. That was your choice! But if I had known that you stole a baby-"

"I didn't steal her I rescued her!" Miranda shouted at him.

"From a life of wealth and happiness? You weren't saving her, you were getting back at your father!" replied Niket.

_This guy is a goddamn idiot._

"How did Miranda's father turn you?" Shepard asked.

"They told me that you kidnapped your baby sister all those years ago. They said I could help get her back peacefully. No trauma to the family. I told them that you'd never do that. That they could go to hell." Niket answered. His tone got darker. "Then you finally told me what you'd done. I called them back that night."

"Why didn't you call me Niket? We've been through a lot. You could've waited for me to explain." Miranda shot back.

"I deserved to know that you'd stolen your sister Miri. I deserved to know that you were with Cerberus. But I had to hear it from your father first."

"Since when did you _deserve_ to know?" Miranda spat back at him.

"How much did Miranda's father pay you?" Shepard asked.

"A great deal."

"Damn it Niket! You were the only one I trusted from that life!"

"He knew you felt that way. That's why he bought me."

"So you just took his money." She replied angrily.

"Don't get holy with me Miri. You took his money for years." He said.

"And I threw it back in his face when I left. You're just a damned coward!" Miranda shot back.

"You sir, are the dumbest son of a bitch to have ever lived." I said.

Niket glanced over at me.

"You'd think that after all of these years of knowing Miranda you'd know what her father is like and what he does to his children. But no…it's all about you! It's all about some infant that could have had a shot at having wealth and happiness and some billionaire crackpot of a father." I gave my little statement in the most sarcastic tone ever given.

He stared daggers at me. "What the hell do you know?"

"More than you apparently. Here's another thing I know: I know that I'm not leaving in a body bag." I shot back darkly.

"If Niket knows about your sister, then your father does too. Relocating her won't work." Shepard said.

Niket looked at the ground. "Miranda's father has no information about Oriana. I knew you had spy programs in your father's system, so I kept it private. I'm the only one who knows."

Miranda narrowed her eyes. "Which means that you're the only loose end. This isn't how I wanted it to end Niket. I'm going to miss you…"

_I don't think so._

I reached out and grabbed Miranda's arm. "Miranda! Wait! You don't want to do this."

She twisted her arm away. "This has to end here Mark. My father will keep trying to find Oriana."

"Maybe genius over here can help…talk to your father. Just say you got here first." I suggested.

"I'll…I'll tell him that you hid her. That I don't know where she is." He said weakly.

Miranda pointed at him. "I never want to see you again Nik…"

Her words were cut off by the shotgun blast that hit him in the back.

"Done. Now if you don't mind, I have a shipment to deliver." Enyala said flatly.

Miranda was enraged now. She used her biotics to lift Enyala up and then threw her the length of the dock.

Before the rest of the mercs sprung into action, I detonated the mine on the fuel cell, killing the reinforcements and leaving Shepard and I to deal with the five mercs. Miranda sprinted off, looking for Enyala.

"Well shit John. Five of them versus the two of us." I cheekily said.

"It's just not fair." He replied as the two of us engaged the last of the Eclipse mercs.

I sniped one while another one tried to rush John, who simply shot him in the head. One of their engineers tried to use a drone on us.

"See if you like this!" yelled out the salarian engineer.

"Hate it. This is better." I replied, throwing a damping mine at him, causing him to seize up. I switched to my pistol and walked up to him, putting a round through his head. Shepard finished up the last of the mercs while we looked around for Miranda.

She was behind some crates, engaging Enyala in a hand-to-hand battle. I watched Miranda mercilessly pound the hell out of the Eclipse leader with everything she had.

_Good thing I never tried to escape the Lazarus station when she was watching me._

Miranda landed a massive biotic punch on Enyala, killing her instantly.

"Eeesh. Messy." I said as Miranda slowly got up and walked away from her corpse.

"You alright?" I asked her.

Miranda panted. "Fine. Come on."

Shepard and I followed her into the elevator, but not before I picked up an interesting looking locket.

Shepard pressed the button for the top floor as Miranda faced away from us.

"I can't believe Niket sole me out. I didn't even see it coming…"

"It doesn't matter how modified you are or how perfect you're supposed to be. You're human, like us." Shepard said.

"But I let it get personal and I screwed up." She replied. Miranda turned to me next. "Why didn't you let me kill him? I could have handled that. But watching him get gunned down by that asari bitch…"

"I didn't want his death to be on your conscience. Even if he did do something stupid, you still cared about him." I said as I pulled off my recon hood.

Miranda nodded slowly. "You're right. And my father used it against me. He used that against me."

She snorted. "It's always been like this. My father gave me everything I wanted, but there was always a hook, an angle for his long-term plan. I threw away everything he ever gave me when I ran. Except Niket. Weakness on my part."

"You can't toss aside everything you care about just to be safe." I replied.

"I know. It's okay. My father hurt me, but he didn't break me." She took a deep breath and looked right at me. "As much as he tried to turn me into exactly what he wanted…I'm my own person. That isn't going to change."

"Don't forget your sister. You still have Oriana." Shepard said.

"Yes…you're right. I still have something. Thank you."

* * *

Despite the chaos that ensued in the cargo area, the passenger terminals were absolutely peaceful. Which was a good thing because I was tired of running around a maze of crates. We searched around the terminal, looking for Miranda's sister. That's when I spotted her.

She looked just like Miranda. Younger, but still looked like Miranda.

_It's like looking into some kind of sexy mirror._

"No sign of Eclipse. Looks like we're clear." Miranda said.

Shepard and I were looking at Oriana and her family, as was Miranda.

"There she is. She's safe…with her family." Miranda said softly. She closed her eyes and looked down ever so slightly.

Looking back at her family somehow brought me back to a memory of my own family.

My thought was interrupted by Miranda. "Come on. We should go."

"Wait, what?" I asked incredulously.

"I want to do what's right for her. The less she knows about me the better. She's got a family. A life. I'll just complicate that for her."

I folded my arms and shook my head. "Miranda…that's the worst cop out I've ever heard."

Her eyes widened.

"She's your sister and you love her. Oriana doesn't need to know any serious details but…would it be so bad for her to know that she has an older sister that loves her?"

She gave me a smile and looked back at Oriana. "I guess not…"

"Go ahead. The two of us will wait here." I said. She smiled even more and walked off to go meet her sister.

I leaned against a railing with Shepard and looked up at the night sky.

"Mark, I never seen you go all out for someone that hasn't liked you since day one." Shepard said to me.

"I'm a private investigator. Helping people is what I do." I replied nonchalantly.

John chuckled. "Uh huh. Call me crazy but I think you like Miranda."

"You're crazy and the two of us have been making amends as of late." I said.

"I'm glad. Being on a ship full of paranoid people is not healthy."

"Agreed." I replied as I looked over at Miranda and her sister. Oriana looked over at us and I gave her a small wave.

"I saw those new weapons you got for us." John said to me. "God damn amazing."

"They are now that I provided instruction manuals. Can't have the CO blow himself up now."

John laughed again and hit me in the arm.

* * *

"So, are we ever going to see each other again?" Oriana asked.

"I…I hope so. We have a dangerous mission ahead of us but, I'm confident in Shepard's abilities. He'll get us through." Miranda said.

Oriana tilted her head to look past her older sister. "I see Shepard but…who's the hot, rugged looking guy next to him."

Miranda's eyes widened. "What?"

Oriana chuckle. "I just want to know who he is sis."

She rolled her eyes and noticed that Mark was waving at Oriana. "That's Mark Sears."

Her younger sister waved back. "I like him. He might be a little older but there's nothing wrong with that…"

"Oriana!" Miranda snapped.

"Oh I'm kidding sis. You had this look in your eyes that you like him."

"I do not."

"Do too. He's a rugged adventurer and you're the ship's second in command. That would make a nice romance vid." Oriana replied.

Miranda shook her head. "I can't believe I'm getting teased by my own sister."

They both giggled.

"I've heard a lot about Shepard. If the things they say about him are true, you'll be fine. But sis, please be careful."

"I will Oriana." Miranda replied. Her younger sister gave her a big hug.

"I hope we'll have more chances to see each other again." Oriana said.

"Me too." Miranda replied as Oriana waved goodbye as she got onto the transport with her family.

Miranda walked back, blinking back a few tears as she headed for the elevator. The three of them took the elevator down and the tears continued to flow. Miranda suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Mark, giving her a smile.

She didn't want him to take his hand off. It felt as though all was well in the galaxy for that split second.

* * *

_Aww wasn't that nice? The next chapter might take a turn for the surprising...wait and see folks!_

_Anyhoo, I might as well add that I don't own Seinfeld or The Simpsons. If you noticed those jokes, then you know._

_Telal- Sumerian for Wicked Demon Warrior_

_(edited: 5/11/12)_


	22. Interlude 5

_Author's note: Here's a brief little update for you. Probably one of the shortest chapters I've done in awhile, but its an interlude. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! (Edited: 5/11/12)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Illium, Tasale System, Crescent Nebula**

Miranda, Shepard, and I made our way back to the Monaco Hotel. We got a few cursory glances from some passersby; we were carrying weapons and wearing body armor after all. It wasn't all that unusual for some people, mercenaries, private security, and police officers all wore it. Maybe it was because we had some unique armor on.

Shepard let out a tired sigh. "I hate giving police reports."

"I don't remember you ever having to give a police report." I replied.

John rolled his eyes. "Reports in general."

"Why do you think I'm a private investigator? No paperwork, no problems." I said cheekily.

"I should have gotten into your line of work." Said John.

"Yeah but you've got Spectre privileges. You say those two words and no one will fuck with you."

"Best part of the job." He replied.

Miranda was silent for most of the walk back to the hotel. I didn't blame her. Meeting a sister, an identical twin sister that she saved from her father years ago must have been something. I was a little surprised my pep talk actually worked on her.

_Maybe she's warming up to me after all._

At the same time, part of me was starting to warm up to her as well. I don't know what it was but this whole ordeal with her sister just made her seem…human. I think she kept glancing over at me on the way over. Of course, I didn't mind. I was doing the same thing.

"Ah here we are, the Monaco Hotel." Miranda said as we walked up to the front door.

"Ooh…fancy." I replied.

"Our reservations have already been taken care of." She said. "I even had our things sent to our rooms."

"Sweet." I blurted out. Miranda chuckled as we walked into the elevator.

"Well, I'd head to my room but there's a few things I have to take care of on the Normandy." Shepard said as he walked off. "Try to behave you two." He added as the elevator doors closed.

"What did he mean by that?" Miranda asked incredulously.

I laughed.

"Oh god." She groaned, putting her hand up to her forehead.

"Good times." I said with a smirk. Miranda rolled her eyes but was grinning all the same.

"Shepard doesn't think that we…" she started.

"That we're…what?" I asked playfully.

"Forget it." She replied annoyed.

"Eh, he's just messing with me." I said. "Friends tend to do that."

Miranda sighed and shook her head. As the elevator stopped, we got out and headed for our rooms.

"So, which one is mine?" I asked.

"Room 204 is yours. Here." Miranda replied, giving me the room key.

"Thanks. Where are you staying?"

"206." She replied.

"Huh…right next door." I said.

"Yep." Miranda muttered. The two of us stood in front of my room.

I swiped the key at the door and was about to step in.

"Mark…" Miranda said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you…for helping me find my sister. I couldn't have done it without you." She said with a smile.

"You're welcome. I was glad to help out." I replied. We stared at each other for some time.

"Good night, Mark."

"Night Miranda."

She walked away, heading toward her room. I turned and went into mine.

Even if this was a standard room, it was more luxurious than any other hotel I had been in. It had two separate rooms, a bedroom with a bathroom and the living room. One of the connecting areas between the two was a small outdoor porch with a view of the city.

"Hell of a view." I said to myself. I took my armor and weapons off and put them into my bag. I did a quick bug sweep and found nothing. If there was anything I knew about hotels like this, there was a good chance the paparazzi or some intelligence agencies would leave some bugs around. Famous celebrities or criminals might be staying in any room, hence they were all bugged but only before the arrival of said persons.

_You can never be too sure…privacy guaranteed my ass._

I grabbed the bag with my weapons and armor along with my clothes and other personal belongings and went into the bedroom.

"Big bed."

I dropped the bags and opened the bag with my belongings. I grabbed some sweatpants and went into the bathroom to change. At first, I wanted to check my email but was too tired to bother with it.

_There's always the morning…_

* * *

Miranda strolled into her room, feeling more happy than she had ever felt in her life. She changed out of her armor and tossed her weapons into a bag. In an uncharacteristic move, she walked into the bedroom and leapt onto the bed. This was a feeling that she never wanted to leave her. Miranda had met the infant sister she had saved so many years ago and loved every second of their meeting. Oriana was like her in so many ways, but was also different. She had a great sense of humor, something Miranda didn't really have.

She was grateful to Shepard for his help and his willingness to let Miranda take the reigns for the mission. There was one person though that she was even more grateful to: Mark. He had surprised her in more ways than one. Not only was he going to tell her about her sister's kidnapping, but he was more than willing to help. Mark came through…for her. It was something that kept her in disbelief. Miranda had never met someone that was so honest and so selfless before. At the same time, he annoyed her to no end with his odd pranks and his blatant attempts to make her angry. Thinking back, he was doing it all in good humor.

She lay back in bed and just smiled.

_He did all of that for me…_

Miranda got out of bed and undressed before slipping under the covers.

As she started drifting off, Miranda started to have some vivid dreams…all of which involved her and Mark.

Miranda shot up, breathing heavily. "What the hell?"

_Maybe Oriana was right…maybe I do…like him._

She laid back in bed and went back to whatever random dreams she had.

* * *

**The Monaco, Illium**

Waking up the next morning, I felt pretty good. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it might have had something to do with all of those random dreams involving Miranda. They were all a little…interesting.

_I should probably stop thinking about those…I do have a girlfriend after all._

Speaking of Eviana, I should probably check my messages. I pulled my terminal out of my bag and opened it up.

_Two messages. One from Eviana and one from Murph._

I opened Eviana's email. There was no title to it, but from the first three words, I knew something was wrong.

_My Dearest Mark,_

_There is no easy way for me to say this but…I can't let this drag out. Mark…I'm seeing someone else. He is the turian that I had trained. He became a Spectre recently and…Lucius reminds me of you so much. I know you're probably angry and you may never forgive me but there was never going to be a happy ending for us. We never saw each other often. I can only wish you a happy and rich life._

_-Eviana_

I stared at the screen for a long time, tears slowly streaming down my eyes. I slammed the screen shut and wept. I'd dealt with breakups before but this was a whole new territory. I had never been cheated on. My hands shook, trembling out of rage and sorrow. I was simply shocked. I sat on my bed for some time, letting it all out.

When I finally pulled myself together after my shower, I decided against going to the Normandy to start working on the Kodiak. I had other plans.

* * *

I walked briskly to the Eternity lounge. Sure it was only mid morning but I needed a drink. Or in my case, I needed several. The club itself was fairly empty, a few employees cleaning up the place or getting ready for the afternoon crowd. I walked up to the bar and sat on a stool.

"Morning hun. We usually don't get customers this early." Said the asari bartender.

"Yeah…" I replied softly.

"Can I get you anything kid?" she asked.

"Scotch if you have it." I replied. She nodded and poured me a glass. I grabbed it and downed it instantly. The bartender poured another to which I shot back.

"Damn." She said. "Rough morning I take it?"

I nodded. The bartender refilled the glass and I fired it down again.

She looked at me for a second rubbing her chin. "I hate to pry but you look like you lost someone you cared about."

I sighed. "You would be right."

"Girlfriend?"

I raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"I've seen that look from thousands of people before you kid. Trust me."

"I'll take your word for it." I replied. "I'll have another."

Instead the bartender pulled out something else. "This is a little mix I make for anyone that's lost their partner. It's guaranteed to get you hammered and not have a hangover later. Give it a try."

I took the glass and drank it. "Hmm. That's not bad."

"So…what happened?" the bartender asked leaning closer.

"She cheated on me…with a newly christened turian Spectre." I replied bitterly.

"Ouch. Sorry to hear that. Was she an asari?"

I nodded.

"I hope that won't turn you off of us. I saw you in here the other night, never seen so many asari attracted to one human before." She replied.

I chuckled. "It's been like that for a long time. Had an awkward experience with an asari one time. Since then, they all want me. Sounds crazy but you saw it first hand."

She smirked. "Yeah I think I can see why."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can?"

"Yep. You've got some aura around you kid. I can't explain it but its there." She replied.

I let out a short laugh. "So, what's your name?"

"Aethyta. Asari matriarch and bartender. You?"

"Mark Sears. Private Investigator." I replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you kid."

"Likewise." I said. "So, you're a matriarch?"

"Yep." She said with a grin. "I've seen it all. Dad was a krogan that fought in the rachni wars and my mom fought in the krogan rebellions."

"Dang." I replied, taking another drink. "What was your dad like?"

"He always liked to show off his scars and talk about stomping a rachni queen into muck on some poisonous world."

"Sounds like a badass." I replied. "I don't really need to show off my scar as its on my face."

Aethyta chuckled. "That's true. Krogan think they're sexy. Me? I go for asses."

"Not gonna argue that." I said. "What was your mother like?"

"Mom stayed quiet, though she would pull out the commando leathers for special nights with dad. Goddess that was embarrassing."

I laughed. "I got that treatment once. Hell of a thing."

"Been there, done that kid." She replied.

"So if your mother fought in the rebellions…" I started as Aethyta nodded.

"She was almost a thousand when the truth came out. I was a hundred, dancing my ass off in some sleazy bar when they called. Said they were gonna have it out and that I would have to love whichever one survived. Turned out to be damn easy since neither of them did. Family huh, what a kick in the quad?"

I nodded. "I know. Lost mine when I was 13. Lived on Mindoir."

"I'm sorry to hear that." She replied softly.

I held my hand up. "It's alright."

We were quiet for a while as I downed another shot. "If you're a matriarch, why are you here at a bar?"

"I left Thessia when they no longer wanted to hear my wise counsel." She replied.

"What didn't they want to hear?"

"That art and philosophy weren't going to cut it. We needed to get our daughters working earlier, not stripping or in merc bands. When I suggested that we start building mass relays ourselves, they laughed the blue off my ass so now I serve drinks." Aethyta replied bitterly.

"They sound like a bunch of short sighted idiots. Besides, I've seen a constructed mass relay on the Citadel, the Conduit. People can do anything if they put their minds to it." I said.

"That's true. I didn't know the Conduit was constructed there, always thought it was a statue." She said.

"The Protheans built it as a back door. I found that out when I was with my friend John Shepard." I replied.

Aethyta leaned in. "You're friends with Commander Shepard?"

I smirked and nodded.

"I hear that he's alive." She replied. "That he even walked in here last night." Aethyta said with a small amount of humor in her voice.

"So you _were_ watching us last night." I said.

"He looks hotter in person." She replied. "You're not so bad yourself."

I chuckled. "Thanks."

"Want me to show you a good time?" she asked in a very sensual tone.

"Uh…"

Aethyta laughed and held her hands up. "Kidding. You've probably gotten that a lot since showing up here I bet."

I sighed. "Every ten seconds."

"Scientists say we don't get any of the father traits but I got his mouth…and his libido."

"I bet you made some lucky guy or gal happy." I said with a smirk.

"Oh yeah. I've been with a turian, elcor, hanar. Even had a pureblood daughter, I was the father."

"Dang." I said, taking another drink. "What's it like, living for a thousand years?"

"Violent." Aethyta said simply. "Wars break out. You hear good things on occasion like that colony on Feros surviving. I bet you were there too."

I smiled. "I was. Not much of a vacation spot but, not bad."

"If it weren't for you humans, we would have bought it at the Citadel. Were you there too?"

"Yep…but I was co-piloting my friend's ship." I replied.

"Hard to believe a girl would cut ties with a guy as interesting as you." She said.

"She was a Spectre. Met her on Thessia when I was on a job." I replied.

"Damn kid. What did you do to attract her attention?"

"Ever heard of the Vogel Corporation?" I asked her.

"Yeah…wait a minute. That was you?" Aethyta asked.

I nodded and chuckled.

"You do get around kid. I remember seeing it on the vids. I can't believe you jumped off the building."

"That was the easy part. The hard part was trying to line up with the walkway next to the river. The crosswinds were brutal." I replied.

Aethyta shook her head. "You're all right kid. You ever want to come around for a drink or a screw when I get out of work, feel free."

My eyes widened. "Uh sure."

She laughed. "Yeah I can see why asari like you."

I shook my head and had another drink.

* * *

**Normandy Docking Bay**

Miranda woke up after a very pleasant rest. Most of it was attributed to her relief that her sister was safe and in the clear. Everything else involved were some fairly 'colorful' dreams involving her and Mark. She headed for the Normandy as there was some work to be done. The crew was gradually beginning to move out of the ship and into the hotel while the armor plating was being stripped off for the new Silaris armor. The new main gun and missile launchers were going to be installed today. The Kodiak was to be outfitted with the ground attack package that Mark had gotten.

_He's done so much for us already._

Some of the squad were out and about. Kasumi was out shopping. Jacob was helping out with the ship's weapons installation along with Garrus. Jack was sitting on some crates reading a datapad and Grunt was helping the crew do some heavy lifting. Tali and Mordin were discussing something about the engines. Finally, Shepard and Zaeed were going over the final details for ammo to pick up.

The only person missing was Mark. Miranda walked up to Shepard as Zaeed headed out.

"Shepard, have you seen Mark?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. Haven't seen him since last night. I thought he would be here by now."

"He's supposed to be helping out with the Kodiak refit right?"

"Yeah. Hold on, I call him." Shepard replied, as he activated his omni-tool. "Mark, its John can you come over to the dock? We need your help with the Kodiak refit."

No answer. Shepard raised an eyebrow and tried again.

Still, no answer. "This is really weird." Shepard said.

"EDI, can you locate Mark?" Miranda asked.

"One moment, Ms. Lawson." EDI replied. "At the moment, I can not find Mr. Sears last known position. Before he turned off his personal locator, his last known position had him heading towards the Eternity lounge."

Shepard and Miranda looked at each other. "Thanks EDI." Said Shepard.

"Why would he be there?" Miranda wondered.

"I'm not sure." Shepard said. "I hate to bother you with it, but could you get him? I'm swamped at the moment."

Miranda smirked. "It's not a problem."

She turned and strolled out of the dock and headed toward the Eternity lounge.

* * *

_Haven't drank that much in a long time._

As the world around me spun in various directions, I staggered my way back to the Monaco. Before I left Eternity, I gave Aethyta a big tip; 50 credits to be exact. She did a damn good job of getting me out of my rut along with her drink mix. I might have been really drunk now, but I trusted Aethyta's word that I wouldn't be hung over. Now came the arduous task of getting back to the hotel.

_Since when are there so many stairs here?_

* * *

Miranda had just walked past the Monaco when she saw Mark. He was staggering around the crowd.

_Oh for the love of…_

She was going to walk up to him and drag him back to the hotel but decided against it. Miranda just watched him make his way inside the hotel and followed behind Mark.

* * *

_Whew. I made it. I just hope no one from the ship is around to see me like this._

I tried to straighten myself up as best I could as I approached the elevator controls. I reached out to push the floor up button.

_Huh. Why didn't it work?_

I pressed it again and nothing. I must have missed the button at least five times before someone pushed it.

"Here." Said a familiar female voice.

"Thanks." I replied as I turned around to see who it was.

_Oh damn it._

It was Miranda and she did not look happy at all.

"Hey…Miranda." I said uneasily.

"Get in." she angrily replied, shoving me into the elevator. The ride up was silent, but I could literally hear the rage start to build up inside of her. When the elevator arrived at our floor both of us stepped off. Miranda looked around before grabbing my arm and dragging me to her room.

She opened the door and threw me in.

"Woah!" I yelled out as I fell over the couch. "Nice room."

"You son of a bitch!" she yelled. "You spent the day drinking at a god damn club?"

I groggily sat up. "Not the whole day, just a couple a hours. What time is it anyway?"

"Three in the afternoon." She replied flatly.

I picked my hands up and started counting. "An' I left at…uh, ten so…alright maybe it was the day."

Miranda moved over to the front of the couch and grabbed me by the collar. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

I couldn't tell what the look in her eyes was. Worry, maybe? Her face said otherwise, she looked pissed.

"Why would I tell you?" I asked sharply.

"I'm the XO of the god damn Normandy! You're going to tell me!" she yelled back.

"Pulling rank on me in your room? Sure thing…" I muttered.

Her grip on my shirt tightened. "Damn it just tell me. Please."

I raised an eyebrow. Miranda actually pleading with me?

"You did say the magic word." I replied with a sigh as she let go of my shirt and sat down next to me. I took a few deep breaths as I sat there, trying to prepare myself.

"I…I got a message this morning. From my girlfriend. She told me that she cheated on me, and is dumping me for the guy she was seeing." I said softly.

"Oh…" Miranda replied, clearly taken aback. "I'm…I'm so sorry."

I sighed. "It's alright."

I leaned back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm used to loss by now. Never gets any easier though."

Miranda scooted closer to me. "I guess that explains why you were at Eternity."

"I didn't want anyone to find out where I was. Just wanted time, y'know?"

"I understand and I apologize for yelling at you and throwing you over the couch." She replied, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Actually, getting thrown over this is easier than taking a biotic toss into a wall." I said.

Miranda giggled. She never struck me as the laughing type but…it felt good to hear her laugh.

"Damn. Aethyta's a genius, I'm just buzzed now."

"Seriously?" Miranda replied with a raised eyebrow.

I nodded. "Her own special drink mix. Drink the pain away without feeling it later."

"I see. Well, do you want me to get you something?" Miranda asked.

"Uh, if you've got any soda that'll speed things up. If not, that's fine." I replied.

Miranda smirked. "I'll go check."

She headed towards the mini fridge and pulled out a drink. I was honestly surprised at her behavior. I don't think I've ever seen her act like this before.

"Here. It's Tupari Charged." She said, handing me the bottle.

"Thanks. I hear this stuff brings your ancestors back from the dead." I said.

Miranda shook her head and sat back down. "That's advertising for you."

"Yeah." I opened it up and started chugging down the contents.

"If you don't mind my asking…" Miranda started to ask as she crossed her legs. "Who was your girlfriend?"

"She was an asari Spectre. We met after my Vogel Tower mission. Turns out she was investigating them as well but for different reasons. She snuck into my room to tell me that I did her job for her and that the Council was interested in me as a potential Spectre candidate."

"What was her name?" Miranda asked.

I scratched my cheek. "If I tell you, it doesn't leave the room. I don't want her to be on any sort of Cerberus hit list."

"Mark. After everything you did to help me and my sister, you have my word." She replied.

I felt this stupid grin appear on my face. "Alright. Her name was Eviana."

"What was she like?"

I snorted. "She did anything and everything to flaunt her sexuality towards me. Her way of making me feel awkward. Then again, that seems to happen with every asari I run into. But…she was different. She cared about me even if we barely knew each other."

I shook my head. "Guess I was just a fling to her. Even though she helped me out, watched over me for a week while I recovered from my trip to the Lazarus station."

I stared out at the window blankly. "I hate being used. Happened in the military, happened when I started dating a Spectre, happened to John. That's another reason why I became a private investigator, so I wouldn't be used as a blunt instrument to do someone's bidding."

Miranda nodded and looked out the window as well. "I should thank you again for saving my sister."

"You're welcome. But I was just there for backup." I replied.

She shook her head. "You did more than that."

Miranda put her hand on my leg.

"Didn't pin you as the touchy/feely type." I said cheekily.

She abruptly took her hand off and blushed lightly. "Uh, anyway thank you again."

"Anytime Miranda." I said, still grinning like an idiot. "About what happened with Niket…"

She sighed. "I'm glad he tried to redeem himself…for what good it did. Thanks for stopping me."

I patted her on the shoulder.

"He was a reminder of a more innocent time I suppose. I didn't have many friends…he was safe, comfortable and he never wanted anything from me." She replied softly.

"Are you happy with Oriana's relocation?" I asked.

"She has what I wanted her to have: a normal life and the freedom to choose her own path." She smiled. "And she knows she has an older sister, a friend."

"I'm happy for both of you." I said. "I don't know if this is too personal but…what did you two talk about?"

Miranda looked at me and blushed a little.

_I wonder if that means I was the subject. Sweet…_

"I introduced myself. Her family was shocked. She adjusted quickly, of course. She's as smart as I am." She replied as she adjusted herself in her seat. "She plays the violin. Loves the adagio movement of Nielsen's Fifth, just like I do. She wants to work in colony development and even told a joke about it. She's funny, something we don't share."

"I dunno about that." I said. "You made me laugh a few times."

She simply rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Do you two plan on talking again?"

"I honestly don't know. For once, I haven't planned that far ahead. I'd like to though. She wanted me to." She looked at the floor for a second. "But I'll deal with that after our mission. I have stay focused and she needs time to adjust to her new home."

"I hope the two of you get the chance to talk again. Especially if the subject involves the two of you giving me seductive looks from afar." I replied.

Miranda leaned back and shook her head. "You were listening weren't you?"

"Listening in on you and your sister? No. I'm not that nosy. I just watched. Hard not to when you've got two attractive twins nearby." I blurted out.

I shut my eyes and shook my head when I realized what I just said.

Miranda just bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Well what do you know, I embarrassed myself. Bravo, Mark."

Miranda chuckled. "Glad you noticed."

I just grumbled. "I should probably go."

"If you want to…" Miranda replied. "I just want to ask one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"You didn't just help me out because it's your job. You had another reason."

I nodded.

"What was it?" she asked.

"Even if I didn't know about your situation…You wanted to hold on to the one part of your family that you have left. I know what its like to lose that and believe me when I say that, I wouldn't wish it on anyone; even my worst enemies. It changes you." I turned to Miranda and looked at her. "If I can spare even one person that pain and sorrow, then I've done something good with my life."

She looked at me, a smile on her face. "I'd say that you've done something good."

I nodded and stood up, Miranda did as well. We stared at each other for a long time…and driven by some unknown force, both of us embraced and fell onto the couch. Miranda was on the bottom, I was on top. We kissed each other for what felt like an eternity.

"Wait…" Miranda mumbled as we both stopped. "Oh…um."

"Yeah…" I said as we tried to look anywhere but each other. I stood up and brushed myself off and cleared my throat.

"What the hell was that?" Miranda asked as we looked at each other.

"I dunno. Felt good though." I said. She started to blush furiously.

"Oh god. I—should get back to work…and think."

"I should go do something and…this isn't my room. Well, nice talking to you Miranda." I said as I started to head towards the door. She sat back down on the couch holding her face in her hand.

I turned around and said. "By the way, that was _amazing_." The door closed.

* * *

I left the Monaco and headed for the Normandy, even though most of the day was gone, I had work to do. Work would be something of a good distraction, especially after Miranda and I pretty much made out in her hotel room.

_Of all the things that have happened, that made my day._

I approached the Normandy, seeing the crew stripping the old armor off. Shepard was nearby supervising.

"Hey John. Sorry I'm late." I said.

"Mark! How long did you sleep in?" he asked jokingly.

I shook my head. "Little more complicated than that."

I signaled him over as he raised an eyebrow. I whispered to him about the email I got from Eviana.

He stepped back a bit. "Geez. I'm so sorry Mark."

"It's alright. I vented at the bar and now I'm ready to work." I replied.

"At Eternity? You don't look drunk." He said.

"Thank the bartender, Aethyta. Made some drink combo that got me hammered and not hung over." I replied.

"I should stop by sometime." John said. "Anyway, we finished installing the new weapons. All that's left to do is the armor and the Kodiak."

"I'll get on the Kodiak, right away." I replied.

"Make it so, number one."

"Funny."

I headed over to the Kodiak where Hawthorne and Goldstein were. They were in the middle of putting together the sensor package that would go in the cockpit. The good news was that the Kodiak was developed for multiple purposes. Whether it was for air support, recon, medical extractions, etc. It could be done. The front engines and cockpit were already separated from the rest of the fuselage so that the sensor package could be put in. It included a various array of sensors, weather information, and screens for the tv operators and gunners.

Gunships of the past would have a dozen people to manage various things on board. With the advent of the VI, and with support from EDI, we could narrow the crew down to four with the fire team riding in the cargo area.

"Hey Hawthorne, Goldstein. What do we have already?" I asked.

"Oh hey Mark. Right now we're just putting together the sensors. Might as well get this part out of the way first y'know?" replied Hawthorne.

"Sounds good to me, need any help?"

"You bet." Said Goldstein.

* * *

Miranda sat in her room, trying to make sense of what had just happened between her and Mark. Her thoughts were racing through her mind.

_What the hell was that all about? You just threw yourself at him._

_So? He did the same thing._

_Mark was drunk!_

_He was coming around._

She sighed. Never in a million years would she have imagined that Mark Sears and Miranda Lawson, one of Cerberus' top operatives would be lusting after each other.

_I wonder if he likes me…_

_Of course he does. Look at everything he's done since he came aboard the Normandy. Look at all of his feeble attempts to make you laugh with some stupid prank._

That's when Miranda finally realized…

_We're in love._

She smacked herself in the forehead. Of all the things to happen on this 'suicide mission', falling in love with an enemy of Cerberus was something that wasn't on the list. Miranda decided not to leave her room unless it was necessary. There was always a chance that the two would run into each other, he was in the room next door after all.

"Miranda, it's Shepard. Could you come to the Normandy? I need your signature on some of these transactions." Shepard said over the comm.

She let out a sigh. "I'll be right over."

_Maybe he won't be there._

* * *

"Alright so the sensor package is in." Goldstein said.

"What's next?" Hawthorne asked tiredly.

The five of us sat in the cargo area of the Kodiak, having a small lunch break; Gordon and Allen, helped us out with installation.

"Um…we still have to put the new engines in and the weapons too." I said.

Gordon turned to me. "Well, you already put together the M70 and L100. Just gotta put the other M70 together and the H155."

"We might need some engineers for the rear thrusters." Allen added.

Hawthorne nodded. "Yeah that's not our area of expertise."

"I might be able to do it, but yeah I'd need some help." I said.

We sat there, looking out at Illium, enjoying our little break.

"It's so nice here." Goldstein said.

"I hear that." Replied Hawthorne. "Can't wait to check out the clubs here."

Goldstein rolled her eyes. "Looking to strike out on Illium, James?"

Gordon, Allen, and I chuckled.

"Ouch, Mary." He replied sarcastically. "You're just mad that you haven't had the chance to strike out."

"I never do. That's why I have a winning streak and you don't." she playfully replied.

"Good times." Allen said, drinking his bottle of water.

I sat back in the seat on the Kodiak and smirked at the crewmembers banter. It took me back to my Alliance service days. Most of these people were former Alliance. Eric Gordon was a former military police officer with the Alliance, four years of service in total. Dale Allen was Gordon's childhood friend who joined up the same time as him. They were both fed up with the Alliance's backtracking and poor politics.

_Seems to be the same thing with everyone else on board._

They all had the uniforms but seemed oblivious to the organization they chose to work with. All they wanted to do was help save their families and the families of others.

"So Mark, have you been to Illium?" asked Allen.

"Yeah. This is my second time. First time was pretty brief." I replied.

"What were you doing?"

"I was just passing through. Heard about this place from a friend and I decided to check it out. Great resorts, just don't sign anything." I said.

Gordon laughed. "Yeah I heard lots of stories about people who got into some serious shit for signing contracts."

"Me too." I replied. "Y'all be careful when you go out tonight, okay?"

"Thanks dad." Hawthorne said, getting a laugh out of everyone.

I stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to start building the 155."

"I'll help out." Hawthorne said.

"What should we do next?" Goldstein asked.

"Start working on the second M70 and then we'll install the weapons. After that, we're all set for the day and we'll work on the thrusters tomorrow." I replied.

"Cool." Said Allen.

I looked over and saw Miranda talking to Shepard. They looked like they were discussing some sort of data. I could help but laugh to myself whenever Miranda glanced over at me and quickly looked away.

_Probably reeling from our little make out session._

I was a little surprised at our combined reaction to just lunge at each other. Truth be told, I wanted to do it. I liked her, more so now than before. I liked messing with her because it was fun. Now, I dunno…she seemed to be used to it and would react differently.

_Someone's become even more interesting._

If you include the revelation of her sister, she just seemed more complete, more human. I liked that.

_Back to work._

* * *

After finishing the weapons and installation, I made my way over to Liara's office. I had to say hello. I made my way up the stairs and noticed a purple asari sitting behind a desk.

"Hello. May I help you?" she asked in an almost monotonous tone.

"Yeah. I'm here to see Liara. Is she here?"

"Yes. May I ask who you are?"

"Mark Sears."

"One moment." She said, as she tapped her headset. "Ma'am, there's a Mark Sears here to see you."

"You may enter." Said the assistant. I nodded and went in.

There was Liara, wearing a long green and white dress. "Mark! It's good to see you."

I walked up to her and we gave each other a warm hug. "It is good to see you too Liara."

"I hope that you are well." She said with a small grin.

"I'm fine, thanks. You?" I reply.

"Okay. I have been busy as of late as you may know."

I nodded. "Still looking for the Shadow Broker. I see you've got yourself a staff now."

"Yes. I also have some hired muscle as well." She replied.

"No offense but your assistant kind of creeps me out. Is she stoned or something?"

Liara shook her head and sat back down. "Nyxeris is very capable."

"I'm sure she is. But I got a weird feeling about her." I replied as I sat down.

"I am very careful as to who I hire. There is always the possibility that the Shadow Broker is watching me or trying to kill me."

"True enough." I replied. "How's your hunt been going?"

"It has been going, but it is difficult. Much like your hunt for the Illusive Man." She replied.

"By the way, I should probably thank you for that. You saved my ass." I said.

"You are welcome. Your friend Watson was very helpful as well. His ability to acquire intel to help me was very good."

"He's a geth." I replied. Her eyes flickered briefly.

"That explains a lot." She said. "I had heard murmurs about that. Including your involvement with an asari Spectre. My apologies."

"Thanks Liara. I won't ask as to how you found that out, but you did." I replied softly.

"Your friend Watson also mentioned something about you giving me 'more than a hug'." She said with a wry grin.

"Oh that mechanical son of a bitch." I said shaking my head.

Liara chuckled. "So?"

I sighed. "Well I do owe you a ton for saving me so…"

We both stood up. "I just hope you're not falling into the category."

"I am not. If that were the case, I would have leapt at you two years ago." Liara said.

"Good point. Well, don't take this wrong way but…here's my thanks." I said as I hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

She blushed and shook her head. "It was good to see you again Mark."

"Same here. Good luck with the Shadow Broker and if you need help, just ask." I said as I turned to leave.

And so I began my long walk back to the Monaco to go to bed.

* * *

_Well, well, well. Things are starting to heat up between Mark and Miri. Coming up next, Samara!_

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	23. The Justicar

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, been really distracted lately. By distracted, I mean I was trying to figure out the buzz behind this Naruto show. Well I figured it out. Surprisingly good show. Anyway, time to pick up Samara!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**The Monaco, Illium**

I woke up the next morning and walked into the bathroom to go through my usual routine. I was reluctant to check at first, but I opened up my terminal to check and see if I had any messages. I didn't just have one, I had several; all of them were from Murph. The messages were all titled "Urgent, must read". There were five in total and I read through all of them.

_As if there isn't enough bad news for me._

"Disappearances on Mindoir increasing."

"Police investigations ceased."

"Twenty disappearances in the last three days."

"Mindoir government asking for Alliance aid, S.A reps deny requests."

"Mindoir disappearance total passing one hundred."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. People on my home world were disappearing every day. Despite the presence of the Alliance's Second Fleet in Elysium, no one was doing a thing. The police had stopped searching. There were no leads. There was no evidence. The whole thing stank. It sounded like the Collectors work but it was only a handful of people, the colony still stood.

I had to help. But at the same time, I was afraid for the first time in a long time. I hadn't gone back to Mindoir since that fateful day fifteen years ago.

I shook my head. "I'll…I'll think about this later."

I walked out of my hotel room and headed for the Normandy.

"No! You don't understand! I dropped it in the terminal!" an asari yelled into her headset.

I stopped and listened. She had dropped some piece of jewelry at the Nos Astra transport terminal.

_Wait…I found something like that…_

"Excuse me, ma'am?" I asked.

She huffed and turned around. "What is it? Oh sorry. I'm dealing with the damn Illium bureaucracy."

"You mentioned something about a locket. I was just there recently and I think I found it."

Her eyes lit up. "You did? Do you have it?"

"Oh yeah. It's in my hotel room. I'll go get it." I replied. She followed me back to the Monaco and up to my room. She waited outside while I grabbed it.

"Is this it?" I asked her.

Tears started to form in her eyes. "Yes. Oh Steven…he died when my daughter was little. This is all I have left of him. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I was glad to help." I replied.

She pulled out a credit chit. "Here. It's more than what I'd have to give to the damn bureaucrats."

I held my hand up. "Its fine. You keep it."

"Thank you." She said as she headed into the elevator.

"That was thoughtful of you." Said Miranda who approached me from behind.

I smirked. "Glad you approve."

She simply rolled her eyes as we both walked into the elevator. It was quiet on the way down.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked.

"Liara called Shepard and said she had some intel regarding Samara." She replied.

"Cool. What do you know about Samara?"

"Not much. The dossier didn't say much. She's a justicar and they rarely leave asari space." Replied Miranda.

I shrugged. "Guess we'll find out at the briefing."

"Yes."

The lift stopped at the lobby and we headed out with our weapons and armor in our bags.

"Hey about yesterday…" I started to say. Miranda nervously bit her lip.

"Um…could we talk about it later?" she said softly.

"Sure." I replied.

"I don't want to avoid its just that—"

"We're about to go on a mission." I finished.

She nodded. "Yes. I'd love to…I mean I'd like to talk about it later though."

Miranda sighed as she tripped over her own words.

I chuckled. "I would too."

"Good." She said.

We were quiet as we headed towards the ship.

"By the way." I started.

"Yes?"

"Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did." I said with a wicked grin.

Her face turned red as her jaw dropped slightly.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"W—well…I wasn't—I mean I enjoyed it but…" Miranda stammered. "Ugh. Let's just discuss it later."

"You got it." I replied, smiling.

"And stop smiling, damn it." She said with a frustrated smile on her face.

"You first."

The two of us walked into the ship and headed to the briefing room.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

"Alright everyone. Looks like we're picking up our next recruit." Shepard said.

"Who is it?" Tali asked.

"Her name's Samara. She's a justicar." He replied.

"Never heard of justicars before." Jack blurted out.

"Justicars. Part of asari monastic order. Mostly stay in asari space, protecting the innocent, killing bad people." Mordin said before inhaling. "They are very thorough."

"Too true." I said. "I've seen how they train before. Saw a monastery on Thessia where they gather. Scary stuff."

"So you're saying they kill criminals and the like." Jacob said.

Mordin and I nodded.

"This might be a problem considering this is a Cerberus vessel, with Cerberus personnel. Then we've got Jack, Zaeed, and Kasumi with criminal records." Shepard said.

"Hey they can't prove I have a record." Kasumi added cheekily.

"I say we wait and find out until we meet her." I said. "She doesn't know about us yet. Plus justicars can take various oaths to serve people pending on the situation. I'm not sure what specifically but it's worth a shot."

"Agreed." Miranda added.

"Okay then. Liara said that Samara at the Nos Astra spaceport in the middle of some investigation."

"Who's coming along for this one Commander?" Jacob asked.

Shepard tapped the table. "Tali, how's the retrofit coming along?"

"The new plating should be done within the next few days. As for the weapons, the missile system is all set but the new main gun is giving us some problems." She replied.

"If that's the case, then you might have to sit this one out Tali. Getting the Normandy back to 100% is vital. I mean we can't exactly walk through the Omega 4 relay." Shepard said.

Tali nodded. "Of course Shepard."

"Gear up everyone. We're going to the Spaceport."

* * *

**Nos Astra Spaceport**

Since the Kodiak was still being refitted, we had to take a couple of cars to the spaceport. I followed behind Shepard's car which had Garrus, Mordin, Zaeed, and Jack. My car had Miranda, Kasumi, Grunt, and Jacob.

"Was Shepard always a bad driver?" Miranda asked.

"Not really. Got worse once he joined the marines. I'm still puzzled as to why they gave us the Mako when he wasn't even armor certified." I replied.

"Yet you guys survived." Jacob added.

I nodded. "God damn miracle."

John continued to recklessly weave through traffic on our way to the spaceport. We had the location on the GPS, so I pulled away passing Shepard.

"We'll let him pretend like he's in an action vid." I said, taking a shortcut.

"Watching Shepard's driving is fun. I wouldn't want to ride with him though." Said Grunt.

"Glad I'm getting the seal of approval from all of you." I replied. "Might have to tell you a story about our adventure to the moon some time."

"Aw, why can't you tell us now?" Kasumi asked playfully.

"Because we made it." I said. I parked the car and the five of us got out, Shepard touched down in front of us.

"God fucking damn it Shepard. You pull any of that shit again and I'll rip of your dick!" Jack yelled as they got out of the car.

We stood next to Shepard's car. I had my arms crossed, biting my lip and chuckling.

"Hey John, did Garrus kick you in the head on the way over?" I asked.

He shook his head. "He only does that for you."

"Funny."

An asari detective approached a volus with two turian bodyguards armed with Vindicators.

"Where do you think you're going?" the detective asked the volus.

"I'm taking my goods to Omega, Detective." He replied.

"You're not going anywhere Pitne For. Not until this investigation is over." Retorted the detective.

"That wasn't me. It was those Eclipse mercs that you can't seem to get rid of." Said the volus merchant.

"The victim was your business partner and I'm not ruling you out. You're grounded until this is over." She looked at the turian guards. "You two, fold 'em up and toss them over here."

Both turians sighed and complied as two other asari officers took their weapons.

The ten of us stood off and watched.

"Wonder what Samara's involvement with this is." Shepard thought out loud.

"If a justicar's involved, it might be something serious." I said. "I wouldn't take this case at face value."

"Good point. Let's go talk to this detective."

We walked into the police station, getting various glances from the other officers and some other people in the station. Shepard noticed the detective and we walked up to her desk.

"Nice guns. Try not to use them in my district." She said. "I'm Detective Anaya. You?"

"Commander John Shepard, Special Tactics and Recon."

Anaya sighed. "Spectre eh? First a Justicar shows up and now you."

Shepard held his hands up. "Look, I'm not here to mess up your investigation. I'm looking for Samara."

"Got a score to settle with her?" Anaya asked.

"Nah. We've got a dangerous mission we're undertaking. We could use her help." I added.

She looked at me. "Is it dangerous?"

"Our chances of survival are low." Miranda said.

"Hm…Justicars usually work alone, but they are drawn to impossible causes."

"We've got that covered." Kasumi said.

"Alright. If you're getting Samara out of my district, I'll help out in any way I can."

"You seem pretty eager to get rid of her." Jacob said.

"I'm a cop and I know what I have to do but justicars and their code…" Anaya muttered. "If I try to detain her, she'll have to kill me and anyone else that disrupts her investigation. My bosses are afraid she'll start some cross species incident. If she kills another asari, we'd have no problem with it. But if it was a human or a volus, things would get messy."

"Makes sense." I blurted out.

"On top of that my bosses are pressuring me to get her out of here ASAP." Anaya continued.

"If your bosses are forcing you to get her out…" Garrus started.

Shepard shook his head. "Your superiors are sending you to certain death for no good reason. You have a right to disobey."

"Wait, we can disobey suicidal orders? Why wasn't I told?" Garrus asked cheekily.

"We should remember this the next time Shepard sends us up against impossible odds." Miranda said.

"I should add hazard pay into my contract." Muttered Zaeed.

"Hm. Number of times ordered into hazardous situations around twice a day." Mordin thought out loud.

"Not nearly enough." Jack and Grunt said simultaneously before glaring at each other.

Shepard sighed. "Insubordination and mutiny. You guys are really pushing it." He could help but grin at the situation.

"And I'm the only one not complaining." I chuckled.

Anaya looked around confused.

Shepard cleared his throat. "Most of the time I'm not being stupid about the orders I give. I can't say the same for your bosses."

"They push papers. Hard work is a curse word for them." I blurted out.

"Too true." Agreed Anaya. "But I'm a cop and I know my duty. I've been ordered to detain her and I will if I have to. Unless you can get her to leave."

"I'll see what I can do." Shepard said.

"What can you tell us about the case?" I asked as Garrus and I folded our arms, getting back into our old detective habits.

Anaya looked at both of us. I cleared my throat.

"Mark Sears, private investigator. This is my, er…partner Garrus Vakarian, former C-Sec detective."

Anaya nodded and brought up the information on her terminal. "A volus merchant was murdered. Name was Dakni Kur. There's a lot of pressure from the higher ups to solve this. Someone gets killed near a police station and the press have a field day."

"True." Garrus said.

"The other volus you saw was Pitne For, he was the head of the trading group. There was another volus in his group. Name is Niftu Cal. He's missing." Anaya explained.

"What does Pitne For's group deal in?"

"Nothing illicit, at least, from what we've seen. His background check was clean too. As for the group's income…" Anaya pulled up another window on her terminal.

"That's a lot." Garrus said. "And his background checked out?"

Anaya nodded. "That's the strange thing. Most of his stuff is fairly common. Used ship parts and other salvage. No one could make that much of a killing from that unless the quarian fleet was nearby, and they can't come near this planet."

"He's dealing illegal stuff. Most likely weapons or drugs. Probably has someone wipe his transactions and change them." I said.

"Very likely." Agreed Anaya. "Pitne's got nowhere to go. His guards are disarmed, he's grounded, and the Eclipse are after him. He'll talk to us."

"Good." Garrus said. "What about the crime scene?"

"Messy." She said simply. "Eclipse had to be involved. It was too professional."

"Find anything else implicating Eclipse?" I asked.

"The body was riddled with modded rounds. The Eclipse sisters favor that kind of thing." Anaya said. She flipped her terminal around to show us the crime scene picture.

"Looks like high explosive rounds, range 4 meters. Blast wounds indicate the murder weapon was an M-27 Scimitar shotgun." I said.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"The Scimitar's spread shot is always narrow. As for the rounds, no other round can do that at close range." I replied.

"Had to be someone new. Experienced mercs wouldn't hit near the collarbone area." Garrus contemplated.

"That's what I thought." Anaya said. "Must be someone's final test."

"Final test?" Shepard asked.

"In order to join the Eclipse sisters, you need to kill someone to be inducted."

Zaeed snorted. "They don't sound like typical mercs."

"The Eclipse here are more like organized criminals than mercenaries. They're completely ruthless." Anaya said.

"We'll be careful." Shepard said. Anaya nodded as we left.

"I'll send word to the other officers to let you into the scene. Good luck."

As we left, Miranda turned to Shepard. "We need to get to Samara before the detective does."

"Good idea. We'll see what Samara finds and then quiz the volus merchant." Shepard said.

As we approached the crime scene, Shepard poked me in the shoulder. "Looks like you and Garrus are falling back onto old habits."

"Couldn't help it." I said.

"Why not?" Garrus asked. "There's nothing wrong with trying to help solve a crime."

Shepard shrugged. "You're right."

"Hey Garrus." I said.

"Yeah?"

"Best buddy cop movie ever." I replied.

He chuckled. "Why am I your partner? I've done detective work longer than you."

"No one plays the lead dog. We trade off."

"Ah. Good point."

We walked through the holographic tape and into the back alley. It was eerily quiet. I found some message about some people cheating a guy named Thax. I decided to send the message to this Thax guy and put the datapad back down.

"Hold up." Shepard whispered as we stopped at a hallway. There were sounds of faint explosions and gunfire down the hall. I took a peek out from behind the corner.

"That's a lot of bodies." I said.

"Screams and explosions. My favorite music." Jack added.

We walked through the alley looking at the bodies of dead Eclipse sisters. Each one was contorted in one way or another.

_Guess she is as powerful as they say. Never seen biotics do this kind of damage to a person before._

We finally approached another door marked off by the same crime scene tape.

"Mark, Jacob. Stack up." Shepard ordered. We stood on opposite sides of the door, waiting for the go ahead.

I turned on my omni-tool and searched the room, the readings syncing to my sunglasses.

"I count five Eclipse and our justicar." I whispered.

"Get ready." Shepard said as we drew our weapons. "Go!"

Shepard, Jacob, and I burst into the room. We looked around and saw two Eclipse mercs flying at us. One of them seemed to have ricochet of another one sending them in two different directions. One of them smashed into the wall above the door and the other hit me square in the chest, sending me into the wall.

"God damn!" I yelled out, as I tried to shake the stars out of my head. I could hear Jack laughing from the other side of the door.

"You alright Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Gimme a few seconds." I replied as I sat on the floor with a dead asari in my lap. I moved the body off and saw Samara stalking up to the lone Eclipse merc.

"Those were my best troops." Said the merc.

"Tell me what I need to know and I will be gone from here." Said Samara. "Where did you send her?"

"You'd think I'd betray her? She'd hurt me in ways you can't imagine!"

Samara continued to walk up to her. "The name of the ship. Your life hangs on the answer, lieutenant."

"You can kill me, but one of us will take you down, Justicar!" yelled the merc. She was about to raise her pistol to fire when Samara hit her with biotic throw that sent her through a pane of glass, landing on the first floor.

_Famous last words…_

Samara then used her biotics to glide down to the first floor and elegantly approached the merc who was slowly trying to flee. Samara caught up to her and dug her heel into the merc's neck.

"Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess." Samara said before breaking the merc's neck.

Shepard and the rest of the team slowly approached Samara while I slowly got to my feet. Jacob helped me out.

"You good Mark?" he asked.

"Still seeing stars…" I replied tiredly as I approached the rest of the team.

"My name is Samara, a servant of the Justicar Code. My quarrel is with these Eclipse sisters, but I several armed people before me." She turned to stare at Shepard. "Are we friend or foe?"

"My name's John Shepard and I'm a Spectre. I'm here to ask for your help with a critical mission." He replied.

"You honor me. But I am in the middle of an investigation."

"We're going after the Collectors. They're abducting entire human colonies. In order to face them, I need the best with me. From what I've heard and seen, that's you."

For a brief moment, I thought I saw a small smirk appear on Samara's face. "I sense the truth in what you say and it humbles me. The Collectors are a worthy foe and would relish the chance to face them. However, I seek an incredibly dangerous fugitive."

"Told you there was more to this." I said to Shepard.

He shook his head and smirked. "Good to see you're instincts are still sharp. Feeling better?"

"There aren't as many stars and cartoon rabbits laughing at me but I'm good." I replied.

"My apologies." Samara said. "I was not expecting anyone to arrive."

"It's cool. I've gotten worse greetings before." I replied with a grin.

"So who's this fugitive you were tracking down?" asked Shepard.

"I tracked her here to Illium. She enlisted the help of Eclipse and has escaped again. I wish to find the name of the ship and its destination before the trail goes cold." Replied Samara.

"I wish you would go with them, Justicar."

It was Detective Anaya.

_Great. We were too late._

"I've been ordered to take you into custody if you won't leave." Anaya said to Samara.

"You risk a great deal by following your orders, Detective. Fortunately, I will not have to resist." Replied the justicar. "My Code obligates me to cooperate with you for one day. After that, I must return to my investigation."

"I won't be able to release you that soon."

"You won't be able to stop me." Samara said.

"So after a day, you'll fight your way out of custody and kill anyone in your way?" Miranda asked.

"I am afraid so." Samara said.

Grunt snorted angrily. "Asari are stupid. Your code means you kill her tomorrow instead of today."

Everyone except for Jack and I rolled their eyes.

"Calm down, biggin'. We can still talk to that crooked merchant." Zaeed muttered to Grunt.

"You are right. The volus merchant Pitne For is tired to this. Get the truth out of him and get into the Eclipse base. Once you find the name of the ship, I will join you." Samara said.

Shepard nodded and turned to Garrus and I. "You guys ready to talk to our volus merchant?"

"Hell yeah. We'll get what we need." I said.

Anaya turned to Samara. "Well, we should get to the station. And I guess I have to take you with me."

"As you wish." Samara turned to face Shepard. "Thank you Shepard."

* * *

We followed behind Anaya and Samara, exiting the crime scene as more police officers arrived for a follow up and to clean up. As they walked into the police station, we approached Pitne For.

Garrus and I were prepping to question the guy.

"So Garrus, good cop or bad cop?" I asked.

"We're all good cops Mark." He deadpanned.

"Sure. Just like Harkin." I replied. Garrus shivered at the mention of his name.

"He gave you humans a bad rep for a while."

"Well he got fired not long ago so, no harm no foul." I replied. "But seriously, who are you going to play for this, good cop or bad cop?"

He sighed. "Bad cop."

I nodded. "Good."

"Alright guys, we'll hang back and listen in. Do your stuff and good luck." Shepard said.

"Can do." I replied as we walked over to the volus merchant.

"Pitne For?" Garrus asked.

"Who are you two?" asked the merchant.

"Consultants working with Illium Law Enforcement. We'd like to ask you a few questions." He replied.

"I've already got mercs wanting to kill me like they did my partner! I don't need anymore trouble." Said Pitne For, as he wrung his hands together. "As if that weren't enough. A justicar showed up and now everyone's afraid of her. I have to get off of Illium."

"Then talk to us and we'll see what we can do." I said.

The volus glanced at both of us and nodded. If he lied to us, we'd know off the bat.

"What happened to your partner?" I asked.

"Dakni Kur was cutting through a back alley last night when someone killed him with a shotgun. I saw his body this morning…they used modded rounds. That means Eclipse."

"You could tell my looking at the body?" Garrus asked flatly.

"Um…of course. I've seen a lot in my line of work." He answered in a bumbling manner.

I cupped my hand to my mouth and whispered to Garrus. "He's trying to bullshit us."

Garrus simply nodded.

"Right. So have you done any business with these Eclipse?" asked the former C-Sec detective.

"No. They're a scummy bunch. I wouldn't deal with them if my life depended on it." Replied the volus.

_Having the upper hand is always a plus. This guy's lying through his teeth._

"The cops found your credit transfers between Eclipse and your own accounts." I said, taking a knee, as I looked the volus in the eyes. "That's two."

"T—two what?" Pitne For asked nervously.

"You know what I mean." I replied. The volus sighed and decided to revise what he said earlier.

"Well, I've done business with them. Only in well lit places, with my guards, and after the credits clear."

"So why did they kill your partner? Did you con them or cheat them?" Garrus asked.

"I have no idea. We're just merchants! They must be after me next. That's why I'm trying to work the angles and get out of here!"

"You're don't seem too broken up about your partner's death." I said.

"Dakni Kur knew the risks when he took to spacing. Right now, I'm worried about me." He looked around the spaceport. "It's unhealthy to be a volus in Nos Astra. Especially a volus named Pitne For."

"Don't forget the justicar." Garrus added in. "She's probably looking for you too since your tied to this."

Garrus took a knee and put a heavy hand on Pitne For. "Here's what's going to happen. You tell us the truth or I drop your name to the justicar and we find out how they dish out their own brand of justice. I know you've been lying to us."

"Uh…" stammered out Pitne For.

"I'd tell him. His bullshit tolerance is very low." I said. "Help us out here."

Pitne For looked at me and then at Garrus and slowly nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"What was your business with the mercs?" I asked.

"They wanted me to smuggle a chemical here. It's a chemical that boosts the power of biotics." He replied. "It's called Minagen X3."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Oh geez."

Minagen X3 is a biotic drug meant to be more powerful than red sand. If red sand was cocaine, then Minagen was heroin. It was a fairly new drug that's hit the streets across the galaxy. Continual exposure to the drug would result in death.

"And since Minagen is toxic, the mercs found out and want to kill you. Right?" I asked.

"Yes." Replied Pitne For. "I cannot imagine what they might be doing to Niftu Cal…"

Garrus and I snorted. One of his partners is dead and the other one is presumably captured. _And he doesn't give a damn at all._

"So you've been in the Eclipse base." Garrus deducted.

"Yes. They issued me a pass card to get in to deliver my goods, but I made a copy. Take it." He said, giving Garrus the card.

"Have a nice day." Garrus said as both of us walked back into the police station.

Shepard and the team were sitting around, waiting for us to finish up. Samara was sitting nearby, behind Anaya.

"Uh, I thought you took her into custody." I said to Anaya while pointing at Samara.

"I did." Anaya replied flatly. _Guess she already had this chat with Shepard._

"If the detective was to restrain me, I would have to kill her and anyone else that interferes." Samara said, her eyes glowing white as she was meditating.

"Yeah, that." Anaya added as the turned to me. "Thanks to your friend, we listened in on Pitne For's conversation. Good work."

"Anytime." I replied. The two of us nodded and walked out with the team.

"You guys really put the screws to that merchant." Jacob said with a grin.

"As I said earlier, we'd make the best damn buddy cop movie ever." I replied, getting a chuckle out of Jacob, Kasumi, and Shepard.

We stepped into the elevator that would take us up to the area occupied by Eclipse.

"Anyone else think that all of our recruiting missions are like this?" Jack asked.

"I don't see anything wrong with it. We get to fight things." Grunt replied.

"Jack's got a point though." Kasumi added. "Every other recruiting job has been the same way. Except for me of course."

"You're forgetting two other people." Zaeed said to the thief. "Me an' the kid signed up without any problem."

I nodded in agreement.

"The way I see it, if I don't get any of you to sign on by proving something then our mission fails." Shepard said. "I can't exactly take on the Collectors by myself, y'know."

"That's true. Last time that happened you died." I said with a smirk. John smacked me in the arm.

"Why is this taking so long?" Grunt angrily asked as he smacked the elevator wall. "Damn elevator."

"Because asari are really patient." Replied Garrus. "That and they live for a thousand years."

I chuckled. "Good point."

Mordin tapped his chin. "Eclipse mercenaries were uninformed of biotic drug. Lack of information dangerous. Too ignorant considering widespread popularity and use of drug."

"No kidding. Eclipse never were that bright. Blood Pack is probably dumber than they are." Zaeed responded.

"Drug is far more unstable than average red sand. Must avoid inhalation. Especially those with biotics." Mordin said as he inhaled. "Strength may temporarily increase but damage will be irreparable."

"Well it's a good thing we've got helmets and hard suits." Replied Shepard. "Helmets on and check your seals."

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement.

_Only one more floor to go._

"Too bad there's no music on this elevator." I smirked.

Miranda and Shepard sighed as the doors opened up.

* * *

"Mechs!" yelled Jack as we opened fire on them.

Zaeed opened up the door and we were greeted by an Eclipse sister tossing a Minagen container at us.

"Eat that!" yelled the asari.

"Tastes terrible." Kasumi sarcastically retorted. Garrus and I charged through the red cloud of Minagen and got behind a few crates to hammer away at the mercs. Garrus picked one off with his Incisor while I picked off another at the far end of the hall.

As we advanced, two more Eclipse mercs appeared from another room waiting to ambush us. It was foolish of them to try as they were greatly outnumbered and were quickly dispatched. All of us entered the room where the other two mercs emerged and cleared out.

"Hm. Nice shotgun." Jack said as she picked up an M-27 Scimitar shotgun. While Shepard was telling Grunt to pick up some of the extra weapons laying around, I was kneeling down next to a nearby door.

"Oh Goddess! Oh Goddess, don't let them see me. If they do, don't let them kill me. What am I doing here?"

"John. We got one in here." I said into my radio. He nodded and approached the door along with Jack.

"How many?" asked Shepard.

"Just one." I replied.

"Go."

The three of us burst in, finding no one inside.

"Come out. We know you're in here." Shepard said. An Eclipse merc stood up holding her hands up. The three of us trained our weapons on her.

"Wait, stop!"

"Don't make a single move." I said.

"Please! I didn't fire my weapon once. I pretended to because the other Eclipse sisters were watching, but I didn't really shoot." She said in an unusual tone.

"She's fucking with us." Jack said.

"Agreed. I can hear it in her voice." I added.

"Hands on your head…now." Shepard said flatly to the merc.

"I'm not one of them. I'm new!" she yelled. "I thought being Elnora the mercenary would be cool…I didn't know what they were really like!"

"She's new? Hundred creds says that she's the one who killed the volus." I muttered into my radio.

Shepard gave me a short nod before turning to face Elnora.

"The Eclipse helped someone off world not too long ago. What do you know about it?" asked Shepard.

"The Ardat Yakshi?"

"Ardat Yakshi? What does that mean?" I asked.

"It's an ancient asari word for something that…something I thought was a superstition until now. It means 'demon of the night winds'." She replied.

"What's the name of the ship?" Shepard asked, still keeping his pistol trained on Elnora.

"I don't' know! It was a few days ago. I don't know!" she yelled out.

"What do you think Mark?" Shepard radioed me.

"She murdered the volus. It's in her voice and that armor looks awfully shiny to me." I replied. "We could bring her in but she's probably armed."

"Alright." Shepard said to her. "You're coming with us to the police station. You murdered the volus, didn't you?"

"What? I…" her eyes shifted left to right. That's when she made her second mistake; Elnora went for her weapon.

The three of us opened fire and dropped her.

"Looks like the old man was right. Eclipse really are stupid." Jack said.

Shepard snorted and we left the room to continue searching the base.

Garrus caught up with us and glanced into the room.

"She was the killer, Garrus." I said to him.

"Hm. How did you find out?" he asked.

"She lied twice, saying she wasn't involved with anything. Then she mentioned that she was new to the group." I replied.

"Then the dumb bitch tried to pull a gun on us when we quizzed her." Jack said.

"Too bad no one took up my bet." I said in a fake glum tone. We headed up the stairs to see a hangar, occupied by more LOKI mechs and surrounded by Minagen containers and a few Eclipse.

I looked at the mechs and got an idea. "Let's cause a distraction."

"What?" Miranda asked.

I hacked one of the mechs, causing it to open fire on the other mech and the Eclipse.

"And now they're on to us." Miranda said flatly.

"But they lost their toys." I replied. "And one of their own."

Grunt let out a loud yell and charged up. "Damn it biggin' slow down!"

"I am krogan!"

As he charged at a vanguard, I put a single round into her head, stopping the young krogan in his tracks.

"Hey, she was mine!" he yelled.

"You didn't call it. She was fair game!" I yelled back. Grunt let out a frustrated noise and charged up before he was immediately thrown back by a biotic throw.

"And that is why we don't charge head first." Garrus said. I chuckled.

I fired on a couple of Minagen containers, causing more red clouds to blow up in the Eclipse sisters faces. We ducked behind cover and waited.

"Mordin, how long does it take before it becomes lethal?" Shepard asked.

The professor moved his fingers back and forth, probably figuring out the math in his head. "Five more seconds."

Sure enough, they dropped dead from a lethal overdose.

We headed up some more stairs before coming to another dock with more Eclipse. One of them had a rocket launcher.

"Cover!" Miranda yelled.

"Oh damn it. I just remembered!" I yelled out.

"What?" asked Jacob.

"I haven't tested out my new mag locks yet."

"Say what?" Shepard asked.

"Back in a bit!" I yelled out as I ran out onto the dock. The Eclipse sister had a bead on me with her rocket launcher and fired. I turned on the mag lock and stuck my left hand out. Sure enough, I caught the missile and threw it back at the merc.

"You forgot something!"

The missile struck her, killing her and two other mechs.

Shepard and the team caught up, dumbfounded expressions behind their helmets.

"What in the blue hell was that?" Shepard asked.

"Magnetic locks. Had them installed in case I had to climb up a structure or if I lost my weapons, I could catch them."

"And catch missiles." Jacob said.

"That too. Never had a chance to test them out. That was pretty cool." I replied.

"Let's keep moving." Shepard said as he shook his head.

"Damn kid." Muttered Zaeed. "That was bloody crazy."

"That's what I'm here for."

We caught a small breather in the next room when Garrus and I saw a flashing terminal nearby.

"Audio log by Elnora." It said.

Garrus pressed the button to play the log.

"Well, it's official. Little baby Elnora is a full-fledged Eclipse merc! I earned my uniform last night when I killed that ridiculous volus. Up close, exploding rounds. Blew the little bastards suit wide open! Hah! I can't wait to see some real action! Next time I go home, my friends are going to be so jealous."

"And there's our evidence for the murder case." I said. Garrus took a copy of the log and put it in a pouch in his armor.

"Good call Mark." He said to me.

The ten of us slowly made our way through yet another large dock area.

"Hm. Talk about open." Jack said.

"They must park some big freighters here." Jacob added.

There was a strange whirring noise that began to ascend. The source of it was an A61 Mantis gunship covered in Eclipse logos.

"Everyone down!" Shepard yelled as we ducked behind anything and everything. The gunship began to strafe the area with guns and missiles blazing.

"Fuck this!" I yelled out as I switched to the Eliminator.

"Please tell me that thing is effective against aircraft!" Garrus yelled out.

"It works against anything." I said as I let it charge. "Cover me!"

I popped out of cover with the Eliminator as the rest of the squad covered for me. Once I got a lock, I pushed the trigger and let fly. It was a direct hit on the cockpit, causing the whole thing to go up.

"Hah! I never get tired of watching that." Said Grunt.

"Weapon power incredible. Technology must be equally incredible." Mordin said to himself.

I switched back to the Nighthawk as we continued into the final leg of the base.

"Found something interesting." Miranda said as she read a nearby datapad.

"What is it?" I asked.

"This is a shipping manifest from Pitne For. He sold 2000 units of Minagen X3 to Eclipse, along with 600 units of red sand." Replied Miranda. Garrus took a look at the datapad as well and put it in his pouch.

"Got him on tape and on paper. Nice." I said.

"Little bastard's going away for a long time." Garrus added.

We rounded a corner and found a volus standing in front of a vending machine, groggily turning around.

He walked up to us and bumped into Shepard.

"I am a biotic god! I think things and they happen! Fear me lesser creatures, for I am biotics made flesh!" said the volus.

I snorted, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Uhhh…look I don't know what drugs your on but stay back and I won't shoot you." Said Shepard.

"You will regret your scandalous words! I am a great wind that will sweep all before me like a…a great wind! A great biotic wind!"

"Biotic wind, eh? You got me shakin' little man." Jack said with a smirk on her face.

"This guy is wicked stoned." I said.

"Yes. The asari injecting so many drugs into me was terrifying. But then I began to smell my greatness." The volus said.

I had to lean onto the wall to prevent myself from falling over with laughter. "Funny, that's actually the name of the deodorant I have." I said.

"Wait…now I'm shakin'." Jack said with a chuckle.

Zaeed, Garrus, and Jacob were chuckling as well.

"They may laugh when I fall over, but they don't know what I know in my head. That I know that I am amazingly powerful. Fear me!" he yelled pointing at Jack, who was biting her lip.

"Huh. You must be Niftu Cal, one of the other guys working for Pitne For."

"When I was mortal, I worked for Pitne. Poor soul is probably terrified that I have not returned."

"Sorry man. He's not worried at all."

"He hasn't reported your disappearance. Probably so his departure won't get delayed." Miranda said.

"Face it, when the chips are down, even your friends will screw you for an extra cred." Jack added.

"Bah! I will wreak a just revenge upon him! But first…the leader of these mercs is in the next room. I shall toss Wasea around like a rag doll!" said Niftu Cal, turning to face the hall where this Wasea was.

"Wasea will tear you apart. Get some rest, you'll feel better." Shepard said.

"He's right buddy. I've never seen anyone that was high win a fight before." I added.

"Are you mad? I'm unstoppable! Feasting on her biotic-rich blood will be the last step of my ascension into godhood!" Niftu Cal said clenching his small fist.

"Nah. That'll lead to a really bad stomach ache. If you leave and get some sleep and drink a lot of cold water, your path to godhood will be fulfilled." I said to the volus.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Hey. Trust me. If you do that, not only will it be easier but you will achieve your goal." I answered.

He tapped his chin and yawned. "You…may be right. Yes, I'm tired. I'll nap…destroy the universe later…"

Niftu Cal then walked out of the room. I turned around to face the humorous expressions of my teammates.

"Well that was…interesting." Kasumi said with a funny grin on her face.

"Didn't know you were so good at convincing people that were high." Added John.

"Knew a guy that was an addict. I helped him get back on his feet that way." I replied.

"Next time I get loaded on something, you better not talk me into doing something crazy." Jack said, still smirking.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, I get the feeling it would be difficult to try on you." I replied.

We finally entered a massive warehouse containing various large crates and containers containing Minagen X3.

The head of these Eclipse sisters, Wasea, was casually slugging back a drink and reading some datapad.

"Everything's gone to hell since we smuggled that filthy creature off-world. First a justicar shows up, now you."

"It's about to get a whole lot worse for you." Shepard replied.

"Now I'm gonna turn your head into a pulpy mass!" Wasea yelled, tossing a container of Minagen at us.

"Aim for the Minagen!" Shepard ordered, as several Eclipse mercs stormed in. Luckily for us, none of them had helmets on. Once all the containers were destroyed, a massive red cloud loomed in the warehouse. All we could here were the hacking coughs and moans from the Eclipse as they were dying from a lethal overdose.

I sighed. "Nasty way to go. Now comes the fun part, getting the data."

"Thanks for volunteering Mark." Shepard said.

I sighed again. "God damn it."

A few chuckles could be heard as I made my way through the cloud. I turned on my thermal goggles for a visual. Bodies of dead Eclipse sisters were strewn about, including Wasea.

I made it to the desk Wasea was near when we entered and looked for the datapad she had.

_There's a justicar here! Probably looking for the one we sent off on the AML Demeter. I was happy to see her go; she chilled me to the bone. I just hope this justicar doesn't mess up my operations._

"Got it." I said to myself as I pocketed the datapad and walked back through the cloud.

* * *

Shepard, Garrus, and I walked into the police station while the rest of the team waited outside.

"Welcome back." Anaya said to us. "Please tell me you found something."

"We found some pretty interesting things." Replied Shepard. We looked over at Samara who was still meditating. Despite her eyes being closed, I had a weird feeling that she was fully aware of everything going on around her.

John cleared his throat and I gave him the datapad Samara was looking for. "We found the name of the ship. Your fugitive left here two days ago on the AML Demeter."

Samara opened her eyes and stared at Shepard.

"Shepard, you impress me. You fulfilled your part of the bargain and I will fulfill mine."

John handed her the datapad as she got off the counter. Samara turned to Anaya.

"I am ready to leave whenever Shepard is ready, if that will satisfy your superiors?"

"You're free to go, Justicar. It has been an honor having you in my station." Anaya said. "And it's nice you didn't kill me too." She muttered.

"The cars are outside. Our shuttle's still down for a retrofit but it should be done later." Said Shepard. "We'll take you to the Normandy."

"Understood. But first, I must be sworn to your service, so that I am never forced to choose between your orders and the Code." Replied Samara.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Opening them, her eyes were filled with a white light and she kneeled on the floor in front of Shepard.

"By the Code, I will serve you, Shepard. Your choices are my choices, your morals are my morals. Your wishes are my Code." After saying that, a large wave of dark energy flowed over her, as if she was on fire.

"Dang." I muttered.

"Never thought I'd see a justicar swear an oath like that." Anaya said.

Samara looked right into Shepard's eyes. "If you make me do anything dishonorable, I may need to kill you when I am released from my oath."

"Don't worry, John's not like that." I added.

"Thanks Mark. Anyway, I can see that this is an important act for you Samara. Thank you."

She nodded and grinned. "Truly, the life of a justicar can get lonely. I admit, I am looking forward to serving with a company of honorable heroes."

Garrus and I looked at each other.

"Uh…yeah…honorable." Garrus said scratching the back of his head as we looked out the window to see Jack and Grunt in some kind of argument.

"Shall we return to you ship?" Samara asked.

"We just have some business with Detective Anaya. Then we'll be on our way." Shepard replied.

"I hope it's good news." Anaya said. "Anyway, thanks for getting Samara to leave. I can tell my granddaughters about meeting a justicar. And you've just upped my chances of living long enough to have grandkids."

I snorted. "It's what we do, eh Garrus?" I elbowed him in the arm as he shook his head.

"Let's see…" Garrus said digging out a few datapads. "Here's proof that Eclipse killed the volus merchant."

He put the datapad on her desk. "Then proof that Pitne For was smuggling for Eclipse." Garrus put the final datapad on the desk.

"Hmm…this is going to help us. As for this information about Elnora, I'm not sure it would be admissible." Anaya said.

"I vouch for Shepard and anything he has to bring forward." Replied Samara.

Anaya nodded. "I accept the judgement of the justicar."

"Thanks." Shepard said to Samara.

"I have to admit I wasn't sure about trusting a bunch of strangers. And some humans at that, no offense. But you came through. Looks like the two of you lived up to your reputations." Anaya said looking at Garrus and I.

"Looked us up, I see." I replied.

"Wouldn't you?" Anaya asked.

"Good point." Added Garrus.

"I can't do too much to thank you, but we do have a small discretionary bounty fund. Take it." She said, giving Garrus and I some funds.

"Thanks detective." We said. She smiled and nodded.

"Ready guys?" Shepard asked.

"You know it." I replied.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

The team dispersed once we made it back to the ship. Some went to the hotel, others decided to loiter around or help the crew with the armor installation.

"Here she is, the Normandy." Shepard said, pointing to the ship.

Samara nodded. "She is a fine vessel."

"For now we're just putting new armor on and we've finished installing some new weapons." Said Shepard.

Jacob and Miranda joined us on our little tour inside the ship.

"We've studied your profile extensively. With your skills, I think you'll be a real asset to the team." Jacob said.

"Thank you. From an organization such as yours, that is high praise indeed." Samara replied.

"We're still working on gathering as much intelligence on the Collectors as we can." Miranda said. "Information on them is still limited."

"We have no idea what we're going to find when we hit them." Jacob added.

"I will be prepared for whatever we encounter." Samara replied.

"Do you have any accommodations here on Illium?" asked Miranda.

Samara shook her head. "At the moment, I do not."

"I'll book a room for you at The Monaco. That's where we're staying at the moment."

"I appreciate that." Said the justicar.

"Is there anywhere on board where you would like to stay?" Miranda asked.

"A room that looks out on the great empty void would be most comforting." Replied Samara.

"The starboard observation room on deck 3 will be fine then." Miranda said.

We left the ship and I headed for the Kodiak. There was still some work to do on the thrusters.

The good news was that some of the engineers took care of the front landing thrusters and all that was left was the rear engines.

_Might as well get this done and head back to my room._

* * *

A couple of hours later, I finished putting the final touches on the Kodiak. It was all set, in terms of the engine and weapons installations. I was just adding some nose art to it.

"Hey Mark." I turned around and saw that it was Miranda.

"Miranda."

"What are you doing?" she asked looking at what I was painting on the Kodiak.

"Putting the finishing touch on this beast." I replied with a grin. "And…there we go."

I stood up and backed away to look at my work. The nose art was a picture of a massive Kodiak bear tearing a tank in half while stepping on two more. Surrounding the picture was an ID for the shuttle. 'AC-47X Kodiak, Normandy SR2'. Inside the logo was a motto, 'Death from Above'.

"Why did you put nose art on the shuttle?" Miranda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why not? It was either a bear or you in a swimsuit holding an M70." I replied.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You would draw that wouldn't you?"

"A man's gotta have some kind of inspiration."

"You've never seen me in a swimsuit." Miranda replied.

"A man's gotta have some aspirations too." I said with a grin.

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Anyway, did you want to talk to me?" I asked.

"Yes. Can we talk? In my room."

"Sure."

I followed Miranda back to the hotel and went up to her room.

We both sat down on the couch, staring out the large window at Illium.

"So…" I started to say.

"So."

"What exactly happened?" I asked.

"I…I'm not sure. It was…something."

I nodded.

"Was it stress or blowing off steam? Or…"

"Maybe it was something…real?" I replied.

She bit her lip and sighed. "This is no time for emotional entanglement!"

Miranda got up and paced back and forth. "We know more about the Collectors than anyone! We know the odds and how unlike it is that we'll come back alive. And on top of that, you're Cerberus' worst enemy!"

She stopped venting and sat back down on the couch her head in her hands.

"What idiotic bunch of hormones thought that now was a great time for love?" Miranda asked herself in a shaky voice.

I put a hand on her back and rubbed it. "Love eh?"

She turned her head and looked at me incredulously. "It's…that's not what I mean."

"But you do feel that way, right?" I asked softly.

Miranda looked at me for some time before giving me a small smile. "Yeah I do. So don't die. You promise me, damn it!"

"Hm…that's a big promise to make. I'll admit, I've survived through some of the most god awful things ever seen. I don't have any illusions about my mortality. We could die here or somewhere else."

I put my arm around her and pulled Miranda closer to me. "If you don't think it's worth it…I'll understand."

Miranda shook her head. "No…for you it is." She gave put her arms around me, giving me a hug.

I lightly snorted.

"What?" she asked me.

"Who would have thought the two of us would be like this." I replied.

She chuckled. "I still can't believe it myself. But…I'm glad."

"Me too." I replied, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Just there?" she asked wryly. I smirked as I planted a kiss on her lips. Miranda was happy to oblige with one of her own.

"So…what should we do now?" I asked.

"As much as I would like to continue this, I have to work. And, I'd like some time to think…you know, before we progress further." She replied.

I nodded. "I understand. Take your time Miranda. I've got all the time in the galaxy."

She rolled her eyes as I got up to leave.

"Good night, Mark."

"Night Miranda."

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! I felt like making a few changes from the original mission. There were a few loose ends that should have been tied off and the whole Elnora thing just seemed sort of weird. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	24. The Assassin

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay...again. I've been really distracted and stressed out lately. The whole PSN info leak has had me on edge...hoping that my credit card wasn't compromised. I just want it to be over and done with already. Anyway..._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**The Monaco, Illium**

I was up and ready to go this morning. I just felt like I was full of energy, ready to take on the world. Maybe it had something to do with Miranda. It sounded about right considering what's gone on between us over the past few days. We did more than warm up to each other. Now we were like a couple of lovesick teenagers.

_Oh there's nothing wrong with that. Well, unless other people find out then it'll get strange._

I was sitting in the hotel lounge watching the news on a nearby vid screen.

"Charles Saracino, leader of the Terra Firma party, has pled guilty to tax evasion. He is in custody, pending sentencing."

_What a shock. A politician not paying taxes._

"The Eclipse mercenary group has come under fire recently after being found guilty for the murder of volus merchant Dakni Kur. On a related note, volus merchant Pitne For has been arrested for smuggling."

_The hammer has just been dropped. Awesome._

My thoughts kept drifting back to Miranda and even Eviana. Thinking back on our relationship, I wasn't sure what kept the two of us together. We were always away from each other. All Eviana and I had were a couple of dates and some passionate sex. It was just a two year fling…that's all.

_And the bitch cheats on me with her trainee._

I shook my head.

_It's time to move on. You've got someone you care about, and she cares about you too._

I looked around the fairly empty lounge and saw a turian boy and a small asari worriedly looking around. They rapidly walked up to me.

"Excuse me? Have you seen an asari around here? She's got gold markings on her fringe and her forehead?" the little asari asked.

I shook my head. "Sorry. I can't say that I have."

The little girl bit her lip and looked down. "Where could my mom be?"

"She said that she would meet us here." Said the turian boy.

"What happened?" I asked the kids.

"Mom was gonna take us to the aquarium but we lost her in the crowds." Said the little girl.

"Illium's a crowded place. It's tough to move through during rush hour." I replied.

The little girl looked down. "Well, we should probably go…"

The girl and the turian boy slowly left.

"Wait." I said.

Both of them turned around.

"Why don't you wait here with me?"

The two kids looked at each other and then to me.

"Um, but we don't know you." The turian boy said.

"Well, you're staying in the hotel right?" I asked. The kids nodded.

"We are." Replied the asari.

"The entrance is over there. If she comes here looking for you, then you can see her come in." I said with a smile.

"Okay." She said with a grin. The two kids sat down on the couch next to me.

"Mom doesn't want us to be with strangers." The turian boy said to the girl.

I tapped my chin. "My parents always said that people are only strangers if you don't know their name. My name's Mark. What's yours?"

"I'm Aleena. This is my brother, Servius." The girl said.

"Nice to meet the both of you." I replied. "Wait…you're siblings?"

Aleena nodded. "Yep."

"My mother died when I was young and my dad remarried later on." Servius added.

I nodded. "I see."

"What's with the scar?" Aleena asked. Kids were always full of honest questions.

I chuckled. "I got this when I was in the military. I don't serve in the Alliance anymore."

"So what do you do now?" Servius asked.

"I'm a private investigator."

"Wow! That's so cool!" replied the little turian. "What kinda stuff do you investigate?"

"Oh I help out anyone and everyone. If you've lost something, need to find something, or anything else, I can help you out." I said with a grin.

"I guess we got lucky." Aleena said to her brother, who nodded.

I laughed. "So what brings you and your family out to Illium?"

"Oh we're visiting my mom's relatives. Aunt Rana's so nice." Aleena said.

"She makes me feel a little awkward." Servius added.

"That's be cause she keeps rubbing your head the wrong way." She replied with a smirk.

Servius shivered. "Feels like getting a static shock."

I chuckled. _Times like this I envy people who had siblings._

I got the kids some drinks as we sat in the hotel lounge. Aleena was only 22 and she looked like a 10 year old. Servius was a 10 year old. Both kids seemed like that a good head on their shoulders. Aleena wanted to be an explorer one day while her brother wanted to be a detective. He asked me for all sorts of pointers and stories. I shared a few, but none of the 'scary' ones I was on. They were kids after all.

"You wanna see a cool trick?" I asked.

Both kids smiled and nodded. I grabbed a deck of cards on the table and started shuffling them.

"Get ready to be amazed." I said.

* * *

Samara walked out of her hotel room and headed downstairs to the lobby. The hotel itself was quite decadent. She had been to many places before, but had never seen a place of this scale before. It almost reminded her of the life she once had, the possessions she gave up when she became a justicar.

_The family I once had…_

She shook the thought out of her head and stepped out into the lobby. There was a good amount of people coming and going, even in the late morning hours. Samara saw a familiar face sitting in the lobby with two small children.

_Ah. The one who was struck by the dead Eclipse sister by accident. What was his name?_

He was sitting on the couch, laughing with the turian and asari children, showing them a card trick. She decided to study him from afar. There was something about him…

* * *

"Okay. Now, one of you can pick out a single card. Both of you can look at it but you can't say what it is out loud and don't tell me what it is. Okay?"

Both children nodded.

I held the full deck out flat as Aleena picked a card and showed it to her brother.

"Alright. Now remember what the card is and put it back in the deck." I said.

Aleena put it back as I shuffled it twice. After shuffling, I flicked the top card with my fingers and then tossed it into the glass table.

"Is that your card?" I asked with a grin.

"Woah!" yelled the siblings as they saw their card stuck inside the glass table.

"How did you do that?" Servius asked.

"Oh, a magician never tells." I replied looking at the 8 of clubs in the table.

"Wow. It's stuck in there." Aleena said. "It's really in the table!"

"Don't worry, I'll get it." I replied as I flicked the table with my fingers, watching the card fall out and onto the floor.

"That was so cool!" Servius said.

"A thank you, thank you." I answered with a small bow.

"Aleena, Servius!" yelled out an asari.

_Must be the mom._

"Over here mom!" Aleena said.

"Oh thank the Goddess!" replied the mother jogging over to her children and giving them both a hug. "I thought I'd lost you both."

"It's okay mom. We came back to the hotel once we lost you in the crowds." Aleena said.

"That's when we met Mark. He stayed with us." Servius said.

The mom looked at me next. I waved. "Hi. That's me."

She walked over and gave me a hug too. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me!"

"You're very welcome ma'am." I replied with a grin. "I was glad to help out."

"I wish there was some way I could repay you."

"Don't worry about it. Again, I was glad to help out." I said.

"Hey mom, are still going to the aquarium?" Aleena asked.

"Of course sweetie. But we'll take a cab this time." Replied the mom.

"Hope you have fun." I said.

"Thanks! It was nice meeting you Mark!" Aleena said.

"Nice meeting all of you as well." I replied with a wave as the family left.

I sighed and sat back down on the couch.

"That was a good thing you did."

I turned around and saw that it was Samara who said that.

"I wanted to help them." I replied as Samara sat down on the couch. "Illium might look safe and secure, but I know well enough that its not. Didn't want to see them wandering around the city by themselves."

"Of course." Samara replied simply. "How are you feeling?"

"Hm? Oh from yesterday." I said, looking down at my chest. "I'm better. Bruised on my chest and back but better. Thank you."

"Again, my apologies for yesterday." She said.

I waved my hand. "It's fine. I've had worse."

"So I have seen. I believe we have not been formally introduced. I am Samara, a servant of the Justicar Code."

"Mark Sears, private investigator." I replied with a smirk.

Samara continued to gaze at me with those dead blue eyes. "I have heard you before…your actions on Thessia were well known in certain circles."

I smacked myself on the forehead. "Try to keep a low profile and yet everyone seems to find out."

A small smirk appeared on her face. "I actually heard about it from an asari Spectre by the name of Eviana Tervia."

My mouth fell open. "You…you know her?"

"Yes. For one so young, she is quite perceptive and skilled." Replied Samara.

I stared at the floor.

"She spoke highly of you. Eviana seemed very…infatuated even." Samara said as she gazed at me. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. She cheated on me." I replied.

"My apologies." She said simply.

"Don't worry about it."

We sat in silence for some time. I leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's a blessing or a curse." I said, thinking aloud.

"What is?"

"I can't describe it as a single word but…for some reason asari always seem attracted to me. I don't know if its just sensing my awkward behavior or what but…it's strange."

Samara raised an eyebrow. "They are simply attracted to you for no reason?"

"Yeah. The other night we met up with this informant at the Eternity lounge. It was the middle of the night and of course the club was packed." I shook my head. "Never had that many asari grinding on me before."

"I see." Samara replied. "I have heard of something similar before but not in humans."

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yes. In an old asari dialect, it is called the 'A'luvek'. It means 'the attractor'."

My eyes went wide before I smacked myself in the forehead. "Oh man."

"Do not worry. I am not physically attracted to you like many of my people." She replied.

"I dunno whether to say thanks or take that as an insult."

"I meant no offense." Said Samara.

"I figured…part of me is glad though. After seeing all those dead mercs, I'd probably wind up with a crushed pelvis."

Samara gave me the same blank stare as before. I simply shrugged.

"Okay, bad joke. Sorry." I said. "I've just got a lot on my mind at the moment."

"I see. I must go. It was a pleasure speaking to you Mark."

"Likewise, Samara." I replied as she got up and walked out of the hotel.

I looked up at the vid screen, seeing another news report.

"Breaking news from the city of New Trondheim on Mindoir, as the local police force has abandoned its investigation into the disappearance of over one hundred citizens. Police Chief Dean Reynolds has stated that the lack of sufficient evidence, suspects, and lack of funding to proceed with a large-scale investigation are the reasons for abandoning the cases. The total of disappearances as of this moment are close to eclipsing the two hundred mark. In a related story, colonial representatives of Mindoir have sought Alliance assistance for the case. Alliance Parliament will take a vote later this week."

I looked at the floor and rubbed my forehead.

_No…not again._

Part of me already knew what the result would be. History tended to repeat itself.

I sighed and got up to head to the ship.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

From the look of things, the armor installation was almost complete. I'm sure everyone was glad about it as that was one of the more painstaking installations. Despite having a great place to stay, I was eager to get back to the ship. Shepard had just walked into the hangar.

"Hey Mark. Great timing, we just got some intel about Thane." Shepard said.

"Cool. Let me guess, Liara filled you in?" I asked.

"Yeah. She wanted me to do a few things for her as well." He replied.

"Like what?" I asked as we headed up to the briefing room.

"Terminal hacking all over the damn place. She's become so…adamant about getting the Shadow Broker." Shepard said shaking his head.

"Did she tell you why she's doing it?" I asked.

"Liara said that she's looking for a friend that helped her. Even told me why the Shadow Broker was interested in me. Turns out the Collectors wanted my body."

"Damn. I remember hearing something about that. I thought it was just a rumor." I said surprised.

"Nope. Don't know why they wanted my body but they did. Plus it turns out that Liara's secretary was working for the Broker."

I snorted. "I knew something was off about that chick."

"You're not the only one." He said as we walked into the briefing room.

"So what's the plan for this mission?" I asked.

"I'd rather wait until everyone shows up but we won't be bringing everyone. Just four people."

We waited for a few minutes, spending time making idle chat. John decided to test out one of the new heavy weapons I got: the M-490 Blackstorm. He had heard about the infamous 'black hole gun' but never had the chance to see it or use it. Now was his chance.

Samara and Kasumi walked into the briefing room.

"Alright. Gang's all here." Shepard said. "Let's start the briefing."

He pressed a few buttons on the holographic terminal. "Okay. Our next and final recruit is an assassin by the name of Thane Krios."

"Oh I've heard of him. He's really good." Kasumi said.

"Same here. The guy was responsible for the famous 'One Hour Massacre' on Omega a few years back." I added.

"The One Hour Massacre?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah. The way I hear it is that a couple of rival gangs on Omega were accusing each other of going back on some deal so instead of taking each other head on, they went all cloak and dagger. Long story short, Thane ends up in the middle of all of this mess and wipes out both gangs. They weren't even his primary target, it was someone unrelated to both gangs."

Shepard nodded. "Then he'll be a real asset. The dossier backs that up as well. The reason I've called the three of you is because you'll be joining me. I don't want to bring in the full team so we won't tip off the mercs."

"So what's the situation?" I asked.

"Thane was hired to kill Nassana Dantius and is planning on killing her tonight. She'll be located in one of her penthouse towers, the first tower. The second tower is still under construction." Shepard replied.

"Oh man…Nassana? Talk about a blast from the past."

John chuckled. "No kidding, sounds like she's gotten more paranoid since our last meeting."

Kasumi and Samara glanced at each other and just shrugged.

"How do we plan on meeting up with this assassin?" Samara asked.

"We get to Nassana before he does." He answered. "I was told by a woman who was contacted by Thane that there will be night shift workers in the second tower so watch your fire. Any other questions?"

We shook our heads.

"Alright. We'll meet back here at 2100 hours. That's all."

_Trying to beat one of the galaxy's best assassins in a footrace just to sign him up. At least it won't be difficult…_

* * *

**Nos Astra Car Port, 2110 hours**

The four of us got into a car that Seryna had gotten. I didn't know much about her but from Shepard had said, she was a former security chief for Nassana. She left after discovering that Nassana was having people killed to cover up her secrets.

_Funny, same thing happened two years ago._

Seryna cut through several lanes of traffic as we made our approach to the Dantius Towers. I glanced over and saw Samara's armor. It was different than what she wore when we first met but similar to that outfit. It had this ancient but modern look to it and was definitely light armor.

"The towers are heavily guarded, and you'll find more resistance closer to the penthouse." Seryna explained. "So, this assassin—you planning on stopping him?"

"I'm just here to make sure he survives." Shepard replied.

"Hmm." Seryna muttered.

We finally saw the towers in sight, the second one was easy to spot, as it was still under construction.

"There they are: The Dantius Towers." Said Seryna. "You'll have to get up the second tower and cross the bridge to the penthouse. Her mercs will fight you every step of the way but its your best chance."

"I take it that we can't just go up to the front door and knock." I said.

Seryna nodded. "There's an airtight air defense system surrounding the top level of tower one. That's why it's easier to go in through the second tower."

"Any last minute tips about the towers?" Shepard asked.

"The Eclipse mercs will be well fortified by now, and they won't want to disappoint Nassana. There's no automated defenses or traps, just focus on anything moving." Said Seryna.

"We'll just have to be careful not to shoot any night shift workers." I added.

"Indeed." Samara agreed.

"All right. Let's do this." Shepard said.

"Hold on." Seryna said, taking a sharp left turn as we descended to the first level of the second tower.

I pulled my hood on as the car landed.

"Don't linger too long; they'll be here to greet you soon enough." Seryna said as we got out. "Good luck, Shepard."

We walked up to the entrance as Seryna took off. Several LOKI mechs started to gun down the salarian night workers before realizing we were there.

"Open fire!" Shepard ordered as we went inside and fired on the LOKI and FENRIS mechs.

Looking around the tower, I could see piles of drywall stacked up in the corners. The interior of the tower barely looked finished as you could still see the support structures and areas where walls should be.

"Got a blood trail here." I said as we followed it. The trail was green, meaning that there was a wounded salarian nearby.

The salarian was leaning next to a door, breathing heavily.

"Help…" he whispered out.

"He's still alive." Kasumi said.

"Mark." Shepard nodded to me.

"I'm on it." I replied as I applied medigel to his wounds.

"Who did this to you and why?" Shepard asked him.

"We're just night workers! Nassana…she sent them after us…" replied the salarian. "She sent the mechs to round us up but…we didn't hear…"

"They just attacked you?" Shepard asked in disbelief.

"Yes…we were too slow. It was horrible. Everyone…screaming. Then…the dogs…" said the salarian as he started coughing.

"Take it easy man. The meds will kick in soon." I said softly.

"Thank you…" said the salarian as he started to relax.

"Take your time." Added Shepard, as the salarian slowly started to get up.

"Find the other workers. Help them." Replied the worker.

Shepard nodded towards Kasumi who unlocked the door.

"We'll do what we can." Shepard said.

"Thank you." Replied the salarian, who walked towards the entrance.

"That was a good thing you did, Commander." Samara said.

He nodded. "Let's move out."

We drew our weapons and saw Eclipse mercs closing in on our position.

I dove behind a stack of drywall and blind fired at the mercs in front of us.

"Eclipse again? I'm getting really sick of them!" I yelled out.

"You and me both." Replied Shepard.

"At least there's no Minagen crates to worry about." Kasumi added.

"True that." I replied.

Samara used a biotic pull on a group of mercs. "This will get them off their feet!"

"Hello there." I said as Shepard and I lit them up and began to move forward.

The area we were in offered little cover, aside from some crates and more drywall stacks. Eclipse had their heavy hitters out, mostly vanguards and mechs firing nonstop. Kasumi seemingly disappeared, and suddenly appeared behind said vanguard and dropped him with a wicked punch.

_Dang. Didn't think she packed a mean punch._

Even as we moved up to better cover, it was still difficult to get a clean shot. The U-shaped room gave Eclipse a better defensive advantage. However, like their other comrades and the Eclipse Sisters, they lacked discipline and threw themselves at us. The mechs were no better; their programming consisted of shooting and slowly charging forward.

_Whoever programmed these things was a jackass. Companies must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel for VI programmers._

We made our way around the U room and finished off the remaining Eclipse and their mechs. The door in the final room had a ramp that went up to the next floor.

"Looks like some kind of service area." I muttered as we made our way up the ramp.

"By the looks of it, they're not even halfway done with this building." Kasumi said. As we entered the second level, we could hear a conversation echoing through a duct above.

"Hey—I think he went in here."

"Well, go get him."

"You go."

"Get your ass in there. Nassana's not paying you to stand around."

"Fine…but I…" the merc's voice was cut off by a sickening thud, followed by a couple of other thuds.

All of us looked up at the duct.

"Sounds like our guy's up there." I whispered.

Then, the body of a merc came flying down from the duct and smashed into the ground.

"Kuso!" yelled Kasumi.

I chuckled and she smacked me in the arm.

The four of us slowly moved up and heard the sound of mechs coming to life along with the footsteps of more mercs.

"Everyone pick a spot and get ready to engage." Said Shepard.

LOKI mechs and Eclipse mercs came from the left and front of our positions. Like their previous strategies before, they relied on strength in numbers instead of tactics.

It was a bloodbath. Once the first group was taken care of, we headed in the direction the mercs came from. Cover from nearby crates played to our advantage while they charged at us again; no cover nearby to help them.

I sat back, picking off Eclipse mercs left and right with my sniper rifle. Samara showed us her incredible biotic abilities, tossing mercs, several at a time, in various directions. Kasumi did her usual disappearing act, only reappearing to knock out anyone that gave us trouble. Shepard was using his adrenaline burst with deadly effect.

_Can't imagine what would have happened if we brought the whole team…probably end up destroying the towers and an entire city block._

Once the area was clear, we fanned out.

"I'll check the elevator." I said, as Shepard, Samara, and Kasumi went over to a locked door nearby.

I looked up at the floor indicator and saw that the lift was on its way down from the top level. I hacked the controls and security and saw who was on their way down; a large krogan bounty hunter and two Eclipse engineers.

_Let's have a little fun._

I set remote charge inside the door and walked over to a stack of plywood. Moments later a few more salarian workers came out along with the rest of the team.

"More workers eh?" I asked.

"Yeah. Turns out Thane locked them in to prevent the mercs from killing them." Shepard replied.

"Huh. That's unexpected." I said.

"Tell me about it. So, what's up with the elevator?" he asked.

"Got three of them coming down. I left them a little gift." I replied.

"Nice. All right, I'll press the call button. Everyone get behind something." Shepard said.

Samara, Kasumi, and I ducked behind a pile of drywall and waited as Shepard came back.

"Mezzanine. Have a pleasant day."

As the doors opened, I set the charge off. It killed all three enemies inside and incinerated them.

"That's gotta hurt." Kasumi said.

"Mm-hmm." I replied.

The four of us went inside and headed to the top floor.

* * *

**Dantius Towers, Tower 2/Tower 1 Bridge**

As the elevator stopped, a lone Eclipse merc was talking into his headset and looking out the window.

"Don't worry about it. We don't need any reinforcements. I'll take care of it." Said the merc.

The four of us slowly walked up behind him, our weapons drawn.

"It's under control. I'll go down there myself."

All of us except for Shepard pointed our weapons on him.

"Turn around. Very slowly." Shepard said.

The merc complied. "Damn it."

"Have you seen the assassin?" asked Shepard.

"Why are you looking for him? You're not one of Nassana's mercs. Who are you?" the merc asked.

John let out a sigh. "You've got two ways down. Express or coach. You're choice."

"Look pal, even if I knew where he was I wouldn't tell you." The merc said pointing at Shepard.

"Not the answer I was looking for."

The merc folded his arms. "I've got nothing more to say to you. If you shoot me, my team's right through there. They'll be all over you."

Shepard grabbed him by the collar and pressed him up against the glass, cracking it. "What sound will you make when you hit the ground? Think you'll hear it before you die?"

_Oh snap!_

"Uh…" the merc blurted out. "Okay look…last I heard, the assassin was down on the mezzanine. But the teams on the bridge think they might have spotted him. No one knows for sure."

Shepard jerked his head towards the lift. "Get out of here."

The merc held his hands up. "I'm going."

"John, that was probably the coolest thing I've ever heard anyone say." I said to Shepard.

He snorted. "Glad you liked it."

As we headed to the next room, Shepard picked up a datapad laying on the ground and pocketed it.

"Oh. This salarian was talking about it at the shipping area. He lost it so I'm getting it back for him."

"That's nice." Kasumi replied.

Entering the nearby door, we saw four mechs that had yet to be activated. Two of them were directly in front of us near some crates, the other two were right next to a fuel cell. My combat scanner picked up three mercs nearby, and two above us.

"Shepard, we've got four of them above us." I said.

He looked up. "The upper floor's a little uneven. They can't target us."

"Good. But still…" I trailed off.

The voice of a nearby merc echoed. "He's all over the place."

"What do you mean?" asked Nassana through the radio.

"We've got reports of him on multiple levels. We think he's traveling through the ducts..."

"I'm not paying you to think! Just find him! Now!" Nassana yelled.

"Come on. She'll be throwing us to the dogs next." One of the other mercs muttered.

I lined up a shot on one of the mercs that rounded the corner and fired.

Kasumi overloaded one of the nearby fuel containers, wiping out two of the mechs while Shepard and Samara focused on the other two mechs and some rushing mercs.

Once the area was clear, Shepard noticed a locked door nearby. I unlocked it and we entered, seeing a salarian holding a Shriuken pistol.

"Are you guys alright in here?" Shepard asked.

"Get back! Get back…I'll shoot." The salarian yelled.

"Be at peace. No one will hurt you anymore." Samara said to the salarian.

"I don't want to hurt you…but I will. I said get back! I'll do it! Please…don't make me do it." He said.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. What's your name?" Shepard asked calmly.

"I…I'm Telon. Don't…don't come any closer."

"Telon, I'm Commander Shepard. I don't work with the mercs, and I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help."

"I…all right…here." Replied Telon, giving Shepard the gun. "I…don't feel so…"

Telon passed out and fell on the ground. One of the other salarians rushed up to him.

"Telon! It's okay. I'm his brother. I just want to make sure he's alright." Telon's brother said.

He looked at us and the body of an Eclipse merc. "Are you the ones who…shot the merc?"

"No, that wasn't us. Did your brother do it?" Shepard asked.

Telon's brother shook his head. "No. Telon was standing here with me."

"What happened, exactly?" I asked.

"The merc found us and shouted at us to move. We panicked and he shouted more. I thought he was going to kill us…then his head just…exploded. Telon picked up the merc's gun, but we were too afraid to leave. Then you showed up."

"Hmm. Clean headshot and no collateral damage. Hell of a shot." I commented.

"How safe is the bridge out there?" Shepard asked.

"It's stable but the wind is the real problem. If it doesn't throw you off, the mercs will try. There's a lot of them out there."

Shepard nodded. "Thanks for the tip. There's still mercs up here but it should be safer on the lower levels."

"No need to convince me." He said, starting to wake Telon up. "Telon…come on, get up."

"Can we go home now?" Telon asked tiredly.

"Yeah. We're getting out of here." Said the brother. "Thank you."

And like that, all the salarians left.

_Hopefully that's all of them._

As we left the room, a nearby terminal with a screaming Nassana was playing over and over again.

"Where is everyone?"

The four of us looked at each other.

"She doesn't sound happy." Kasumi said with a small grin.

"Idea!" I yelled out.

"Oh boy." Shepard sighed as I pressed the activation button.

"It's about time. Where are you?"

I cleared my throat and said. "You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it."

"What the fu—"

I cut off the transmission. "So, what do you think?"

"A Sovereign quote, Mark? Really?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"It was kinda badass." I replied.

"Meh." Shepard said.

We ran up the ramp and found ourselves facing off against a LOKI mech and three vanguards. Even with their abilities, Samara took on all three of them.

That's right, all three vanguards.

_As if we weren't already blown away by her abilities._

She dragged all of them in with a singularity, the whirlwind brought in crates and fuel canisters. They were either incinerated or killed by blunt force trauma.

"What's up ahead, Mark?" Shepard asked me as I turned on my thermal vision.

"Five mercs, two mechs. Looks like two of them are setting up explosives." I replied.

"There's your target then."

"Forget the explosives! He's already past us!" one of the mercs yelled out.

I popped up behind the crate and fired a round at the explosives, instantly killing the two techs that were arming them and causing a fireball to erupt. It also took out a nearby vanguard.

Kasumi hit two of the mechs with an overload mine.

Samara and Shepard handled the last two Eclipse mercs and we moved forward.

"Well, there's the bridge." Kasumi said. "Fingers crossed that we don't get blown away."

"By the mercs or the wind?" I asked.

"Both." She replied.

"I'm not worried about the wind. I've got magnetic locks on my boots." I said.

"Good to know. By the way, how fast are those winds blowing?" Shepard asked.

"From my readings, about 60 miles an hour." I replied.

"I thought it was going to be worse. Anyway, everyone stick together." Said Shepard.

Shepard pulled out his brand, spankin' new Blackstorm and ducked behind a crate at the bridge entrance. Kasumi and Samara took care of the nearby mechs before getting behind cover. That's when we saw ten Eclipse mercs rush our position.

The Blackstorm started whine and I saw this dark orange and black energy form at the four points of the weapon. Then, Shepard fired it at the charging mercs. A massive black ball with orange lightning surrounding it. The ball hit the crowd, some of the mercs flew off the bridge, others were sucked in and incinerated. The ball then exploded in a massive explosion, instantly killing whatever mercs that weren't incinerated.

There was silence among the four of us for a few brief seconds.

I snorted. "You call that an explosion?"

Kasumi chuckled.

"Got a couple of rocket turrets at 11 and 1 o'clock high." I said.

"Take 'em down." Shepard said.

Two shots and we moved across the bridge slowly. At this height, those 60mph winds felt more like 115.

_They really have to stop building 2,000 ft. skyscrapers. It's like being in a goddamn wind tunnel._

Despite the wind speed, I could hear Nassana cursing to high heaven at her mercs to try and kill us. We continued to move closer to the first tower, cutting down anyone in our way. After climbing the stairs, there was only one merc left and Samara took care of her easily.

* * *

**Dantius Towers, Tower One Penthouse**

We walked into the penthouse and saw Nassana and three Eclipse mercs who turned to the door we came in and pointed their weapons at us.

"Shepard? But…you're dead?" Nassana said, confusion and shock written on her face.

"I got better." Shepard replied with a smirk.

"And now you're here to kill me." Nassana said turning to face the window.

"You really are paranoid aren't you?" Shepard asked.

She snorted and waved her hand at him. "Don't patronize me, Shepard."

"Charming as ever." Retorted Shepard.

Nassana turned her head. "I'm sure you find this all very ironic. First you kill my sister, and now you're here for me."

She turned around and faced us again. "Well, you made it this far. Now what?"

"You really think I'm here to kill you?" Shepard asked Nassana.

"Do you have another reason for destroying my towers? Decimating my security?"

"I'm just looking for someone." He replied simply.

"You expect me to believe that? Is it credits? Is that what you want? Just tell me your price and we can make this problem go away." She asked forcefully.

_She's really off the deep end now eh?_

I heard a small clanking noise coming from above, John must have noticed it too because he glanced up briefly.

"All the credits in the world won't make this problem go away Nassana."

"Who the hell gave you the right to play God?" Nassana asked angrily. "I may not be perfect but look at you. We both kill people for money, what's the difference?"

"You kill people because you think they're beneath you, that they're in your way. I kill people when they leave me no choice." Shepard replied.

"You have a choice. You don't have to do this. I can tell you—"

I heard the clanking again. The mercs did too.

"What is it?" Nassana barked out.

"I heard something." The merc replied.

Nassana sighed. "Damn it. Check the other entrances."

She turned to us. "You. Stay put. When I'm finished dealing with this nuisance, you and I are going to—"

Her words were cut off when Thane dove out of the duct he was in. He broke the neck of the first merc, punched another right in the throat and shot the asari merc. Nassana was about to fire her pistol when Thane grabbed her arm and threw it down and shot her right in heart as she was hunched over his pistol. She moaned out in pain and Thane placed her gently on the table, crossing her arms over her chest before bowing his head in prayer.

"Wow. That was impressive." Kasumi said, as we stood there and watched Thane.

I had met a few drell before. Most of them rarely left Kahje, the hanar home world but the ones I did know where very good information dealers.

I holstered my rifle and Kasumi and Samara followed suit, holstering their weapons. Shepard slowly approached Thane.

"I was hoping to talk to you." He said to Thane.

"I apologize, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken." Replied Thane.

Shepard nodded. "Do you really think she deserves it?"

Thane lifted his head. "Not for her. For me."

He holstered his pistol and slowly approached us. "The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All of this destruction…chaos."

Shepard glanced at Thane and then Nassana.

"I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me. Well, here I am."

"How did you know I was coming at all?" Shepard asked.

"I didn't." Thane walked forward, staring at us. "Not until you came in through the front door and started shooting."

He crossed his arms behind his back, as if he was standing at ease. "Nassana had become paranoid. You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed that one of her sisters would kill her."

I took my recon hood off. "Heh. No love lost in that family."

"Indeed." Thane said. He turned his head towards Shepard. "You were a valuable distraction."

Kasumi sighed. "Don't we always end up as a distraction?"

"Usually." I replied.

"I needed a diversion, you needed to speak to me." Thane added. "You certainly fulfilled your end of the bargain. What would you like to discuss?"

"Someone's been abducting entire human colonies. We're going to stop them. The culprits are the Collectors." Shepard answered.

"I've heard of them." Thane replied turning to look out the window.

"Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so." Said Thane.

Shepard and I smirked. "They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos too."

"A fair point. You've built a career on performing the impossible." Replied Thane.

The drell assassin looked at the ground. "This was to be my last job. I'm dying."

Silence fell over the room for a brief moment. _That's a surprise…kinda reminds me of someone._

I smirked at the thought.

"Low survival odds don't concern me. The abduction of your colonists does."

"I hadn't heard that." Shepard said softly. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Giving me this opportunity is enough. The universe is a dark place. I'm trying to make it brighter before I die." Thane replied.

He turned to face Shepard. "Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough, and they suffered. I must atone for that."

Thane stuck his hand out. "I will work for you Shepard. No charge."

Shepard grinned and returned the handshake.

"And with that our recruiting is done." Kasumi said.

"But before we can celebrate, we gotta do the one thing that follows killing people. Leaving the scene of the crime." I added.

Shepard and Kasumi chuckled. "Normandy, this is Shepard. We're all set, can you send the Kodiak?"

"You got it Commander." Replied Joker. "ETA, 5 minutes."

* * *

**En route to Normandy SR2**

"I gotta say Mark, the Kodiak doesn't look all that different." Shepard said.

"Not in here. There's more room in the cockpit and all the weapons I added pop out at the push of a button." I replied.

"By the way, nice addition of the nose art." He said with a smirk.

"Had to be done."

I glanced to my left and saw Thane and Samara, both of them appeared to be deep in thought. Samara had barely spoken over the course of the mission.

Thane was glancing out the window.

"I should probably introduce you to the team so far." Shepard said to Thane.

The assassin turned to Shepard. "Ah. Of course."

John pointed to Kasumi. "This is Kasumi Goto, our resident master thief."

"Pleasure to meet you Thane." She replied.

Thane bowed his head. "You as well."

John pointed to me next. "Over here is Mark Sears, an old friend of mine and resident goofball."

"On behalf of the goofball community, I take offense to that." I replied, folding my arms and grinning.

John shook his head. I stuck my hand out and shook Thane's hand.

"So you are the famous detective I've heard about. A pleasure." He said.

I shook my head. "Famous? Oh right the whole Thessia thing."

"Indeed. I have followed some of your more interesting cases." Said Thane.

"Funny, I've looked up some of your assassinations. Makes all of my military accolades look like garbage." I replied.

A small smirk appeared on the edges of his face. "You still have me beaten in terms of longest kill."

I nodded.

"Last and most certainly not least, Justicar Samara." Shepard said gesturing to Samara.

Thane's eyes flashed briefly, as if he were surprised or caught off guard.

"Hello." She said, extending a hand to Thane.

"It is an honor Samara." He replied.

"You as well." She said.

Thane still seemed a bit awkward. "You alright, Thane?" I asked.

"Yes. I was not expecting to meet the Justicar…that is all." He replied, clearing his throat.

_Maybe he's a little afraid that she saw what he did and that he's going to get splattered…who knows._

We had everyone we needed here on Illium. All we had to do was play 'Hurry Up and Wait' to see what awaited us next.

* * *

_Alright! Recruiting missions are wrapped up. Interlude and Collector Ship are up next. As for Mark, we'll see what happens with him. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	25. Interlude 6

_Author's note: Well after back to back recruiting missions, we'll take a little break. Which is fine since the Collector ship mission is pretty long. Anyway, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

Shepard, Miranda, Jacob, Thane, and I were gathered in the briefing room.

"For now, we're finishing up with the installation of our new armor and a few other things." Shepard said to Thane.

Thane simply nodded in understanding.

"This is my second in command, Miranda Lawson." Shepard gestured to his XO.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Krios." She said to the drell assassin.

He bowed his head.

"And this is Jacob Taylor, our ship's armory officer." Shepard said, pointing to Jacob.

Jacob's arms were folded. "I've heard impressive stories, Krios. Looks like you'll be a real asset to the team."

His tone sounded almost condescending.

Miranda sighed. "Jacob."

"That is, if you're comfortable having an assassin watch your back." Jacob added.

_Well at least this won't be awkward._

Thane didn't look fazed whatsoever. "I've accepted a contract. My arm is Shepard's."

"Uh huh. Don't know about you, but I'm loyal to more than my next paycheck." Jacob replied coldly.

"Obviously he is to. He's doing this mission gratis. What's your concern?" Shepard asked.

"I don't like mercenaries. An assassin is a precise mercenary." Jacob said.

"An assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't choose to kill, the one who wields it does." Thane retorted.

"Geez cod piece. You're getting bent out of shape over Thane and yet we've got an ex con and a mercenary here?" I asked shaking my head.

Jacob fixed a glare at me but I kept cool.

Shepard sighed. "Alright enough. Thane, do you have a place to stay here on Nos Astra?"

"Yes I do. As for staying on board, I have yet to find a place." He said.

"Any preferences?" Miranda asked.

"I'd prefer some place dry, if anything's available." Thane replied.

EDI's avatar popped up. "The area near the life support plant tends to be more arid than the rest of the ship."

Thane stared at the avatar. "Ah. An AI? My thanks." He bowed his head. "As for where I'm currently staying, I am at a hotel called 'The Monaco'."

"Heh. That's where we're staying." I said with a smirk.

"I'll be ready whenever we're ready to leave." He said before turning to leave.

"He seems quite civil." EDI added before her avatar disappeared.

"Huh. Did not expect that." I muttered. Shepard turned to Jacob.

"We need all the help we can get Jacob. He's not what I expected in an assassin. He may surprise you."

Jacob unfolded his arms. "Yeah and he may not."

I rolled my eyes. "Knock it off cod piece."

"What did I say about calling me that?" he asked agitated.

"That it was amusing and to keep doing it." I deadpanned. He simply rolled his eyes and left the briefing room in a huff.

"What's his deal anyway?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Jacob doesn't have much of a tolerance for people with no real loyalties in particular." Miranda replied. "Like mercenaries and assassins."

"Huh. Yet he trusts me even though I'm hunting down the people he works for." I said.

Miranda shrugged. "Probably because you know where your loyalties lie."

I shook my head. "Strange."

The two of us left the briefing room. I had to put away my weapons and armor. Miranda followed me in.

"It's good to see that everyone made it through without any injuries." She said as I sat down and took off my boots.

"Yeah. I'm still sore from having a dead body thrown at me the other day though." I said.

"Aww, I'm sorry to hear that." Miranda replied sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh you do care." I deadpanned. She walked up to me and put her arms around my neck.

She leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Of course I do."

I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked softly.

"I can see down your shirt. Please tell me that was intentional." I replied.

Miranda sighed and let go. "You're just incorrigible aren't you?"

"Part of my charm." I replied with a grin.

"Well, I should get going. There are some after action reports I have to take care of." She said. Miranda glanced around and planted a kiss on my cheek. "I'll see you later."

I returned it. "See you later."

As Miranda walked out of the armory, she made a little 'show' as she walked out.

"Yowza." I blurted out. I swear I heard her laugh as the door closed.

* * *

**Nos Astra**

After dropping my weapons and armor off, I went for a walk around the city. I had to clear my head. All of this news about Mindoir was bothering me. People were disappearing daily and all investigations and inquiries were shut down. Even though the colonial government petitioned the Alliance Parliament, I knew what the end result was going to be.

_They did it before and they're going to do it again._

The Alliance ignored Mindoir's requests for more military aid due to the proximity of the Batarian border. The end result: The entire colony and surrounding lands were almost totally obliterated.

_Hindsight is always twenty/twenty. I'll be damned if it happens again._

My omni-tool beeped and I looked at it. There was a text message from Watson.

_Mark,_

_Through our contacts, you have received the new Serrice Council Savant Black Series omni-tool. You can pick it up at any Serrice Council kiosk._

_Watson_

"Sweet!" I muttered.

The Black Series was Serrice Council's elite and highly expensive new line for bio-amps and omni-tools. It was like my Savant omni-tool on steroids; four times more powerful and had more capacity than my own. It was going to be good to have but…I didn't want to part with my old Savant. It belonged to my dad.

I walked over to the kiosk and input my customer code and picked up the new Savant Black Series.

I took off the Savant and put it in my pocket and put on the SBS.

"Hm. Nice start up." I said.

What separated this omni-tool from the others, aside from performance, was its appearance. It had a black/chrome holographic interface.

_Handy when it comes to covert situations, looks cool too._

I also interfaced it with my sunglasses, which also doubled as a tactical readout device.

"Thank you Watson."

It was good to have a new little toy distract me from my thoughts. Too bad it didn't last long though.

"Excuse me." Said a large krogan behind me.

"Sorry." I replied moving out of the way.

"Actually, I wanted to speak to you." He said. "My sources tell me that you were in a warehouse recently."

"I was." I replied simply.

"I represent a Mr. Thax. He would like to thank you for bringing the 'shipping irregularities to his attention."

_Shipping irregularities? Oh yeah, that datapad I found when we got Samara._

I nodded. "You need any help finding the person that cheated him?"

The krogan shook his head. "Thank you but that won't be necessary. Mr. Thax will be making a series of polite calls to make sure this won't happen again."

I let out a short laugh. "Well it was my pleasure to help out."

"Here. Thank you for your assistance in this matter." He said, giving me 1500 credits. "Have a pleasant day."

The krogan then walked away. I felt a little dumbstruck.

_A soft spoken, polite krogan? Man the universe really is coming to an end._

I shoved my hands in my pockets and kept walking, eventually ending up near the transport terminal. An asari nearby was screaming into a phone.

"I don't know how he found out! Just give Thax a full refund! Then run like hell!"

_Heh. Life lesson: Never piss off a krogan businessman._

Speaking of krogan, there was one at the nearby souvenir kiosk, shouting poetry to an asari.

_If I told anyone, they would think I had lost my mind. First a polite one, now a krogan shouting poetry…really bad poetry._

The asari seemed, perturbed by this display. She had a nametag on that said Ereba.

_Probably works at that souvenir place._

"Uh…you okay, ma'am?" I asked.

"Hm? Yeah. Sorry, that damn krogan's love poems are getting on my nerves." She replied.

"You want me to talk to him? Get him to stop?"

She waved her hand. "No, that's all right." She glanced over at him. "His name's Charr. We're kind of dating but…well, we're on a break. And he's trying to show me how sensitive he is by, well, wooing me. It's really bad."

I chuckled. "Well, he gets an A for effort."

She rolled her eyes.

"To my knowledge, it's not very common for asari and krogan to date. No offense. What brought you two together?" I asked.

"He's a fun guy. Really smart, especially for a krogan, and he's got a job as a transport technician." The asari glanced over as Charr paced back and forth. "It's fun to join a mercenary guild or dance in bars for a few centuries, but eventually you hit the matron stage, you know?"

I nodded. "Felt like settling down?"

"Yeah. Then you get your back tattoo removed, let your scalp return to its natural blue, and settle down with someone dependable." She replied.

"So why are the two of you on a break?" I asked as I leaned on a nearby railing.

"He's serious. Serious as in talking about kids. Charr's a great guy to date but for something permanent…?" she glanced over at Charr again. "Krogan live long lives. It's not like dating a human where you stick it out for a century until they die."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, no offense." She said, holding her hands up.

"Don't worry about it." I replied.

"Anyway, it made me wonder if he really likes me or if he wants kids. He can't have them any other way, you know, because of the genophage."

I scratched my chin. "That sounds like something you should ask him."

"I did. I don't think he realized that our kids would always have been asari. Non-asari don't always get that we're not taking alien DNA, we're just using it to randomize some of the genetic information. Anyway, Charr was quiet for a long time. Then he said he'd love our girls no matter what color they were."

I smirked. "Well from the sound of it, he seems like a keeper. You should go talk to him, otherwise, he's gonna keep shouting love poetry until you do."

She sighed. "I know. But it's tough! I like him a lot. Hell, I love him! But I don't know that he's permanent bond material."

I pointed to Charr. "Look at him! The dude's obviously crazy about you."

"Is he? What if he just wants to have kids? Am I just his baby making machine? He didn't say that but—"

"Well if he said that, then you either trust him so you've got nothing to worry about. Or, you don't trust him, and you already made up your mind." I replied.

"I—I guess I hadn't thought about it like that. And I do trust him. If he said it…I'm going to go talk to him! Here, I gave you a discount at the souvenir shop; I run it. Anyway, thanks. You've been a big help." She said, walking over towards Charr.

I decided to browse through the kiosk and get a goofy shirt that said. "I went to Illium and all I got was this shirt and an indentured service contract."

_Heh. Funny._

"That was sweet of you Mark."

I turned around and saw Kelly. I shook my head. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long. I'm surprised you didn't notice me." She replied with a grin.

I sighed. "Sorry. I've got a lot of things on my mind."

Kelly wasn't wearing her usual crew outfit. She had on some short-shorts and tank top. _Obviously enjoying her shore leave._

"Anything in particular you want to share?" she asked.

I sat down on a bench, leaning forward. "Have you been keeping up with the news lately?"

"Somewhat…" Kelly replied.

"I don't know if you heard or not but…people on Mindoir are disappearing."

She raised her eyebrows. "The Collectors?"

I shook my head. "Nah. They haven't gone into Alliance space. This is some other force at work."

"I can see how this would affect you. Mindoir was your home."

"Yeah. The colonial government petitioned the Alliance but I doubt they'll do anything. History tends to repeat itself like that." I replied. "They're supposed to make a decision in the next week or so."

"If you would like, I could talk to the Commander for you." Kelly offered.

"Thanks. I'm just hoping that I'll be proven wrong and that they'll send support. If not, I'll leave a message with you." I replied. She gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I'll talk to you later Mark. Hope you'll feel better."

"Thanks Kelly. See you later." I headed back to the hotel. It was late, and I needed to sleep.

* * *

**The Monaco, Illium**

I woke up the next morning not feeling any better than I did yesterday. I packed all my clothes into a bag and got ready to move back into the ship as the armor installation was now complete. One of the last things I put into the bag was my dad's Savant omni-tool. I looked at it for some time before putting it away. I grabbed the bag and headed down to the lobby.

Thane was over at the hotel restaurant, having a silent breakfast. I headed over to say hello.

"Mornin'." I said.

He looked up as if he came out of a daze. "Hello Mark."

"Hope I wasn't disturbing you."

"Not at all. I was just…lost in an old memory." Replied Thane.

"Ah, solipsism." I said.

Thane nodded, a small smirk on his face. "I see you are familiar with it. Most humans are not."

"I have a drell contact by the name of Sinan. He's helped me out from time to time, that's when I learned about it."

"I see."

"I've got a good memory too. Not like yours but still good." I said.

Thane folded his hands. "Do you have an example?"

I tapped my chin. "Well, it might take awhile. I don't do it in short bursts."

"That is alright." Thane said, giving me a nod.

I cleared my throat. "July 10th, 2171. Training exercise on Titan. Mission objective was disable a fortress security system without tipping off the soldiers inside and take out a designated target silently and evac. I went in alone, armed with a pistol and sniper rifle. Insertion was clean and quiet. Slipped by the guards despite heavy outer security. I scaled a twenty foot wall and went into the security office. The grid went down easily and I snuck inside the main facility. The target was in an office, heavily guarded, all with automatic weapons and shotguns. There was only one way in and out. I used an overload mine to disable their radios and knocked all five guards out. Target was eliminated, extraction was clean."

"Hm." Thane said. "That reminds me of an assignment I once did when I was younger."

"I did that mission when I was just a kid myself."

We were quiet for some time as Thane looked around the restaurant, as if he was expecting someone with a gun to pop out.

"When we ran into you, you said you were dying." I said, trying to get Thane out of whatever rut he was in.

"Yes. It's called Kepral's Syndrome. My people are native to an arid world and Kahje, the hanar home world is quite the opposite as it rains every day. Eventually the tissue in our lungs becomes damaged and loses its ability to absorb oxygen. After that it spreads to other organs."

"Damn. Sounds about as bad as what I used to have." I replied.

"Neurotoxemia." Thane said.

I raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"As I said when we first met, I followed your investigations with some interest. Some information I gathered on my own. That is when I found out about your condition."

"I see." I replied. "So is your condition communicable?"

Thane shook his head. "No. Not even among other drell. The hanar's Illuminated Primacy has been funding and working on a cure. I imagine by the time one is found my body will no longer be drawing breath."

I snorted. "I thought the same thing too. Yet I'm still here."

"Indeed."

"You don't really act like a dying man." I added.

"That is where Shepard has the advantage. He's died once before. I plan on asking him for some advice later." Thane replied with a smirk.

I chuckled. "You know, when a cure for neurotoxemia was found I had two days left to live."

"What was it like?" Thane asked curiously.

"Honestly?"

He nodded.

"It took every ounce of strength I had left to get out of bed. I was in some of the worst pain you can possibly imagine. Take every injury you've ever sustained and multiply it by five. That's what it felt like for me."

"I see…" Thane said.

"If its advice you want for the final moments, all I can tell you is never give up. Besides, you might get lucky, like I did." I replied with a smirk.

"Hey guys."

I turned around and saw Garrus who just arrived.

"Hey Garrus." I replied. Thane nodded his head.

"Oh I should introduce you two. Garrus Vakarian, Thane Krios. Thane Krios, Garrus Vakarian, our ship's resident turian badass."

Garrus snorted. "Nice to meet you Thane."

Thane nodded. "You as well."

Garrus turned to me. "Resident turian badass?"

"Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" I asked with a smirk.

"You're strange." He deadpanned.

"That's what makes me so cool." I fired back.

Thane let out a short, low laugh.

"Well, it was good talking to Thane. I gotta drop my things off at the ship." I said getting up.

"Mark." Thane replied with a nod.

* * *

Garrus and Thane watched as Mark left the hotel.

"He is an interesting fellow." Thane said.

"Yeah. He's a good guy." Replied Garrus.

"Something troubles him though." Thane added.

"What do you mean?"

"His voice sounded distant. Mark also appeared tired." Said Thane.

"You could tell that from his voice?"

"When you've followed a target for an extended amount of time, you pick up various signals." Replied the drell. "The same could be said for you, Mr. Vakarian."

Garrus raised an eyebrow. Thane glanced up at him.

"You have the same look in your eyes that I had many years ago."

"What are you talking about?" Garrus asked, a little bothered at the fact that Thane seemed to be reading him.

"Some people I cared about were taken from me. I went after the people who did so. It did not end well." He replied lowering his head. "If it is revenge you are looking for, give it up. Nothing good will come of it."

With that Thane stood up. "I will see you later, Mr. Vakarian."

Garrus stood there a little dumbfounded that the man he just met seemingly figured out what was bothering him.

Ever since he got the message from one of his old C-Sec contacts, Garrus was on edge. Sidonis was on the Citadel, hiding. He knew Garrus was coming, or did he? Sidonis cleared out his accounts and ran, probably assuming that Garrus died on Omega.

_I know where you are…you'll never hide from me Sidonis._

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

Shore leave was over.

_If you could call it shore leave…picking up two new recruits and helping Miranda; doesn't sound like a vacation._

"All right folks, fun's over back to work. Hope no one got into any sort of illicit marriage…*cough* Matthews." Joker said over the intercom.

"God damn it Joker! I broke it off!"

"That's pretty cold heartbreaker." Joker fired back as laughter could be heard through out the ship.

I chuckled. "Moorings are clear big man."

"Ah right." Joker replied as he pushed a few commands on his interface.

"Bye bye, Illium." I said. We cleared the docks and flew up into the atmosphere.

I leaned back into the co-pilot seat. "Hey! You got cup holders now!"

"Heh sure did. I even took your advice on getting full body massagers." He replied with a grin. Joker pushed button on his chair.

"Ahh." He groaned out in a shaky voice as the chair vibrated.

"I just hope you don't turn it into your home." I said.

"It's not like I keep a bottle to take a whiz in up here."

"Mr. Moreau, there were a few incidents where you did such a thing." EDI butted in.

My face cringed and Joker looked at me shifting his eyes. "Damn it EDI!"

"Dude…" I shook my head.

Joker sighed. "Hey, sometimes I can't get up or else we'll crash and die."

"That's a lame excuse."

"So you suggest we crash and die?" Joker asked.

"There's this thing called auto pilot. It's kind of been around for a long time." I replied.

"Hm. Good point."

"Seriously, you shouldn't do that up here. Porn is understandable…maybe. But no peeing up here." I said.

"Fine."

"Same goes for dropping a deuce."

"Fine." He replied annoyed.

"Good boy." I said with a smirk. I got up and walked out of the cockpit, heading for the tech lab.

I walked in and saw Mordin furiously pacing around, muttering.

"Hey professor." I said.

"Hm? Oh. Hello Mark. Busy at the moment." He replied.

"Gotcha." I said, settling down at a workstation. I had an idea for a wicked new weapon. It wouldn't be a heavy weapon but a shotgun. As much as I liked the Eviscerator, I wanted to add a new element. Something that would be even more destructive.

"Hm…" I glanced over at the shelves and noticed something in the corner, a large board.

"Hate to bother you professor, but what's that?" I asked pointing at it.

"The board? Decided to get a drawing board. That expression you used before, 'back to the drawing board'. Had me thinking. Remembered old days as a teacher, wanted to pick it up." Said Mordin.

I let out a short laugh. "Feeling nostalgic?"

"Occurs with old age. Very common. Happens with humans as well I believe."

"Yeah. Happens to me all the time. Thanks for getting it." I replied, as I got up and looked for a spot to hang it up. I decided to put it on the right side of the door that connected to the briefing room and armory.

I pulled out black marker and made a rough drawing of what I wanted to do. Mordin even stopped pacing and walked over to observe. "Interesting concept. Uh, what is it exactly?"

"A shotgun that fires highly concentrated slugs of ultraviolet light."

Mordin tapped his chin. "Fascinating. Never heard of such a design before."

"That's because it doesn't exist. Well, not yet anyway. I still need to factor in a few things." I replied.

"Should be highly damaging to organics. Synthetics, not too sure."

"I'm counting on an encounter with the Collectors or husks. That way, I'll be sure. The husks are organic and synthetic. We get a sample, then I'll be able to crunch the numbers." I said.

"Good plan. Here to assist if you need my help."

I smirked. "I'd appreciate that professor. That is, if you're not too busy."

He shook his head. "Still have much to learn about Collectors. Already made special armor plating to deal with seeker swarms, with your help, of course."

"Sure. I'll need help with the UV tests anyway." I replied.

"Excellent. Look forward to it."

Shepard's voice came in over the PA. "All squad members report to the briefing room."

"Huh. Wonder what that could be about." I muttered.

"Found Collectors maybe?" Mordin wondered.

"Maybe."

* * *

Mordin and I walked into the briefing room to a surprising scene. There were chairs in the briefing room now!

"Chairs!" I yelled out. Shepard laughed.

"You know it." He replied. "Tali had them installed."

"I'll have to thank her." I said. Mordin and I took a seat and I kicked back on the table.

"So John, what did you do on Illium before we left?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Ran into a few familiar faces and a few unfamiliar."

"Like who?"

"Conrad Verner."

I shook my head. "The fanboy? What's he been up to?"

"Trying to right wrongs across the galaxy. I guess his wife got fed up with him and funded his whole fake N7 armor and one way shuttle to Illium."

I laughed.

"It gets better. He was at the Eternity lounge trying to get the deed to the bar. This asari working at the Gateway weapons store conned him into getting the deed. I played along and she ended up getting nabbed by the cops. I told Conrad that she was part of an underground terrorist cell."

I laughed even harder. "Oh man I wish I was there for that. Who else did you run into?"

"Remember that internal affairs person on Noveria? Gianna Parasini? Ran into her too." Shepard said.

"Oh I remember her. Pink skirt, easy on the eyes."

"Yep. She was looking to nab someone on Illium. This merchant that worked at the Serrice Council kiosk. I helped her out and that was that." He said with a smirk on his face.

"You're giving me that weird smile…something happened between you two." I drawled out.

John shrugged. "Oh she just gave me a kiss on the cheek. Nothing big."

I rolled my eyes. "Nice job, Casanova."

"Yeah I know." He replied, nonchalantly. "Ran into Shiala too."

"Jesus Christ, was it the reunion tour on Illium?" I asked incredulously.

"Apparently."

The rest of the squad started to file in.

"So why was she on Illium?" I asked.

"The Feros colonists were suffering from some health problems because of the Thorian. Exogeni took its corpse to their headquarters to find out why. Then the colony ended up signing some bogus, low cost contract from Baria Frontiers that allowed them to do invasive medical procedures. I straightened it all out."

"That's good to hear." I said.

"Shiala was very impressed." Shepard added, emphasizing very.

"Her too huh?"

"Yep."

I shook my head. "Unreal man."

Shepard just shrugged and stood up. "All right, now that everyone's here, I'll start off this briefing."

Miranda and Thane were sitting next to me.

"First off, thanks Tali for putting in the chairs." Shepard said.

Tali nodded. "The old Normandy had them. I wasn't sure why there weren't any in here."

"The table drops down to the floor. It's a communication device that connects to the Illusive Man's office." Miranda explained.

"I took that into account as well. The chairs retract into the floor too." Tali added.

"Woah, wait." Jack said. "We can talk to the Illusive Man in here?"

"Yes." Miranda replied flatly. "But I doubt he would want to talk at the moment."

"Shame. Well at least we've still got our home movies to send to him as retribution." I said with a smirk.

Jack let out a short laugh. "You gotta get me in on that some time."

"Can do." I replied.

"All right, settle down people. We can do that later. Right now, we've got a mission." Said Shepard in his stern commander voice. "We got this from the Illusive Man."

Shepard activated the holographic projector on the table, which pinpointed the location. Then the image of the Collector ship popped up.

"He informed me about an hour ago that he intercepted a distress call from a turian patrol out in open space. Apparently the patrol somehow disabled the Collector's ship, leaving the hull intact. At least, that's what the reports say."

Garrus and I looked at each other across the table and shook our heads. Something about this was fishy.

If there was anyone on board who knew about turian military tactics, it was Garrus.

"It's a trap." Garrus said.

"What makes you think that?" Jacob asked.

"If we encounter an unknown ship, we hail them. If there's no response or if they fire, we engage. Engines and weapons first and focus on everything else. After seeing their ship first hand, I doubt the military made much of a dent."

"What about on Horizon when the GARDIAN batteries were online? The Collectors left pretty quick." Zaeed said.

Garrus shook his head. "Again, not enough damage. What happened to the patrol anyway, Shepard?"

John sighed. "Destroyed."

Jack was frustrated. "So we're basically going to storm their ship even though it's a trap?"

Shepard nodded.

"This is fuckin' suicide and we're not even at their base yet. Wherever the fuck it is." She said.

"It's a risk we're going to have to take." Shepard replied stiffly. "Look, I don't like it any more than the rest of you do but we have to do this or we just give up now."

"You're right." I said. "I say we get it over with. Besides, walking into hell is my specialty."

Grunt laughed. "What he said. It shouldn't be much of a problem to squash them all. We did it once before already."

"Glad to see there's some enthusiastic people." Kasumi added with a smirk.

"How are we going to proceed?" Thane asked.

"According to our scans from Horizon, there's an opening on the starboard side of the ship. As for what it is, it could be a shuttle bay or something. We're not specifically sure." Shepard answered. "This is going to be a recon operation, but we're all going in with our usual gear. Also, since it's floating in the middle of nowhere there's a good chance that there's no power so get your helmets. We'll be at their ship within the next 5 hours. Get some rest. Dismissed." Shepard said as everyone got up.

"Thane, Samara. As you're our newest members, I'll forward you all the information we have on the Collectors so far."

Both of them nodded as Shepard activated his omni-tool and forwarded the files to them.

"Thank you Shepard." Samara and Thane said as they turned to leave. I sat back in the chair and looked at my friend.

John sighed. "I hate being led around the nose by the Illusive Man."

"That's his nature. He couldn't care less that he spent 4 billion credits to bring you back. You're an investment to him. Sending all of us to into a trap is all just for him to learn about the Collectors." I replied. "The same goes for Horizon."

"I know." Shepard said bitterly.

_I guess he's still mad at the Illusive Man for almost sacrificing Ash._

"All of this makes me understand why you want to kill him and destroy Cerberus so badly. Personal motives aside, of course." John added.

"Of course." I said, getting up. John was heading to the armory and I followed him in. "Then again we've both seen his handiwork up close and personal before."

Shepard went over to one of the tables in the armory and picked up the Arc Projector. "I have no idea what this is, but thanks for getting it."

I snorted. "I guess the instruction manuals went to waste."

"It didn't say what it was, just how to use it." He replied.

I sighed. "This thing is called the Arc Projector. It ionizes targets with a laser invisible to the naked eye to ready them for a deadly electrical attack."

Shepard's eyebrows shot up. "Damn. Where did you get this?"

"Watson. The weapon was designed by the geth initially but for some reason was never widely used. Watson said it had something to do with resources in various systems and so on."

"I see." Shepard said, as held the Arc Projector and inspected it. "So, what kind of an electrical attack are we talking about?"

"Well after a two second charge time, the first electric bolt hits the first target either killing it or critically injuring it. It's got a highly sophisticated targeting system that continues to paint targets with that laser I mentioned. Hell, you fire this thing three times you could take out a room of about 20 geth." I said.

"Oh, I'm so using this thing." Shepard said gleefully.

"It's even better in enclosed spaces. Overall, its very balanced weapon. Charge time is meh, but other than that, it's good." I replied.

John nodded.

"Well, I'm heading downstairs. Gotta check a few messages." I said.

"Okay. Hey are you feeling all right?" Shepard asked.

I turned around. "Yeah, why?"

He shook his head. "I dunno. You just seem…different. Like you've got a dark cloud over your head."

"I'm fine. Just thinking about the mission." I said, deflecting.

"Alright." Shepard said, a little unconvinced. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

I nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Shepard put the Arc Projector back down and walked into the CIC, looking at the galaxy map which showed the Normandy's position and its current destination. He leaned on the railing and massaged his temple. Even after picking up the final two members of the team, the team itself started to unravel. Mordin seemed more frantic and hurried than usual after telling Shepard about his former student, Maelon.

Grunt had come down with some sort of illness that seemed to make him even more uncontrollable. The only bright spot was that they both had to go to Tuchanka so it was convenient.

Kasumi still had that party Donovan Hock was throwing, the date was starting to creep up ever so slowly.

Zaeed still had to do that job on Zorya.

Then there was Garrus, who like Liara, was becoming obsessed with getting revenge. John didn't like that one bit, but he was willing to help his friend out. They would have to go to the Citadel eventually.

Jack had discovered the facility where she was experimented on and wanted to turn it into a smoldering crater.

As for Tali, Samara, and Thane, time would only tell.

And then there was Mark, his oldest and most trusted friend. Even during shore leave on Illium, he had seemed different. John couldn't be sure if he was depressed about his ex cheating on him or if it was something else entirely. All he knew was that his friend was in pain.

The only two people on the team with clear thoughts were Jacob and Miranda.

"Commander, are you alright?" Kelly asked, her voice cutting into Shepard's thoughts.

"Hm? Yeah. Just…thinking." He replied tiredly.

"May I ask what you were thinking about?"

He sighed. "The team. Everyone's thought's are on personal business that they want to get squared away before we attack the Collector's base."

"Keeping everyone's spirits high can be a difficult task. For something like this, a mission where we might not be coming back, it's a tough thing to ask someone to do." Kelly replied.

"Yeah. I can't think of any other time where this happened to me. On the battlefield, it was just a few quick, inspirational things to get people going. But this…it's more personal." He said.

Kelly nodded and gave Shepard a reassuring smile.

"I'm just worried about Mark." Shepard said, staring blankly at the galaxy map.

"Is he alright?" Kelly asked in a worried tone.

"I don't know. He won't say what's wrong, but I know something's wrong. I just hope it doesn't affect him on our next mission. Mark tends to get a little…wild." He answered.

"Wild?"

"He gets self destructive. Before we picked up Samara, he found out that his girlfriend cheated on him and left him for the guy she was seeing. Spent several hours getting drunk at the Eternity lounge." Shepard whispered to Kelly, not wanting anyone else to hear about it.

Kelly was surprised. "Oh my. I didn't hear about that."

"We kept it quiet. I didn't want anyone to find out about it." Shepard said. "I just hope he doesn't do anything to jeopardize himself."

John cleared his throat. "Thanks for the conversation, Kelly. I'm gonna take a quick nap."

"My pleasure, Shepard. Sleep well." She replied in her usual sweet tone.

Shepard smirked as he stepped into the lift and headed up to his quarters.

Thinking about his friend, John realized that somewhere down the line Mark had become the pillar of morale on the ship. His goofy antics, pranks, and sense of humor brought the crew's morale up. Even some of the more anti-social members of the squad seemed to take a liking to him.

_Whatever's bothering him has to be taken care of._

John couldn't help but smile when he thought of some of the crazy pranks Mark pulled on board. Shepard was the CO and a pretty popular guy in his own right. Mark had the advantage of doing the things that Shepard couldn't do in his position, but used to do back in the Academy days.

_Worst comes to worst, I could show up in the mess hall wearing a tuxedo t-shirt and be the 'least interesting man in the galaxy'._

He shook his head and laughed.

* * *

I sat on the couch in my room, staring blankly at the newest message I got from Murph. My worst fears had come true. History had repeated itself yet again as the Alliance Parliament denied Mindoir's request for military and financial aid for the colonist disappearances. Even though the colony was nowhere near the Terminus systems, they cited a potential risk of agitating the Batarian Hegemony.

_Funny, they said the same thing fifteen years ago._

The other argument was that the fleet was stretched thin with most of the fleet still guarding the Citadel.

That was also garbage. The Alliance Navy's Third Fleet, which included my old ship the SSV Eisenhower, was stationed out of Elysium which was within spitting distance of Mindoir. After the battle of the Citadel, half of the Fifth Fleet and half of the Second Fleet based out of Shanxi were called in to guard the Citadel. The Third Fleet was barely stretched, spending most of the time doing maneuvers between the Skyllian Verge and Attican Traverse.

_Maybe they just don't want to admit that anything is wrong. Since when did they start acting like the Council?_

Even Anderson questioned Parliament's decision. He knew it was bullshit. Despite his position, Anderson couldn't do anything. All he could do was sit back and watch the chaos unfold.

I hung my head.

_I'll be damned if my home has to go through that again. I'll die before that happens again._

I took a deep breath and went back to drawing. Since we got our final two recruits, I could finally do all of them. I had already finished doing some drawings of Jacob, Kasumi, Garrus, and Tali. They turned out very well. I wanted to capture them and throw in something about their personality, a sort of essence. It was easy to do Garrus and Tali as I already knew what to do. I was working on Jack's at the moment. I had some issues with her drawing as I tried to remember every detail of her tattoos and incorporate them into the drawing.

The door opened up behind me and I heard the familiar clicking of heels.

"I had it locked for a good reason." I said flatly as I continued to draw.

"It couldn't be helped." Replied Miranda who sat down next to me.

I grumbled but kept on drawing.

"What are you doing?" she asked, curiously.

"Drawing. It's kind of a little gift for everyone." I replied.

I saw Miranda smile out of the corner of my eye. "That's very thoughtful of you."

I shrugged. "Might as well give everyone something to remember this mission, when we finish it. Same goes for the crew too. I finished those a while ago."

Miranda put her arm on me, massaging the back of my neck with her hand.

"Can I take a look?"

I bit my lip. "I kinda wanted to keep these a secret until I finished them up but…" I slid closer to Miranda.

She looked my drawing of Jack. "Wow…this is very impressive."

"Don't tell anyone, okay? I want this to be a surprise."

Miranda smirked. "Your secret's safe with me."

I looked at her. Miranda had a different outfit on. "Woah. Nice outfit."

It was all black with yellow accents and that dreaded Cerberus logo just above her left breast.

She moved back a bit. "You like it?"

Miranda even made a little show of it. "I love it. I think it gave me some inspiration for your drawing."

She blushed and chuckled.

"I'm surprised you didn't notice me wearing this earlier."

I sighed. "I've had a lot on my mind as of late."

Miranda was about to say something when my terminal beeped. I put the drawing down and opened it up. It was a new message from Murph.

_Kid,_

_I don't know about you but this decision about screwing Mindoir over is pissing me off. I've taken it upon myself to bring in some of our contacts in the area to do our own investigation. I'll be heading to Mindoir to take care of this. I just wanted to let you know. If there's any other developments, I'll let you know._

_Murph_

After reading the message, a news flash popped up.

"Mindoir Disappearances Total Passes 250."

I closed the terminal and sat back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"Mark?" Miranda asked. "What's wrong?"

I leaned forward in my seat and looked at Miranda. "It's my home…Mindoir. As of this moment, 250 people have disappeared without a trace. The investigations were called off and the Alliance denied military and financial aid to Mindoir. To top it off, people are still disappearing."

Her eyes softened. "I'm sorry. Do you know if it's the Collectors?"

I shook my head. "It's not them. It's something else. I want to find out who it is and stop them."

She put her hand on my back and gave it a rub. "You should ask Shepard for help. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to do that for you."

"You're right. I'll ask him." I said.

"Good." Miranda replied with a grin.

I put my arm around her. "Glad I've found someone to help keep me focused."

She let out a small laugh. "Glad I could help."

I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "So have you thought everything out?"

She licked her lips. "I thought about our last conversation. I think we're a little crazy, but I haven't forgotten."

"Nothing wrong with being a little crazy." I replied.

"Maybe. But…are you still…you know, interested?" she asked.

"Of course I am." I replied, giving her another quick kiss. "Are you?"

She shifted positions on the couch, sitting right in my lap, leaning in. "Yes."

"Good." I said softly, taking it all in. Seeing her sitting in my lap, wearing that jet-black leather outfit. It was a perfect moment.

We kissed again. Much like our spontaneous first kiss, it ended too fast.

"Mmm." Miranda said. "As much as I'd like to stay and continue this, I have to take care of a few things. I wouldn't mind doing this later though."

"Same here." I replied. She gave me a wink and put a little extra wiggle in her step as she walked out of the room.

_God damn…oh well. Good things always come to those who wait._

* * *

I was up in the armory, prepping for our assault on the Collector ship. It was silent, and I was the only one in the armory as Jacob taking a quick nap.

"There you are." I turned around from the table and saw Shepard.

"Hey John." I replied, turning back to the table. I was just staring at all of my weapons.

"Kelly said that you wanted to talk to me. What's wrong?"

I sighed. "People are disappearing without a trace on Mindoir."

"What?" John asked incredulously as he sat down next to me.

"Is it the Collectors?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. There's something else at work here. I've got a theory but no hard evidence. Some friends of mine are on their way there to get some answers."

"I can see why this would bother you." Shepard said softly. "Have you gone back there?"

I shook my head. "Not since that day."

"I haven't seen the news lately but, what can you tell me about the situation there?"

"Over 250 people have disappeared in the past couple of weeks. No traces. The police tried to investigate but didn't have the funds for a massive investigation. They asked the Alliance for aid and got denied. Since then, disappearances have gone up and the investigations have stopped." I replied.

"Son of a bitch…" John said breathlessly. "You'd think someone would step in and help out."

"I know." I said. "I haven't been back there but…I can't sit by and watch history repeat itself again."

"I understand your concern, Mark. I'll get you back home and take care of this mess. However, there's a bunch of other things that have come up." Shepard replied.

"I imagine everyone else is dealing with something similar."

John nodded. "Yeah."

"I can wait. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

He snorted. "A Star Trek quote?"

"It's totally accurate man."

"True but still…" Shepard said shaking his head. He got up and was on his way out.

"John." I said. He stopped and turned around. "Thanks."

"That's what friends are for man. Get some sleep. We've still got a ways to go."

In a sarcastic voice, I said. "Yes sir."

* * *

_Looks like Mark's got himself a loyalty mission. Should be fairly interesting. In the meantime, the Collector Ship awaits. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	26. It's A Trap!

_Author's note: All right! The Collector Ship mission! Since everyone wanted to know when the new and improved Kodiak would make its appearance, well here you go :D. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Orbiting Collector Ship**

We finally caught up to the Collector's ship. It was floating aimlessly in space like a dead fish in a vast ocean. Surrounding the vessel at various distances were turian military vessels. I sat in the co-pilot seat next to Joker as we gazed at the ship in awe.

"Look at the size of that thing! How did the turians manage to knock that thing out?" he asked.

I looked back at Shepard who shrugged in response.

"I got a strange feeling that they didn't do that." I answered.

"What makes you say that?" Joker asked.

"Unless the turian military developed some sort of advanced EMP device to knock out a ship with minimal hull damage, then this whole thing is a trap."

Joker grumbled. "Yeah you're right. Anyway, good hunting guys."

I got up and headed into the armory. Shepard was already in full gear as everyone in the armory was suiting up.

"EDI, what are the conditions of the Collector's ship?" Shepard asked.

"The Collector's vessel has very low emissions and the thrusters are cold. Passive infrared scans suggest that their systems are offline. Ladar scans do not show any hull breaches on the side we are currently facing. Their drive core is offline and is emitting no mass effect fields." She replied.

"What about interior conditions?" Miranda asked.

"The ship is devoid of any oxygen and appears to be in a state of vacuum. The insertion point will also be in vacuum as well."

"Thank you EDI." Miranda replied.

"You heard the ship. Helmets on everyone." Shepard ordered. Tali grumbled in the corner.

"That means you too Tali." I said.

"You bosh'tet." She said flatly.

"I'll take that as a quarian way of saying, 'You bet ya big sexy stud.'" I shot back with a grin.

"If that's the case Mark, she said that a lot to you when we were on the old Normandy." Garrus added. I laughed.

Tali just shook her head.

I finally finished suiting up and putting my weapons on. We all headed down the elevator in silence. Even in the armory it was silent except for my bantering. All of us got into the shuttle, ready to go.

"All right." Shepard began. "Since we're only here to do some recon, six of us will be going in. Mark, Grunt, Jack, Thane, and Zaeed, you'll be with me. The rest of you will stay with the shuttle. Don't forget, we've got some real guns on this thing so use them if you get overrun."

"If they're still alive." Jacob said. "I doubt their life support system is working if the drive core is offline."

"Well they do work for the Reapers, maybe they don't have lungs." I added.

"Impossible." Jacob said.

"Well, if we find a few and kill them, we can always do an autopsy to find out." I replied.

Mordin nodded. "Yes. Good idea. Wanted to study Collectors in more detail."

The shuttle took off. _On to the Collector ship._

* * *

**Collector Ship**

Considering our proximity to the Collectors vessel, the trip was short. The insertion point was found during our initial scans. We slowly approached the insertion area and got a good view of the ship.

_You can tell which parts were added by the Collectors…that thing looks old._

"Wow. That ship looks old." Kasumi said.

"Indeed. I have never seen anything like it before." Added Samara.

The shuttle moved in and landed.

"LZ looks clear. Good luck." Hawthorne said.

"Okay team. Let's go." Shepard ordered. Grunt, Jack, Zaeed, Thane, and I put our helmets and masks on. The rest of the team did the same as we had to open the door to leave. The six of us stepped off and glanced around at the interior.

"Looks like a giant insect hive." Zaeed said.

"Anybody ever see that movie Aliens?" I asked. John sighed.

"Well I know you have, Shepard. It kinda looks like that weird nest area." I said.

"Uh huh." John replied flatly.

"Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with the Collector databanks." EDI added as we continued to move into the ship. "Shepard, I have compared the ship's EM profile to known Collector ships. It is the vessel you encountered on Horizon."

"Wonder if the defense towers softened it for the turians." Grunt said.

I shook my head. "I dunno."

We approached an empty pod. "Looks like one of the pods the Collectors used on Horizon." Zaeed said.

"They're small, just like the tank. They probably begged to get out." Grunt added.

Shepard nodded away from the pod and we continued to move. The area was covered with some kind of brown material. It looked like some kind of ant or termite mud hill. The walls and support structures also had the same sort of insect tunneling look to it. But there was something else…something that seemed eerily familiar.

The brown, stone-like substance was covering up another material. From what I saw, this material was a glassy looking steel. It looked brand new.

_Why does this look so familiar?_

Up ahead was a large pile. There were various limbs, torsos, a few heads and full bodies…all human.

"Oh my god." I said.

"This is…disturbing." Thane added.

"Why would the Collectors just leave a pile of bodies laying around?" Jack asked.

"Perhaps they were test subjects that were later discarded after the experiments ended." Thane replied.

"I guess there are worse things than death, like being subjects for twisted aliens." Shepard said.

"Just add that to the list of things worse than death." I added.

"Poor bastards." Zaeed said.

We picked up our weapons and continued down the winding halls.

"Pick anything up Mark?" Shepard asked.

"No. The whole ship just seems…dead. I got a bad feeling about this." I replied.

"What are you so worried about?" Jack asked.

Shepard cut her off. "Trust me Jack. When Mark gets a bad feeling, there's a good chance something bad is going to happen."

Grunt started sniffing around. "He's right. There is something strange. I can smell it in the air."

"Even with that bucket on?" Zaeed asked.

"Yeah." Replied Grunt.

We came up to an opening in the hallway where several pods were situated. There were medical terminals nearby, all of which looked as ancient as the rest of the ship. The indicator on each terminal was 'flowing' down.

"Over here John." I said.

Inside the pods were bodies of a few Collectors.

"That's a Collector. Were they experimenting on one of their own?" Thane asked.

"Maybe…" I replied, still focusing on the terminals. Something about them seemed familiar as well.

_No…it couldn't be…_

"EDI, I'm uploading the data on this terminal. See if you can figure out what they were up to." Shepard said.

"Data received. Analyzing." EDI replied.

I continued to stare at one of the terminals.

"The Collectors were running baseline genetic comparisons between their species and humanity."

"Are they looking for similarities?" Shepard asked.

"I have no hypothesis on their motives. All I have are the preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable." EDI said.

"John." I said silently.

"What is it Mark?"

"I can read the terminals. Look at them carefully." I replied.

"Mark—"

"Look."

He stared at the terminal for some time. "No…it can't be! EDI what are the results?"

"A quad strand genetic structure, identical to traces collected from ancient ruins. Only one species is known to have this structure: the Protheans."

Shepard and I looked at each other.

"My god. The Protheans didn't vanish. They're just working for the Reapers now." He said breathlessly.

"These are no longer Protheans, Shepard. Their genes show extensive genetic re-write. The Reapers have repurposed them to suit their needs."

"You'd think someone would have caught on." I blurted out.

"No one has been able to study a Collector genetic code in this detail, Mr. Sears. I have already matched two thousand alleles to recorded fragments. This Collector likely descends from a colony in the Styx Theta cluster." EDI replied.

"They don't really look like the Protheans. The statues on Ilos made them look all lanky." I added.

"There are signs of extreme alteration: three fewer chromosomes, reduced heterochromatin structure, elimination of superfluous 'junk' sequences." Added EDI.

Shepard shook his head. "The Reapers didn't wipe out the Protheans. They just turned them into monsters and enslaved them. Still, they're working for the Reapers now and we have to stop them."

"No species should ever have to suffer through this." Thane said.

Shepard nodded. "Let's find what we need before the Collectors come to salvage this vessel."

* * *

**Kodiak**

"I still can't believe it." Miranda said out loud. Everyone in the Kodiak was stunned at the revelation that the Collectors were indoctrinated Protheans.

"Talk about a galaxy shaking revelation." Added Jacob.

Mordin was mumbling and pacing around the shuttle.

"Uh, Mordin…" Kasumi started to say.

The professor continued to pace back and forth, putting together the fall of the Protheans and creation of the Collectors in his mind.

All the team could do was sit and wait for Shepard and his squad to come back.

Miranda went into the cockpit and inspected the new sensor displays for the Kodiak's weapon system.

_Perhaps it was one of Mark's best suggestions…_

She smiled to herself.

_Just have to find the perfect moment for the two of us._

The sensor displays showed nothing. No thermal readings, no signs of power, nothing.

_I hope they're doing all right._

* * *

**Collector Ship Interior**

"Decisions, decisions." Shepard said to himself.

"Dude! Pick the Revenant!" I yelled.

"Ah! Damn it Mark!" Shepard yelled back.

"Trust me Shepard, you'll be mowing down those buggy bastards in no time." Zaeed said.

Shepard rubbed the back of his helmeted head. "Sounds good."

He picked up the Revenant and we continued on down the various expansive halls of the ship.

"Woah. Would ya look at that." I said.

On the ceiling were hundreds of pods, possibly holding colonists.

"How many colonists do you think are in those pods?" Jack asked.

"Too many." Shepard replied.

"I detect no life signs in the pods, Shepard." EDI added. "It is probable the victims died when the ship lost primary power."

I sighed.

_Sounds like a wasted trip for these assholes._

We continued our silent walk through the massive halls of the ship.

"So kid, how could you read those terminals back there?" Zaeed asked.

"I was exposed to a Prothean beacon when I was a kid. I know how to read and speak their language." I replied.

"Interesting." Thane muttered.

"It's fun to swear at people in an ancient language." I added.

We walked up a massive ramp, seeing more of the same scenery as the rest of the ship. That's when Joker called.

"Commander, you gotta hear this. On a hunch, I asked EDI to run an analysis on the ship."

"I compared the EM profile against data recorded by the original Normandy two years ago. They are an exact match." EDI said.

Shepard and I looked at each other. "The same ship dogging me for two years? Way beyond coincidence."

"Something doesn't add up Commander. Watch your back." Joker added before he cut the transmission.

"They really don't like you Shepard." Said Jack.

"You don't say." He replied sarcastically.

"Yeah. This is way too coincidental. I knew something weird was going on." I said.

"Do you believe the Collectors are hiding somewhere?" Thane asked.

"If they are, how come the scanners didn't pick them up?" Grunt wondered.

"Good questions." Zaeed added. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

At the end of the ramp, the path diverted right and showed a massive clearing, presumably the holds.

"Jesus tittyfucking Christ." Jack said out loud.

"That's a lot of pods." Grunt muttered.

"Not only do they have enough to take every human in the Terminus Systems, they could go further than that…they're going to target Earth." I said, piecing it all together.

"Not if we stop them." Shepard replied.

We found the access node at the end of the path.

"No Collector bodies anywhere. This is disconcerting." Thane said.

"Yeah." Replied Zaeed.

We stepped onto the platform where the access node was while Shepard activated it.

"EDI? I'm setting up a bridge between you and the Collector ship. See if you can get anything useful from the databanks."

"Data mine in progress, Shepard." EDI replied.

I held my rifle up and looked up at the surrounding area. Everyone else did the same thing.

A flash from behind lit up the area. I turned and saw that the holographic interface shut off and something that looked like a database went up into a tube.

"We're fine, Joker. What happened?" Shepard asked into the radio.

"Major power surge. Everything went dark, but we're back up now." Joker answered and EDI added. "I managed to divert the majority of the overload to non-critical systems. Shepard it was not a malfunction, it was a trap."

"Anyone else see that dark flash just now?" I asked in a low tone.

"Yeah." Replied Grunt, as he aimed his Mattock at one area.

"Heads on a swivel everyone." I added.

Suddenly, the platform we were standing on ascended rapidly and slowly rotated.

"We need a little help here EDI…" Said Shepard.

"I am having trouble maintaining a connection. There is someone else in the system."

The platform abruptly stopped rotating, causing Grunt to fall down.

"Hrr."

"Nice fall biggin'." Jack said with a smirk. Thane and Zaeed helped the young krogan back to his feet.

Shepard and I were focused on another platform slowly approaching us. I could make out three figures standing on it.

"Looks like we've got company." I said, switching to the sniper mode on my rifle.

"Connection reestablished. I need to finish the download before I can override any systems." EDI stated.

"You better get it done fast EDI. The Collectors are coming." Shepard replied.

"Finally, they've come out of hiding!" roared Grunt.

Another platform followed the first one. Instead of Collectors, it had a single Scion.

"I'll take on the pulsating sack." I said.

"It's all yours." Replied Shepard.

I took a couple of shots at the large blob of husk and took it down. It would be a big relief until Harbinger showed up.

_Speak of the devil._

Harbinger made his appearance on another platform that rose up.

"Oh goddamn it!" Zaeed yelled.

"Forty one percent complete."

"Speed it up EDI!" Shepard yelled in a hurried tone.

"What is that?" Thane asked, nodding in the direction of Harbinger.

"Reaper controlled Collector. Calls itself Harbinger." I replied.

Jack and Grunt concentrated fire on the other Collectors while the rest of us focused on Harbinger.

"At least this guy is a fucking bullet magnet!" yelled Jack.

"Two more platforms incoming!" Zaeed shouted.

Much like the first attack, the lead platform had Collectors on it; the other had a singular Scion.

The platform the Scion was standing on kept shifting from left to right and right to left.

_Lining up a shot could be tricky._

The good news was that the Collector platform was to my left, giving me enough room to peek out the right side of our cover and plug it.

I popped out of cover and hit the Scion with one shot.

"Still standing eh?"

"Hurry up and shoot the fucker!" yelled Jack.

Before I had the chance to finish it off, Thane nailed it.

"Good save." I said to Thane.

"My apologies for stealing that from you but it was preparing to fire." He replied.

"No problem!"

The six of us looked around and searched a couple of platforms.

"Clear?" I asked.

"Yeah, its fine." Replied Zaeed.

I let out a massive sigh of relief. "Okay that was unexpected and annoying. Springing the trap is a real pain in the ass."

EDI interrupted. "Shepard, you must manually reestablish my link to the command console."

"You got it." Shepard pressed a few buttons and the platform moved again.

"I have regained control of the platform, Shepard."

It was Shepard's turn to let out a sigh of relief. "I knew you wouldn't let us down, EDI."

"I always work at optimal capacity."

_Did she just make a quip? Dang, I guess they do learn fast._

"Did you find what we needed?" Shepard asked.

"I found data that could help us successfully navigate the Omega 4 relay. I have also found the turian distress call that served as the lure for this trap. The Collectors were the source. It is unusual." Answered EDI.

"Seems logical to me that they would set the trap." Said Shepard.

"Turian emergency channels use a secondary encryption. It is present, but corrupted in the message. It is not possible that the Illusive Man would believe the distress call was genuine."

We all looked at each other. "Why are you so sure EDI?" I asked.

"I found the anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols. He wrote them." She answered, almost incredulously.

We could hear Joker on the other line. "He knew it was a trap? Why would he send us into a trap?"

I let out a loud grumble and lulled my head back. "Well that's the shock of the century." My tone dripping with sarcasm.

"I knew Cerberus would screw me over again!" Jack yelled out.

"That son of a bitch sent us right into Collector hands!" Shepard yelled smacking his fist into his palm.

Everyone else grumbled as we stepped off the platform and headed down a hall.

"Uh, Commander. Hate to interrupt the pissy mood but the Collector ship is powering up." Joker stated. "You need to get out of there before their weapon systems come online, I'm not losing another Normandy!"

"I do not have full control of their systems. I will do what I can. Informing shuttle for immediate extraction."

* * *

**Kodiak**

"And here I thought I'd have my share of attempted murder for the year." Garrus dryly quipped.

"Is it any real surprise? Really?" Tali asked angrily, while glaring at Miranda.

Miranda shook her head. "There has to be another explanation! The Illusive Man wouldn't do this to us. He…he just wouldn't!"

Jacob just sighed and shook his head. He wasn't going to bother to try and justify it.

"Excuse me, Ms. Lawson?" asked Hawthorne from the cockpit.

"Yes?"

"We got a message from Shepard to prep the shuttle for extraction." He replied.

"I've got contact on Collectors." Said Goldstein.

Jacob rushed into the cockpit to take a seat at the gun controls. The gun monitors lit up, showing the interior of the ship in a white/black thermal reading.

"All right. Let's shred 'em." Jacob said.

The sound of the Kodiak's new weapons echoed through the shuttle as they popped out of the port side.

The remainder of the squad readied their weapons, just in case. The M70's started to whine and tore into the Collectors and husks outside.

* * *

"Around the corner. Take the door on your right." EDI said.

I switched to my assault rifle as we headed through the door and down a ramp.

"I bet Mordin's having a field day." I muttered loudly as we ran down the halls.

"You think?" Zaeed said dryly.

"Oh yeah. All of these revelations gotta have him talking up a storm." I replied.

The familiar buzzing of wings could be heard throughout the hall. Seconds later, the Collectors arrived. They were dead before they hit the ground.

"Glass panes? How quaint." I said, getting a chuckle out of Shepard.

"Seems weird that they flew right through them." He wondered.

"Duh. Bugs fly into glass. Cycle of life man." I retorted.

Zaeed shook his head. "You're all right kid."

After heading down yet another ramp, we came up to a cramped, but long room with cover scattered everywhere and a path leading to the left that was more elevated than where we were. The Collectors began pouring into the room with husks. They were different than the other husks I had seen. These ones were glowing red instead of blue.

The cybernetic implants on the husks began to glow, creating a strange red corona around them. Then, they charged at us. Grunt fired a single shot at the red husk and it blew up.

The young krogan let out a joyous laugh. "Did you see that? That was great!"

_Well that took the tension out of this fight._

I just burst out laughing, as I unloaded on some nearby Collectors.

"Oh man…" I said breathlessly.

"Mark, sit out the next few plays until you get your serious face back on." Shepard said flatly.

"Always look on the bright side of life, John."

Harbinger made another appearance and the five of us were taking him on.

_Wait…five? Where's Thane?_

Sure enough, our resident assassin popped up behind Harbinger and hit him with a biotic attack that instantly killed him.

"Oh goddamn it." I heard Jack mutter as she tried to adjust the armor near her groin.

I glanced over at her.

"Don't you fucking say it." She whispered.

I chuckled.

We searched the area to make sure it was clear before we moved on. There were a few large steps we had to climb down to make it to the next level of the ship. We stood on an elevated, L shaped ramp that had a good view of the area.

"There's the door." Shepard said as we made our way down the ramp.

"I am opening the door on the far side of the room." Stated EDI. By the time we made it down, the door slammed shut.

"EDI, what happened to the door?" asked Shepard.

"The Collectors have overridden the door. Stand by."

A familiar gurgling sound echoed through the hall, followed by the shrieks of husks. That's when we saw it.

"Oh this thing again?" I stated angrily. It was the large flying husk, accompanied by five Collectors and a small squad of husks.

"Fall back!" Shepard ordered as we ran back to the L shaped ramp to take cover.

"Take our the Collectors and husks first! Then we'll focus on that monster!"

As I was taking potshots at the Collectors, I carefully observed our surroundings. In one of the corners of the room, was another pile of dead humans. There were pods near them too. Some were open, some were not. I looked closer and saw with my own two eyes that there were people inside the pods. They were only children.

_No…_

My breathing became heavy. My thoughts were filled with the horrors I witnessed fifteen years ago. The sight of kids being shot in the streets or getting tracking implants bored into their skulls without any sort of anesthetic. It was enough to send me over the edge…and it did.

The giant husk floated over to the ramp we were taking cover on. That's when I got a crazy idea. I switched to the assault rifle and vaulted over the railing.

"Mark! What the-!" Shepard yelled out.

It was too late. I was already on top of the thing unloading every round I had into the top of the husk. I screamed and yelled out of sheer rage as I fired into it. Despite being a little more synthetic than the average husk, the sledgehammer rounds bored into its body; the polonium coating started to eat away its skin an innards.

Without warning, it dropped to the ground and hit me with a powerful shockwave. The last thing I saw was the husk getting smaller and smaller. Then…I heard a sickening crunch and everything around me went dark.

* * *

**Kodiak**

"Where the hell do they keep coming from?" Garrus yelled out. The team disembarked the Kodiak and tried to secure the LZ.

"How should I know?" Tali yelled back.

"Calm down and concentrate fire on the Collectors!" Ordered Miranda.

Jacob was the only member of the team not present as he was still using the Kodiak's new weapons with deadly effect. Miranda decided to go the way Shepard and his team had gone through and encountered some heavy resistance.

They came upon the pods where the bodies of some Collector corpses lay. Mordin decided to take one with him.

_He's more fit than he looks._

Miranda shifted focus from Mordin carrying a corpse to the crowd of husks in front of them. Miranda and Samara used their biotics for crowd control. The Cerberus operative was more than impressed with Samara's abilities.

The husks looked as though they disintegrated upon hitting the walls of the ship when Samara used her throw attacks.

"Keep moving! We're almost there!" Miranda said.

"I hope so. This place is giving me the creeps." Replied Kasumi.

Miranda rolled her eyes as they approached the Kodiak, but stayed clear of its firing range.

"It's all clear. Come on back!" Jacob said into the radio.

The seven of them, plus one dead Collector piled into the shuttle and locked the door.

"Are you satisfied professor?" Tali asked bitterly.

Mordin nodded, seemingly oblivious to her anger. "Oh yes. Very satisfied. Thank you for asking."

Miranda wasn't sure if he was oblivious or if he had a good comeback prepared.

She glanced out the window of the shuttle.

_I hope they're all right._

* * *

**Collector Ship Interior (Time until weapon system activation: 10 minutes)**

"Mark! Mark!"

_Sounds like John._

I was slowly coming back to reality. "I hear ya. Ugh."

"Are you okay?" Shepard asked, worried.

I nodded. "Yeah. Just didn't expect to go flying."

He helped me up off the ground. That's when I felt a stinging pain in my right arm.

"Ow! Fuck!" I yelled.

Thane looked at my arm and scanned it with his omni-tool. "It appears to be a dislocation."

"Second time's a charm." I muttered. John still looked worried.

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

"No. But you're gonna lose a sniper." I replied, as I took out my pistol. "We should get back to the ship fast before I pass out."

Shepard nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

Jack looked at me and muttered. "You did it again."

It took me a few seconds to process it. "Oh…"

_Heh. Cool._

Grunt nodded with approval and walked on. I could tell Zaeed had some incredulous look on his face.

"Kid, that was the most badass thing I've seen in five years."

"Glad you liked it."

We headed for the door on the left, only to have it sit there locked again.

"EDI, we've got a problem here." Said Shepard.

"A temporary setback on firewall 3217. Rerouting commands to firewall 7164." She replied. The door just passed the previous one opened up. "I have successfully opened the door on the opposite wall. I will keep it open as long as I can."

We ran through the doorway, my right arm hanging limp beside me.

To the right of the doorway, Grunt noticed something. "Huh. That looks like the way we came in."

"Too bad we can't go down there." I said, fighting back the pain.

Making our way through the small intersection, we came up on another large room. The Collectors were waiting for us.

"Ah shit." I muttered.

As if fighting these things with two arms was tough, try doing it with one. Using my tech mines was enough of a pain. I had to hold my pistol with my right hand and hope to god that holding it wouldn't put more strain on my shoulder.

_Good thing I throw lefty or I'd be boned._

I had a handful of sabotage mines and damping mines at the ready and just threw them anywhere and everywhere as we moved up the right flank.

Out of those two mines, the damping mines seemed to be having the most lethal effect.

_Wonder why that is. Most of them aren't biotics or engineers so they shouldn't be writhing in pain like they got set on fire or something._

The good news was that we were making record time. I guess everyone was just thoroughly pissed off about staying here any longer. I could see the look in John's eyes as he charged up the Arc Projector, he didn't look happy at all. Well, at least until he fired the Arc Projector. We watched the 'lightning bolt' pass through three Collectors, killing all of them.

_Awesome. Great find once again, Watson._

Once the last enemy, a Scion, crumpled to the ground, it was only one more hallway until we reached the shuttle.

"Uh, Commander? Hate to rush you but those weapons are about to come online. Might want to double time it, you know so we can leave before they blow the Normandy in half." Joker radioed.

"That brittle boned bastard is getting on my nerves." Jack grumbled.

I sighed. "Please don't mess with him. Or else you have to go through me."

She seemed a little taken aback. "Would you like to lose both arms?"

"Don't start. We're almost out of here." Shepard stated.

The roar of M70's and L100 echoed through the hallways.

"Is that what I think it is?" Zaeed asked.

I let out a short laugh. "Hah! Great success!"

We made our way down the last ramp, stepping over the dismembered corpses of Collectors and husks and hopped into the shuttle.

"Did you miss us?" Shepard asked as the doors closed.

"You have no idea." Tali muttered.

Grunt looked down at the dead Collector. "Why is that here?"

"Autopsy. Need to learn about Collector biology. Find weaknesses, other useful information." Mordin answered.

"You wouldn't believe the trouble we had to go through for that." Garrus said dryly.

"Did it happen to involve gunfire?" I asked as the shuttle sped into the Normandy's hangar.

"It did." Added Samara.

I chuckled. "Excellent job, Professor Farnsworth."

Mordin looked up, confused. "Name isn't Farnsworth."

"No, but your nickname is." I replied.

The professor shook his head and sighed.

The shuttle made it inside. I could feel the Normandy's engines come to life as we sped off. As for our destination, it was anyone's guess.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Balor System, Caleston Rift**

The doors of the Kodiak opened up and we all stepped out, clearly wiped out from our most taxing assignment since Horizon. Dr. Chakwas and a few crewmen were in the hangar awaiting us.

"Welcome back, Shepard. I trust the mission went well." She said to Shepard. Everyone was taking their helmets and masks off.

Shepard tiredly shrugged. "More or less. You might want to take a look at Mark though. I think he dislocated his right shoulder."

I held a hand up. "Be right with you doc."

I took off the whole torso section of my armor with some help from Thane and Samara. A few squeamish groans could be heard from a few people as they saw my arm.

"Mark—" Chakwas started.

"I got this." I breathed out, as I moved towards the left quarter panel of the Kodiak.

_On the count of three. One…_

With a powerful thrust, I popped my arm back into place, yelling out in pain.

"Fuck!" I yelled, hitting the Kodiak with the bottom of my left fist.

"Woah." Kasumi muttered.

"God damn Mark." Jacob added.

Breathing heavily, I turned to the squad. "Hope you enjoyed the show…"

I slowly started to slide down the side of the Kodiak.

_Pass out time? I think so._

"Gotcha." Miranda softly said, grabbing me before I hit the deck. "Let's get him to sick bay."

Before I passed out, I heard the voice of Zaeed. "Still the most badass thing I've seen in five years."

* * *

John Shepard rarely lost his temper. When he did, you could only hope that you weren't the one who crossed Shepard.

He was on his way to the briefing room after taking his armor off when Joker contacted him.

"Call coming in from the Illusive Man, Commander. Figure you've got a few words for him too."

"I've got more than that Joker." Muttered Shepard.

He walked into the briefing room, the table lowering to the floor to give way to the quantum entanglement communicator. Shepard stood in place, arms folded, as he was scanned in, ready to talk to the Illusive Man.

"Shepard. Looks like EDI extracted some interesting data before the Collector ship came back online." Said the Illusive Man.

"Spare me the bullshit. You set us up and you better have a good reason for it." Shepard replied coldly.

The Illusive Man glanced down at his cigarette. "We needed information on the Omega 4 relay. That required direct access to Collector data. It was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Uh huh." Replied Shepard in an agitated tone. "So sending the all star, galaxy saving team to a certain death just to get information is worth the risk."

The Illusive Man's jaw clenched. "We're at war. The Collectors are taking humans, and every minute we waste is one more the enemy time to prepare."

"I already know the stakes. We're supposed to be on the same side and all you're doing is feeding us bullshit." Shepard replied.

The two men stared each other down until the Illusive Man tapped the ash off of his cigarette.

"Without that information, we don't reach the Collector homeworld. And you and every other human may as well be dead." He uncrossed his legs and stood up, approaching Shepard.

"It was a trap…but I was confident in your abilities. And don't forget EDI. The Collectors couldn't have anticipated her."

"You could have told me the plan. You say I'm important but you sure try hard to get me killed." Shepard said.

"I needed the Collectors to believe they had the upper hand. Telling you could have tipped them off in any number of ways." In a half assed, reassuring tone, the Illusive Man added. "Besides, I wouldn't have sent you in if I didn't think you could succeed."

Shepard's angry gaze lowered even more. "I don't risk people. There are always alternatives."

"You may not like being on the receiving end—neither would I—but the facts are with me."

Shepard rolled his eyes.

"As much as we avoid them, these decisions need to be made." Added the Illusive Man.

"I know all too well that you don't avoid decisions like that. You just do them." Muttered Shepard.

The Illusive Man turned and went back to his chair. "But more importantly…it paid off. EDI confirmed our suspicions."

He took a drag on his cigarette. "The Reapers use an advanced Identify Friend/Foe system that the relays recognize. All we need to do is get our hands on one of those IFF's."

John sighed. "I bet you have a plan."

"We have a science team working on a derelict Reaper right now. I need you to go and pick it up." Replied the Illusive Man.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Where did you find a derelict Reaper?"

The Illusive Man picked up his tumbler and drank the contents. "An Alliance science team recently determined that the "Great Rift" on the planet Klendagon is actually an impact crater from a mass accelerator weapon."

"Oh yeah. I remember that planet. Hell of a view." Shepard added.

The Illusive Man nodded. "The mass accelerator was very old. I sent a team to find it or its target. They found both. The weapon was defunct, but it helped us plot the flight path of its intended target—a 37 million year old derelict Reaper. We found it damaged and trapped in the gravity well of a brown dwarf."

"I saw what Sovereign did to the Citadel fleet. Hard to imagine anything could stop something that powerful." Said Shepard.

"This vessel is a relic from a battle waged while mammals took their first steps on Earth. There's no trace of the species that took the shot. Perhaps it was their one moment of defiance before being wiped out."

"I get the feeling this isn't gonna be a simple 'swing by and pick up our package'." Shepard stated.

"We lost contact with Dr. Chandana's team shortly after they boarded."

Shepard rolled his eyes. _No shit. It's a derelict Reaper. Probably indoctrinated them._

"Initial reconnaissance revealed no clues, and it was too risky to commit more resources—but now we need that IFF. I'll forward the coordinates to Joker." The Illusive Man said, taking another drag from his cigarette.

"In the meantime…I suggest you tell your crew that I didn't risk their lives unnecessarily. It will make things easier going forward." Added the Illusive Man.

Shepard shook his head. "Nah. I don't think so. You have one job: getting me useful information. You can't do that? Then you're useless to me."

"It's never that easy Shepard."

"Actually it is. People like you prefer to keep the useful information to yourselves." Retorted the Commander.

"This is no time for petty grudges." The Illusive Man angrily fired back.

"Between us, its not." Shepard replied, walking out of the projector.

* * *

I woke up in the med bay, my right arm in a sling.

"Huh. How did I get here?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Stretcher. You passed out after popping your arm back into place." Dr. Chakwas replied.

"Thanks doc." I said.

"You're very welcome. How does your arm feel?" she asked.

"A little stiff. I can move my fingers but I don't want to do anything more than that." I replied.

Chakwas smirked. "Well I'm glad you don't plan on pushing it."

"Not the first time it's happened to me so I know what not to do." I slowly got out of the bed. "So I take it that I'm all set?"

"You are. But, I want you to come back in a couple of hours for a check up."

"Sure thing doc. Thanks again." I said.

"Any time. By the way, when are you doing another Normandy home movie?" she asked with a grin on her face.

"Soon. Why, you want to get in on the action?" I asked.

"If it's no trouble."

"Of course doc! I've got just the part for you." I replied with a grin.

"Excellent."

I nodded and walked out. I still had to get the rest of my armor off as I was still wearing the lower half.

"Hello Mark." Said Samara who was walking back to her room.

"Hey Samara."

"How are you feeling?"

I held out my right arm. "Not bad. Arm's a bit stiff though. How are you?"

"I am well. Thank you for asking." She replied with a nod. "It is good to see that your injuries are only minor."

I let out a small laugh. "I know. I'd hate to be out of action for a while. Its not fun to just sit around and watch everyone go out and do stuff. I had to do that after I got picked up."

"I see." She replied as I followed her into her room. "May I ask why?"

"Sure. It was Cerberus actually. I spent the last year and a half being interrogated by them. When I came aboard, I was mess. I just fought through the pain and helped get Garrus."

"Interrogated by Cerberus." She repeated as she sat on the floor and looked out at the stars.

"Yeah. I have something of a past with them. Ever hear about an incident on Akuze eight years ago?" I asked.

She nodded. "Fifty Alliance soldiers were killed by thresher maws."

Samara glanced over at me. "You were the survivor?"

"Yeah."

"I see." She turned back and looked out the window. "How was Cerberus involved?"

"They were experimenting on the thresher maws, studying them. They captured one of the men in my unit and experimented on him for six years. I found out the truth when I was with Shepard two years ago."

Samara was silent for some time. "My apologies. It is never easy to deal with such tragedies."

"It's all right. But yeah, it's not easy. I spent two years in a military hospital, diagnosed with PTSD. Didn't speak for those two years either." I said softly.

Samara suddenly glowed, biotic energy flowing around her. "You will be in my thoughts Mark. I can only hope that one day you will find peace."

"Thank you."

* * *

I walked out of Samara's room and headed up to the second deck. I still had to take the rest of my armor off. The lift stopped and the door opened up, showing the CIC. Kelly turned around and gave me a small smile.

"It's good to see that you're okay Mark." She said, as the yeoman approached me.

"Thanks Kel."

"How's your arm?" she asked, pointing to the sling.

"It's a bit stiff. Nothing too serious." I replied.

"That's good. Are you looking for Shepard?"

"I just want to get the rest of this off. I'm sure he's busy chewing the Illusive Man out for sending us into a trap." I replied.

"Really…" she said, almost worried.

"Yup. Don't worry though, as long as everyone's sticking together, we'll be fine."

"That's true. Do you…need any help?" she asked me.

"If you're not busy. I kinda need both hands. I just hope no one drops by." I said.

"Of course. I'd be glad to."

I nodded as we both headed into the armory. I took a seat in one of the chairs and undid one of the seals. Kelly managed to get them off easily.

"How did you know how to get the leggings off?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When you've had to help get snow pants off of a couple of younger siblings, you get used to it." She replied with a grin.

"Ah…of course. Thanks Kelly."

"Anytime Mark." She said as Kelly went back into the CIC.

I grabbed the armor leggings and put them into my locker.

_Huh. Wonder who brought my weapons up._

Shepard, Jacob, and Miranda walked into the armory. The three of them didn't look too happy.

"Okay…who lost rock, paper, scissors?" I asked.

The three of them turned and stared at me. It looked like they all calmed down at once.

"We weren't doing that Mark." Jacob replied.

"Sure you weren't." I drawled sarcastically.

Shepard walked up and slapped me in my good shoulder. "You feeling better?"

"Arm's a bit stiff. That's about it." I replied. "I won't be cleared yet. As for a timetable, I can't help you with that."

"That's okay." He said. "After seeing your kamikaze dive, I wasn't sure how bad you were hurt."

"Kamikaze dive?" asked Miranda.

"Mark jumped onto the top of that giant husk and fired everything into it before it blew him off." Shepard replied.

"I see." Miranda said, giving me a sharp look.

"What made you do it Mark?" Shepard asked.

I sighed and took a seat. "When we were fighting that giant husk, did you see the pods and the pile of bodies nearby?"

John scratched his chin. "I did but…I didn't think anything of it. Why?"

"Those were the bodies of children. I saw them and…" I shook my head. "I hadn't seen that kind of brutality in fifteen years."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "I understand Mark. Just…try to be more careful. Okay?"

I nodded in response.

"We're going to have a briefing in a few hours. Get some rest." Shepard said.

"You got it." I left the armory and heard the familiar click-clack of heels behind me. I stepped into the elevator along with Miranda.

The door closed and the elevator descended.

"You had me worried." She said softly.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to." I replied, a small grin popping up on my face.

Miranda shook her head. "I mean diving at one of those giant husks? What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that we needed to get out of there before their systems came online." I replied.

"God. You're unreal, you know that?" she shot back.

"Woah. Calm down, Miranda. I'm not dead."

She sighed and leaned on the wall. "I'm sorry. I'm just not—used to this. The emotional attachments…you know?"

I put a reassuring hand on her back. "It's fine. I understand. It's been awhile since I've done something like this too. But we'll be fine."

Miranda pushed off the wall and gave me a small smile. "I hope so."

"Trust me. I know." I replied with a smile of my own.

* * *

_There we go. Collectors bite the dust, TIM gets told off, and the Kodiak turned husks into mountains of corpses. For anyone wondering what's next, we're going to Tuchanka and then the Citadel with some interludes in between (maybe)._

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	27. Interlude 7

_Author's note: Been a long time since I've made back to back chapters in under a week. Let's just say I had a bunch of great ideas of what I wanted to do with this interlude. Probably the most fun I've had doing a chapter in a while. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Refueling Station, Balor System, Caleston Rift**

Miranda and I stepped out of the elevator. I took everything I had to fight the urge to follow her into her room. We had to keep up the impression to the rest of the crew that we weren't 'involved' in any way.

_Ten credits says that they already know._

I had a feeling that Miranda wanted me to follow her in but thought the same thing. She didn't seem like the type to want to let everyone know about her personal relationships.

I walked into my room and crashed on the couch. Even after passing out, I was still tired from our mission on the Collector ship. I stretched and let out a big yawn.

"You were out for what, twenty minutes and now you want to sleep? Shit."

I groggily turned my head and saw Jack sitting in one of the recliners across from my couch.

"Yeah. Having your arm pop out and spending the better portion of the day killing things can take its toll." I replied. "What brings you up here?"

She shrugged and moved over to the L section of the couch, almost sitting next to my head. "Felt like coming up here. Why?"

"I figured that you didn't want to be near any of the crew, since they're wearing Cerberus logos and stuff." I answered.

"Meh. It's fun to creep them out. Besides, I gotta come up here to get food and stuff."

I nodded. "Yeah you're right."

"Thanks to you and frog man I had to change my undies…again." The convict muttered.

I let out a tired chuckle. "Grumble all you want, you love it."

A light slap hit my in the stomach. "Hey!" I yelled.

"Shouldn't have fuckin' said it." She replied with a small amount of humor in her voice.

"Worth it." I replied. Another slap.

"Stop doing that!" I said.

Jack chuckled. "Worth it."

I shook my head and sighed.

"What was up with the whole going nuts on that giant husk thing?" she asked.

"When we were fighting the Collectors, I saw a pile of bodies nearby. All of the bodies were children. I even saw some in the pods near the pile." I replied.

She looked down at me for a second and then looked at the vid screen.

"It reminded me of something I experienced when I was kid." I added.

"What was it?"

I cleared my throat and sat up. "I was born and raised on Mindoir. Fifteen years ago a bunch of batarian pirates came in, killing and capturing anyone and everyone. I saw them kill kids I grew up with; others got branded. They killed my parents too."

"Damn." Jack said softly.

"Seeing things like that just takes me to a dark place."

She nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Re-living the past over and over again can be a bad thing. I spent two years of my life doing that." I said shaking my head.

Jack looked at me, her eyes narrowing slightly.

I glanced over. "Let's just say going down that road led to a darker path."

She bit her lip and stood up. "The fuck are you trying to say?"

"You said that you knew what I meant. About the past taking you to a dark place. You were one of Cerberus' experiments so I imagine you went through some terrible experiences. All I can say is: don't linger on it." I replied.

She stared at the floor and walked out. "Whatever."

"Thanks for stopping by Jack." I replied.

Jack stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. "What makes you think I stopped by to see you?"

I shrugged. "Well, this is my room and as you said, you only come up here to get food."

"You just gonna throw every fuckin' thing I say back at me? Psh. You're like red. Trying to get inside my head." She replied angrily.

"No. Not at all. I know why you came here. I just wanted to say thank you." I said.

Jack snorted. "Uh huh. Why do you think I came here, Mr. Know It All?"

"Because we're friends."

"I don't need friends. If I did, it just means I need a shorter knife." She shot back.

I just shrugged. "If you say so. But if there's anything you should know about me, I don't screw my friends over. Just ask Shepard."

Jack turned around and walked out in a huff.

I sighed and laid back down on the couch.

* * *

I awoke a few hours later and decided to take a trip to the refueling platform we were docked with. It was a regular 'gas n' go' kind of platform like all the rest. I liked them. They all had that old fashioned convenient store feel and there were always interesting people on board. I went into the store and loaded up on the usual; mostly snacks.

I also picked up the one thing I always had to get at the refueling stops: the 80oz. Universal slurpee.

"Mmm. Pomegranate/Pineapple." I drawled out, a small bead of drool almost falling out of the side of my mouth.

The cup itself looked like a giant bucket.

_Still. It's so totally worth it._

After getting the goods, I waited in the airlock for everything to pressurize. Of course, carrying all the bags was tough when you're using only one arm.

"Hey Mark, you in there?" Joker said over the intercom.

"You know it."

"Shepard's getting everyone together in the briefing room. Just letting you know." He said.

"All right. Tell him I'm on my way." I replied.

"Welcome back, Mr. Sears." EDI said as the airlock doors opened.

"Good to be back, EDI. Thanks."

I walked into the bridge and handed Joker a bag. "Got you the stuff you wanted."

"All right! Thanks man." He replied. "Did you get me a Universal size?"

"I knew you wanted one…I could sense it." I said, pulling out another one in a bag.

"Sweet. Thanks again." He replied as I walked towards the briefing room. I cut through the armory and entered, the rest of the squad turning to look at me.

"Sorry I'm late." I said, as I took a seat at the table.

Shepard seemed to gape at the massive cup I had.

"Wow Mark, that's uh…large."

"That's what she said." I replied, taking a sip through the straw.

Jacob chuckled.

"What? You've never had the 80oz. Universal slurpee?" I asked.

"Can't say I have. Normal sizes, yes." John answered. "That's just an insane amount of frozen drink."

"Always good for a long cruise." I said.

Garrus poked the bag I had placed next to my chair. "Got anything good in there?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I got some dextro stuff for you and Tali."

His mandibles flared out. "Wow. Thanks."

Miranda cleared her throat. "I believe we still have a briefing to take care of."

"Oh yeah, that." I murmured.

John stood up from his chair and placed his hands on the table. "Well as you know, the Illusive Man sent us into the Collector Ship knowing full well that it was a trap for us."

Various groans came from some of the squad members.

Shepard held his hand up. "I understand your anger and believe me, I feel the same way. But we did find out something valuable. The Collectors use an advanced IFF system that allows them to travel through the Omega 4 relay."

"That might explain why everyone else that's gone through the relay never came back." Tali said.

"Possibly." Shepard replied. "That's why our next mission is to get this IFF."

"So where the fuck do we find one of these things?" Jack asked, in her usual manner.

"Well…that's a good question." Shepard said, taking a deep breath. "In the Hawking Eta cluster, a Cerberus science team discovered a derelict Reaper floating inside the gravity well of a brown dwarf."

I had to restrain myself from doing a spit take. "Say what?"

The collective shock spread across the room.

"Yep. It's a derelict Reaper. From what the Illusive Man said, it was 'killed' by a giant mass accelerator weapon. This weapon is what created the Great Rift Valley on the planet Klendagon." Shepard glanced at Garrus, Tali, and I.

"Oh yeah. I remember that place. We did a mission on the moon Presrop two years ago. That biotic cult group." I said.

Garrus and Tali nodded.

"That was a strange one." Garrus added.

"Cerberus found the weapon?" Tali asked.

"Well actually, an Alliance science team did. It doesn't work anymore but they determined the age of the weapon was around 37 million years old. Same as the Reaper."

Thane sat silently, tapping his chin.

"To put that into context for everyone, mammals on Earth were taking their first steps. I imagine the same went for all of our homeworlds." Shepard added.

"Fascinating." Samara muttered.

"Do you know if the science team found the IFF?" Miranda asked Shepard.

Shepard shook his head. "All I was told was that they lost contact some time ago. Even if this thing is dead, I'm going to go ahead and assume the worst happened."

Jacob snorted. "So the Illusive Man didn't sell us out. Could have fooled me."

"Lied to us. Used us. Needed to access the Collector databanks." Mordin said, taking a breath. "Necessary risk."

"I made it clear to him that if he tries it again, the Collectors will be the least of his problems. Anyway…EDI are we sure this info is good?" Shepard said.

"My analysis is accurate, Shepard. I have also determined the approximate location of the Collector homeworld based on navigational data obtained from their vessel." Said the AI.

The holographic image of the Normandy disappeared and a map of the galaxy appeared. A red cursor traced the various relay routes before stopping at one point, marking the destination. That point happened to be the galactic core.

"That can't be right." Miranda said.

"Well I'll be damned." Garrus muttered.

"Sweet." I said with a wicked grin. A few strange looks went in my direction.

"EDI doesn't make mistakes. The Collector homeworld is located inside the galactic core." Shepard said with finality.

"Can't be." Said Jacob, shaking his head in disbelief. "The core is just black holes and exploding suns. There are no habitable planets there."

"Could be an artificial construction. Space station protected by powerful mass effect fields and radiation shields." Mordin added.

"Even the Collectors don't have that kind of technology." Said Miranda.

"The Collectors are servants of our real enemy. And we've all seen what their masters are capable of. They built the mass relays and the Citadel. Who's to say they can't build a space station surrounded by black holes?" Shepard stated. "No wonder no ship has ever returned from a trip through the Omega 4 relay."

"The logical conclusion is that a small safe zone exists on the far side of the relay. A region where ships can survive." Said EDI. "Standard relay transit protocols would not allow safe transport. Drift of several thousand kilometers is common, and would be fatal in the galactic core."

"Talk about one hell of a trip." Kasumi said.

"No kidding." Zaeed added.

"The Reaper IFF must trigger the relay to use more advanced, encrypted protocols." EDI concluded.

Shepard bit his lip and looked down at the table.

_Sounds like he's got quite the decision to make. Get the IFF or help the rest of us out._

"Look, just because we can follow the Collectors through the relay doesn't mean we can take them out. I don't want to go after them until we're 100% ready." He stated.

"Sooner or later we need that IFF, I say, why wait?" Jacob asked.

"It's a derelict Reaper." Interjected Miranda. "What if the Collectors are waiting for us? We may want to take more time to build the team and look for technology to get us an edge."

John scratched the stubble on his chin. "I made a promise to all of you that I would help you out with…" he glanced around the room, trying to find the right word. "…With your personal business. I want everyone to be at their best and I want this ship to be at its best. We'll wait until we're all at 100%, then get the IFF."

He glanced down at his omni-tool. "Miranda wanted me to give you these new reports on some of the things we're fighting. There's a picture and list of each unique Collector and husk we've run into along with a list of strengths and weaknesses. Study them well. There's a good chance we'll see them again."

We all nodded and stood up.

"One last note: Our next destinations are Tuchanka and then the Citadel. Just as a heads up. Dismissed."

I stood up and lugged my giant drink and bag of goodies. "I'm heading to the armory. Gotta get ready for some home movies."

A few members of the team perked up. Namely: Jack, Zaeed, Garrus, Jacob, Kasumi, and Grunt. Shepard shook his head.

"Paperwork can wait."

"Sweet. Someone call the good doctor up. She's wanted to get in on this for a while."

* * *

**Unknown Location**

The Illusive Man sat in his office, smoking a cigarette and going over the latest status reports. There was still no word from the science team on the derelict Reaper. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was either a communications blackout or something worse.

He stretched out in his chair. Going a couple of rounds with the 'Terra Firma twins' began to take its toll. He smirked at the thought.

Daily reports from the Normandy didn't reveal much, no strange activities among the crew or fire team. Of course, all of the reports were in Miranda's usual brief, but to the point explanations. The Illusive Man was still upset with the lack of audio and visual surveillance. Every time he tried to check the audio bugs, thinking that Sears gave up his little pranks, he was bombarded by the sounds of Toto and Kenny Loggins.

_If there was any person in the galaxy that needs to die immediately, it's Sears._

It wasn't because of the threat he posed to Cerberus, but his never ending stream of random music and his 'home videos'.

"Surveillance log from Bug 43." Said the VI.

_The worst part is…all of these can't be shut off. My fault for programming it this way._

"Life Lessons with Zaeed Massani." Said the narrator.

The Illusive Man rubbed his forehead. _Oh no…_

Zaeed was sitting in a chair, wearing a black tank top and jeans and knocking back a shot of something.

"Zaeed on Gentlemen's Clubs." Added the Narrator.

"Ah. There we go. When I was 19, I went to a strip club for the first time. It had its usual glitz and glamour. A few krogan bouncers, asari dancers, the works. Spent about 100 credits on this one girl. A real sweetheart with purple hair." He lulled his head back, reminiscing. "Let's just say I was the only who made it out of that club alive."

"Life Lessons with Zaeed Massani."

The Illusive Man sighed and took another drag on his cigarette.

_Has that man ever gone somewhere without being the only one to leave alive?_

The screen went black. Suddenly, the camera was in the med bay.

"I keep telling you, Doctor. It's lupis." Said Doctor Chakwas. "She shows every symptom of it!"

The camera then cut to Sears, wearing a suit jacket and an Illium souvenir t-shirt.

Sears sighed. "Its never lupis, MILF-oid."

He was holding a cane and hobbled around to the other side of the bed. The patient was none other than Kelly Chambers.

"The patient is suffering from wackadoodle syndrome . Every symptom gives the illusion of lupis."

"How do you know that?" Chakwas asked in a faux shocked tone.

Mark shook his head, having a look on his face as if he rolled his eyes. "Because I'm a genius."

He pulled out a bottle from his jacket pocket. "Take this baby oil and massage every part of her body."

Chakwas eyes' widened. "Excuse me, Doctor Home?"

"You want to save the patient? Rub it on. Baby oil kills the bacterium which buries itself in the pores of her body."

Chakwas sighed. "If you say so."

Mark nodded and sat down on the bed nearby. "I know so." He opened up a massive bottle labeled 'pills' and shoved the contents into his mouth. "Plus it'll give me the chance to live out my job fantasy. Oil her up."

"What?" yelled both women.

"I lied. Red's a hypochondriac. So, oil time?"

It cut to a graphic that said "HOME" and then blacked out.

The Illusive Man pulled out a giant bottle of Jim Beam and started to drink it.

_I have created an uncontrollable monster…_

"Coming up next on 'Awesome Cops!' Granian and Martin take on a ruthless criminal!" said an announcer.

The screen then cut to Garrus Vakarian and Mark who were standing in front of a table in a dark room. Mark had on a goofy mustache, a button up shirt that was halfway unbuttoned with a gold medallion hanging out.

Mark stuck his tongue behind the back of his lower lip while Garrus was forcefully slammed his hand on the table.

"Listen Jackie! You're going to tell us where you've got the hostages, or so help me…!"

"Woah. Calm down, Granny panties. I think I know what to do…" Mark said, twitching his ridiculous mustache.

The camera cut to Jack who was sitting in the chair, un-amused.

"Listen copper, I ain't telling you shit. What makes you think I kidnap kids?"

Mark sat on the table and leaned in. By the look of it, he was wearing some really tight khaki pants.

"Your association with Mendoza. We know what he's up to and we know his plan. He's gonna stuff the kids with drugs and sell 'em on the streets."

"You're fuckin' crazy!" she yelled and turned to Garrus. "He's crazy!"

"And Granian is a loose cannon with no respect for the law. We can help you. Please let me help you." He replied in a suave tone, sticking a leg up on the table, revealing the bulge in his pants.

Jack sighed. "Fine…"

It then cut to a scene with Garrus and Mark firing at some crates.

"This guy's a cool customer!" Mark yelled out.

"No…he's on fire." Garrus replied darkly as he fired a pistol causing a massive explosion.

Mark gave him another cheesy grin. "High eight, old friend!" both of them gave each other a 'high eight'.

The announcer cut in. "Awesome Cops! Featuring the most badass turian this side of the Nemean Abyss: Granian Lu'kow."

A few action clips of Garrus diving, firing bullets, and punching out people played. "Hey! You can't kill me! I've got diplomatic immunity!" yelled a man in a suit, played by Crewman Matthews.

"It's just been revoked." Garrus replied, firing a shot.

The announcer's voice cut back in. "And his suave human partner. An adult film actor turned detective, Martin Thunder."

A montage of Mark doing some smooth talking and shooting was played.

"Listen Jackie, I know you did it to save your brother. It's okay." He replied, giving Jack a hug.

"Oh Martin, you're so suave." Kelly said, as she sat in his lap.

"Suave is my middle name, guest star hottie." He replied taking her into some romantic embrace.

"Expect thrills!" yelled the announcer.

"Martin, are you sure about this? We miss the jump and we end up as a mess on a Zakera Ward sidewalk!"

"I'm more than sure, Granian. Let's roll!" he replied as they both yelled and jumped.

"Plot twists so wicked, pretzels would say, 'hot damn'!"

Grunt and Mark were staring each other down. "I'm your brother Martin." said Grunt.

"And devious foes…"

"Mendoza!" Garrus and Mark yelled.

'Mendoza' turned around. It was Shepard, sporting a fake pencil thin mustache. "Hello detectives. So nice to see you again." Shepard replied in his best Ricardo Montalban impersonation.

"Awesome Cops!" played the theme song which featured a bitchin' guitar solo before cutting out.

The Illusive Man felt absolutely numb.

_No amount of alcohol could wash this away._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Tuchanka**

"All right everybody! First showing of the latest home video is in my place!" I yelled out to the mess hall.

"When is it, kid?" asked Rupert.

"Right now!"

The crew hurriedly got up and brought whatever food they had on them. Some of the squad had come in as well. Garrus, Tali, and Shepard were already in my room. They were sitting around and joking. Jacob and Kasumi came in, dragging Miranda along with them.

"Listen, I have a lot of reports that the Illusive Man needs immediately." She said.

"Oh it won't take long Miranda." Kasumi replied sweetly. "Then you can go back to typing up your boring reports and admiring Mark from afar."

Miranda blushed and bit her lip.

I let out a low chuckle.

Joker walked in next with Hadley and Matthews. Joker still had his Universal with him, as did I.

"You're still drinking that Mark?" John asked.

"Yeah. You gotta savor it." I replied, taking another sip.

"You savor it any longer and it'll melt…then you'll be long dead." Garrus replied.

"Quiet you." I jokingly shot back. "I drink this any faster and I'll get brain freeze. Not fun."

Garrus and Tali looked at each other, confused.

"Brain freeze?" she asked.

Shepard explained as the rest of the squad entered. Jack, Grunt, and Zaeed walked in; Zaeed and Jack looked angry at each other. Grunt had the same expression he always had.

"Why did you drag me out of my bunk you geriatric fuck?" Jack yelled at Zaeed.

"Because you asked me to." He dryly replied.

"Fuck you."

"It's better than sitting around." Grunt added.

Mordin came in next, scratching his chin.

"Was curious about the message I received. Something about home movies."

"I'll explain everything to you professor." Replied Dr. Chakwas.

To everyone's surprise, Thane and Samara walked in next.

"I was merely wondering what the commotion was about." Thane said.

"As was I." Samara added. "I am unfamiliar with these, 'home movies'."

"You'll be in for a treat then." I replied. "Take a seat anywhere."

John looked at me. "It's your show Mark."

I nodded and stood up. "All right everybody, thank you for coming. I wanted to save this so that everyone could watch. I mean, we've got a long trip until we reach Tuchanka so…might as well kill the time. Right?"

Various mumbles of agreement echoed throughout the room.

"Cool. Now for everyone that's been here from the start, is it alright if we play the first few short films for the un-initiated?"

"Fine by me." Yelled Joker. No one else argued.

"Yeah. They've all been hilarious." Replied Ken.

"Alright! Let's get this thing started." I said as I booted up the video player.

I went back to my seat on the couch, sitting between Shepard and Miranda.

As the first movie started, everyone fell silent. I glanced over at Miranda who gave me a small grin.

I turned on my omni-tool and sent her a text.

_MS: So, they dragged you from your office to watch my works of art?_

She looked down and shook her head lightly.

_ML: Yes…I'm not sure I'd call it art but…_

I put on a fake shock look on my face.

_MS: How dare you! This is genius stuff right here_!

We stopped chatting when it came up to my 'Cerberus Recruiting Video'. It was at the part where Kelly mentions the 'satanic orgies and probing.'

Miranda bit her lip and shook her head, trying not to laugh.

_MS: Okay…maybe not that smart, but still funny. Come on, give us a laugh eh?_

_ML: You're insane._

_MS: Insanely sexy. _

I gave Miranda a cheesy grin and she chuckled lowly. Everyone else was roaring with laughter. Well, except for Samara and Thane. They hid it well.

_ML: I won't argue that. ;)_

_MS: Good, I'm glad. BTW, you look amazing in that black outfit._

Even in the near pitch-black room, I saw her blush.

_ML: Thank you. What does BTW mean?_

I laughed.

_MS: It means by the way. Someone doesn't do IM's that often eh?_

_ML: No…not really. _

We both watched as the newest video started up. It was my parody of an old television show, House.

John laughed his ass off when the camera panned to me.

As far as filming goes, I don't like to reveal anything except to the people that are going to be in the scene so everything stays fresh.

The House parody went off without a hitch. Everybody was laughing.

"Kid, that was great." Zaeed said, giving me a thumbs up from across the room.

"Thanks Zaeed."

When the announcer, which was also me doing a gruff impersonation, came on. Everyone was holding on, waiting for the next big laugh.

Most of the crew and squad, minus Garrus, was surprised that Jack of all people actually took part in the video. To be honest, she was actually really good.

All of the classic action movie cliché's got people laughing. Well, that and the fact that Garrus and I hammed it up.

_The 'stache and clothes were a nice touch as well._

By the end of it, Miranda was in hysterics. She practically fell over onto me, laughing.

I turned the lights back on and everyone clapped.

"Thank you, thank you. Of course, I can't take all the credit. That goes to everyone who's participated and help set up all of this." I said, standing up to take a bow.

Everyone filed out of my room. A few people stayed behind to help clean up and all of that. Miranda stayed behind as well. It was just the two of us in here.

"Perhaps I was wrong. That was really funny." She said with a grin.

"Glad you liked it." I replied.

"How is your arm feeling?" she asked.

"Not too bad. It's not as stiff as before." I moved it around in the sling a little bit.

"I hope you don't mind if I take a look."

"Not at all." I drawled out as she rolled her eyes.

Her hands were gentle as she poked and prodded various spots around my shoulder. Some areas weren't as bad as others.

"So, what's the verdict?" I asked.

"Well your shoulder seems to be healing quickly. I'd get checked out by the doctor though." Miranda answered.

I nodded and sarcastically replied. "Yes ma'am."

"I'll be in my room. I'd like to speak to you there."

"Sure thing." I replied with a small grin. Miranda gave me a wink and walked out.

_Hm. Wonder if this is what I think it is._

I walked over to the med bay to get checked out by Dr. Chakwas. She gave me the go ahead to take off the sling. But I wouldn't be cleared for combat yet.

_No problem. We won't be at Tuchanka for another 3 days. I should be fine by then._

Most of the crew were turning in for the night. The whole Collector ship situation had everyone on edge. Tonight was probably the first time since Illium that they would be getting a decent night sleep.

My next destination was Miranda's room.

* * *

I pressed the call button on the door. "It's Mark."

"Come on in." she replied sweetly.

_I guess she is ready._

I stepped inside to a fairly dark room. The only lights that were on were the ones coming from her nightstand and the terminals on her desk. Miranda was standing in front of the bed, still in her tight black outfit except for her heels.

"Well, the doc cleared me. Except for combat duty. Won't be ready for a couple of days at least." I said.

She smiled and walked up to me. "I'm glad."

Miranda draped her arms over me, placing her right hand on my left cheek. She planted a kiss on my right cheek, slowly working her way to my lips.

"I take it that you've…thought everything over." I replied softly, as I kissed her from cheek to lips.

"Mm—I have." She said wispily.

"And?"

"I want this…I want you." Miranda whispered into my ear.

My eyes went wide. "I—want you too."

We stared into each others eyes and moved closer. I held her in my arms as we shared a passionate kiss. It didn't take long before it turned into one intense open mouth kiss. The two of us fell onto the bed, embracing each other like our plane had burst into flames and was going down.

Then suddenly Miranda stopped.

"Hm? What is it Miranda?" I asked, confused.

"I want to…savor the moment." She replied with a sly grin.

I let out a low laugh. "Sounds good to me."

"First thing's first…" she replied as she rolled us over and sat on top of me. I quickly kicked my shoes off, anticipating what she was thinking.

I brought my hands up to her sides, slowly running them up and down her body. Miranda gently took one of my hands and brought it up to the top of her shirt where there was a zipper. She guided my hand down, unzipping her shirt.

"Wow." I blurted out.

She let out a small laugh and let her shirt slide off. "You like what you see?"

Miranda made a little show of it, putting her hands behind her head as I stared at her chest. She had a lacy black bra on, holding those brilliant pairs of double-d's in place.

"I love what I see." I said. She blushed and leaned forward, giving me another passionate kiss.

"Your turn." She whispered into my ear. Miranda got off of me as I stood up and took my shirt off.

"Mm…I've been waiting for this for some time now." She said with a small amount of humor in her voice.

"Since the last time you saw me work out?" I asked. "That was the other day."

"Don't ruin the moment." She replied laughing.

I rolled my eyes.

"To even things up, you have to take off one more thing." She said, as she stood up and pressed herself against me.

"What, my pants? How does that even things up?"

She shook her head. "Your glasses."

"Oh…" I replied. "Gotcha."

I brought my hand up to take off my shades when Miranda stopped me.

"Hm?"

"Is it alright if I do it?" she asked.

I thought about it for a second. "Sure."

I closed my eyes as she slowly took them off and placed them on the nightstand. Miranda took my hand and led me back over to the bed. I could feel her sitting in my lap again.

"Can you open your eyes for me?" she whispered.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Miranda, smiling.

"They're so…"

"Freaky?"

"I was going to say beautiful." She deadpanned.

I smirked. "Thanks. Not too many people have seen them. Consider yourself part of an exclusive club."

"I saw them before remember? After you came aboard?"

I nodded. "Just wanted to make it official."

She rolled her eyes and sat back down in my lap as we both kissed again.

I could hear her let out a small laugh.

"What is it?" I asked, smirking.

"I felt something." She replied with a smile.

"The great beast has awoken."

She snorted and bit her lip. "Let's just get the rest of these off shall we?"

"Sounds good to me." I replied.

Just to agitate me, Miranda roughly rubbed up against me as she got off of my lap. She made a little show of taking her pants off which I had no problem with. Mine were off way before hers.

I sat back and took her all in. Part of me was shaking my head in disbelief. Was this actually happening? Did I actually fall for a woman this beautiful and smart? Did she fall for someone like me? It was so crazy and yet so right.

Miranda's eyebrows quirked up when she turned around. "Well, so eager to your pants off eh?"

"Sorry. You were taking a little too long." I replied with a slick grin.

"Ah." She rolled her eyes and looked down, raising an eyebrow. "Let's get the rest of these off shall we?"

"Couldn't agree more." I said softly as she sat in my lap again, grinding up against me.

Miranda pushed me back onto the bed as she sat above me. She gave me a really dirty smile as she took off her bra.

_Let the games begin._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Tuchanka (ETA: 2 days)**

Waking up the next morning was probably the greatest feeling in the world. I let out a yawn and stretched. Looking around, I was still in Miranda's room, in her bed, and she was sleeping next to me naked.

_Nope…that wasn't a dream._

I smiled and fell back into the bed. Glancing over at Miranda, she was sleeping soundly. She looked amazing.

I looked over at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was only 0600.

_Still…I should probably get back over to my place before the crew wake up._

"Mm…what time is it?" Miranda asked groggily.

"0600." I whispered.

She started to stretch out, showing off more of her naked body. I couldn't help but stare.

Miranda let out a small laugh and propped her head up in her hand. "I hope you weren't planning on leaving me so early in the morning."

"No. Its just that I didn't want the crew to find out. Trust me, I'm not the hit and run type."

"I understand." She replied. "I don't want them to find out either."

"It is a small ship. Word tends to travel." I said, as I ran my hand up and down her body. I could feel her biotics seemingly flow through my hand.

She let out a soft moan. "I had no idea you knew how to manipulate mass effect fields like that."

"I tend to read a lot."

Miranda let out a soft laugh. "So that's what you do in your spare time. Your room is locked at night, I always see you on your computer…"

I laughed as I brushed some hair out of her eyes and drew her closer to me. "What are you implying Miranda?"

"I think the two pieces of evidence I provided speak for themselves." She said, grinning.

"Really? This is coming from a woman who spends most of her time doing the same thing. Sitting at her desk with two different computer terminals." I replied.

"Touche, Mark." She said as we both passionately kissed each other.

"By the way, Miranda." I said as she wrapped her legs around mine.

"Yes?" she asked softly while kissing my neck.

"That little mass effect field thing I did? Well, lets just say I'm saving it for later." I replied with a wicked grin.

"Oh really? I can't wait…" she said. "In the meantime, how about a special wake up call?"

"Sounds good." I replied.

* * *

After a repeat performance of last night, we both lay back on the bed breathing heavily.

"God…" Miranda panted out. "That was amazing."

"Agreed. You were amazing. But, uh, my name's Mark. Not God." I replied.

She laughed and slapped me in the chest.

"That's way better than using an alarm clock to wake up. Don't you think?" Miranda asked.

"I don't think I can go back to an alarm clock after that."

"Me neither." She said, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I suppose we should get dressed."

I sighed. "Thanks a lot Buzz Killington."

She smacked me in the chest again. I rolled my eyes and rubbed the area where Miranda hit me.

Both of us got up out of bed and got dressed.

"So, will you stop by tonight?" Miranda asked sweetly, as she held my hands.

"Sure. I might be a while. Got a few things I need to work on. But I'll be over." I replied with a grin. We embraced gave each other a passionate kiss.

She chuckled. "Why were feeling me up the whole time?"

"Had to get it in now. Should be enough to keep me going until tonight." I replied.

Miranda just shook her head and laughed. "Just stay quiet on the way out."

I turned on my omni-tool. "Look who you're talking to." Activating my stealth camo, I walked out of Miranda's room and unlocked the door to my room. I turned it off and grabbed a fresh change of clothes and walked out of my room.

As I walked to the men's room, I saw Miranda walk out of her office. She looked like she was going to take a shower as well.

_Gonna add that to the list of things we should do._

I went into one of the stalls and turned the shower on. This was one of the few places where I could think of random things. Ideas for weapons, songs, drawings, etc. My thoughts ended up shifting to Mindoir. I hadn't seen any news updates in a while; maybe it was over. Still, I needed to be sure. I finished up my morning routines and headed back into my room.

That's when I saw the latest news article.

"Mindoir Disappearance Total Passes 315."

I buried my face into my hands.

"That's just great." I darkly muttered.

_315 people. Unreal._

I checked to see if Murph had sent me any messages.

_Nothing so far…_

I shook my head and left the room. I already had a great start to the day. Dwelling wasn't going to help.

I went to the mess hall and got some breakfast. I noticed Thane sitting at one of the larger tables, staring out at everyone. I took a seat across from him, glancing to my left, Samara was at the far end of the table.

"Morning Thane." I said.

"Good Morning Mark. How are you?" he asked.

"Doing well, thanks. You?"

"I am—fine." Thane replied, a little shaky.

"You sure? You seem a little…I dunno, jumpy."

"My apologies. I am still getting used to serving with a team. Assassins tend to be solitary." He replied.

"I understand."

"Hence why I sit here with my back to the wall, watching every corner." Said Thane.

I chuckled. "Old habits die hard eh?"

"Indeed they do."

I grabbed my giant cup of coffee and drank it.

"I just thought it was something else." I said.

"What do you mean?" Thane asked.

"When we picked you up. You seemed a little jumpy when you met Samara."

His eyes flashed briefly. "Ah…that time."

"Yeah. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I just noticed it." I replied.

Thane nodded. "It is alright. There was a reason for that…"

"Is it because she represents justice and law and you're an assassin?" I asked.

He let out a short laugh. "You are very perceptive. You've certainly lived up to your reputation."

I smirked. "Well you don't have to worry about her eviscerating you with biotics in your sleep. She took an oath to help us."

"I see. Still, I was hoping to run into her on Illium after the Dantius mission."

I scratched my chin. "Glad we found you when we did."

"I agree. It was better than my original idea." He said, finishing up his breakfast.

"Yeah." I replied, eating the rest of my breakfast.

"Morning, Detective Martin Thunder." Said Garrus, who took a seat next to me.

"Detective Granian Lu'kow." I replied with a grin.

"I don't what kind of drugs you were on when you came up with that, but it was pretty funny." Garrus said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah y'know the Universal sized slurpee I had? That's what I was on."

"Probably got spiked."

"You would know. You probably did it." I shot back.

"Excellent job detective." Garrus deadpanned. "You solved the case of the spiked slurpee."

"High eight." I replied, holding my hand up. Garrus chuckled and gave me the high eight.

Thane had an amused look on his face.

"See Garrus, I told you people thought we were hilarious."

The turian shook his head. "Let's not do the buddy cop thing anymore. I feel dirty."

"Martin Thunder has that effect on people. Welcome to the dirty side." I replied with a grin.

Jacob walked over and took a seat next to me. "That was some funny shit guys. When are you gonna get me in on that?"

"Tell you what, I've got another suave cop that's gonna be Martin's rival." I replied.

Garrus facepalmed. "Oh no."

"What's his name?" Jacob asked with a smirk.

"Leroy Zanzibar."

Jacob snorted. "Seriously?"

"Either that or Ron Mexico. Your choice."

Jacob sighed and shook his head. "I'll give you an answer later." He looked around at the three of us.

"Heh. The three marksmen over here." He murmured.

I shot up in my seat. "Dude, that's a great idea!"

"Wait, what?" Garrus asked, confused.

"The Three Marksmen! Like the Three Musketeers but more modern and badass; like the three of us." I replied, joyously.

"One thing at a time, Mark." Said Thane. "We have many things to deal with at the moment."

I nodded. "You're right. I've got a few things to take care of today anyway."

"Like what?" asked Garrus.

"Top secret project I'm working on in the tech lab. After that, I dunno. Probably work out or something." I replied.

Jacob snorted. "One thing? You have one thing?"

"Yeah. It's really complex. I might not be back until lunch, or later." I replied.

"If you say so…" Jacob said, in disbelief.

"I do. I'll you guys later." I said, as I took care of my tray and headed up to the tech lab.

* * *

**Tech Lab**

I walked into the tech lab and saw Mordin, Miranda, and Doctor Chakwas on the far side of the room staring at the Collector corpse that Mordin brought aboard.

"Mornin' y'all." I said as I walked up to a workstation.

"Good morning, Mark." Replied Dr. Chakwas.

"Hey doc, doc, Miranda." I said, taking a seat at the workstation.

The three of them were talking about the Collector on the table nearby, saying all sorts of medical jargon that made my head hurt. I stopped drawing up my new shotgun prototype and went to check out this dead Collector.

"How is it able to function when almost all major organ systems are non-existent?" Miranda asked, tapping her chin.

My eyes widened as I looked at the corpse. The entire torso area was cut open, showing everything inside.

"Eesh." I said, with a shiver.

"Squeamish, Mark?" Chakwas asked with a small grin.

"Uh, yeah. Hold on." I replied, looking inside of the dead Collector. "There's almost nothing in here."

"Yes. Very little in terms of major organs. All of it appears to be replaced by tech." Mordin added.

"What have you learned so far?" I asked the professor.

"Started last night. Spent whatever free time I had taking samples, readings." He replied. "Doing autopsy. Studying."

"Ah all right. I'll uh, let you three do…medical stuff." I said uneasily as I slowly backed away.

I sat back down at the workstation and did a 3D rendering of the weapon I had drawn up. I would need to get the parts for an electromagnetic generator to create the ultraviolet radiation. The other parts I would have to procure from various markets. I sent Watson a message, a list containing the parts I needed to build the weapon itself. In his usual manner, Watson messaged me back within a few seconds. He said that he would go through the 'usual channels' and would help construct the generator himself with the parts.

I wasn't going to argue, his math was better than mine.

_That's because he was created using math…duh._

About two hours later, Mordin, Miranda, and Dr. Chakwas were wrapping up the autopsy.

"I still don't understand how the Reapers are able to control them." Chakwas said.

"Cybernetic implants perhaps?" Miranda wondered.

The autopsy was only to determine what the Collectors were as beings. We knew that they were Protheans, that much we found out on their ship. However despite being Protheans on the genetic level, virtually everything from their physical stature to internal organs and central nervous system was far from a Prothean. Or at least, what we knew about their anatomy.

The Collectors had no glands, digestive system, reproductive organs, or any other vital organs that most sentient beings had. Their DNA, the Protheans DNA, looked like someone took a sword to it. "Junk" sequences were eliminated. The heterochromatin structure, the protective barrier that regulates genes and protects chromosome integrity was severely reduced. There were also three fewer chromosomes. EDI had found this on her initial analysis.

Once we brought this body aboard, we saw the full and grim truth of the Protheans fate.

_Vigil was right. He might not have known the fate of the indoctrinated…but we know._

The Collectors were just mindless husks. The closest thing they had to a real organ was the brain, which like the rest of the Collectors, was more or less dissected down to basic motor functions and speech.

I got up and walked over to look at the body again.

"But Ms. Lawson, the Reapers are in dark space. How would they be able to have a direct, lag free connection to every Collector?" Chakwas wondered.

"I might have an answer to that." I said.

The three of them looked at me curiously.

"What would that be?" Mordin asked. I pulled out a damping mine.

I held the deactivated mine in my hand. "For the two fights we had against the Collectors, I used these damping mines against the ones that were using biotics. These mines have a blast radius of about 10 meters. Every time I used them against their Collector Guardians, not only did it cut off their biotics but they all started to seize up. Even the ones that weren't biotic."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "But don't they have that effect anyway?"

I shook my head. "The initial blast is like getting hit with a flashbang. It'll sting a bit but it won't kill you. When I use it on the Collectors, they act like I just jabbed them with a taser."

"So you think the damping mines are effecting their communications with the Reapers?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah. I mean look at what you found in this guy. Virtually all of his organs are missing and replaced with technology. Then look at the husks we've run into before. They're not as 'refined' as the Collectors but their still husks."

Mordin nodded. "Sound conclusion. Also, visual evidence of Harbinger controlled Collector adds to this."

Shepard walked into the lab at that moment.

"What the hell?"

"Oh hey John." I said nonchalantly. "Don't mind him, he's dead."

* * *

Shepard seemed a little mortified at seeing a Collector splayed open on a table and backed out of the room.

"I'll uh, let you get back to…" he trailed off as he jogged out.

Chakwas laughed while Miranda and Mordin looked at the door with confused expressions.

"What was that about?" Miranda asked.

"Oh he's just creeped out by autopsies." I answered.

"Seriously?" she asked again, incredulously.

"Yeah. We watched this old sci-fi/horror movie one time with some of the crew on the first Normandy. They had this wicked nasty scene where this guy got killed by vivisection. Scared the shit out of John. Every time we brought it up, he ran out of the room screaming his head off." I replied with a smile.

"Hm. Wouldn't have expected someone of Shepard's stature to have any fear." Mordin stated.

"Oh it just makes him more human. Not like one of those recruiting poster boys." I said.

Mordin nodded in agreement.

"Well I think I'm all set here." Said Dr. Chakwas. "Seeing Shepard's reaction was more than enough."

"Yes. I'm all done here as well." Miranda added. "I have some paperwork to take care of."

Chakwas left, followed by Miranda who gave me a little wink before she left. I sat down at my workstation and went back to drawing up my shotgun design. I heard Mordin let out a small laugh and I turned around.

"What's so funny professor?" I asked.

"Nothing in particular, Mark." He replied with a small grin.

A small scowl of annoyance formed on my face. "Professor…"

He held his hands up. "Just want to help. Medical matters."

_Huh? What's this about?_

Mordin walked over to my workstation as I spun the chair around. He took a seat at the station next to mine.

"Aware that mission is dangerous. Different species react differently to stress. Sexual activity common for humans in such times. Understand it intellectually. Recommend caution when dealing with Cerberus."

My eyes widened and my face felt hot. "Uh…w—what?"

Mordin waved his hand. "Secret safe with me. Doctor/Patient confidentiality."

"Right…" I drawled out. "Anyway, what do you recommend as a doctor?"

He leaned in. "Watch for bugs. Could be planted anywhere. Can perform exam later if necessary. Will need probes."

My jaw dropped.

Mordin turned on his omni-tool. "Biotic ability also gives benefits. Forwarding booklet to your quarters. Includes diagrams, exercises, inventive uses of mass effect fields. Can provide oils or ointments to reduce discomfort. Gave EDI electronic relationship aid demonstration vids to use as necessary."

I scratched the back of my head. "Uh…wow."

Something went off in my mind. "Wait a minute professor, you're just messing with me aren't you?"

Mordin backed up and held his hands up in fake shock. "Shocking suggestion! Doctor-patient confidentiality a sacred trust. Would never dream of mockery."

I let out a short laugh and shook my head.

"Enjoy yourself while possible, Mark. Will be here studying cell reproduction. Much simpler. Less alcohol and mood music required."

I burst out laughing in my chair while Mordin got up and walked back to his desk.

"Hey professor. I'm not sure if it was serious or not but…thanks." I replied.

He had a large grin on his face. "You're welcome."

I turned back to my workstation and stared at my shotgun design.

_Needs a name…_

I tapped my chin and stared at the terminal.

_Let's see…it's a shotgun that fires UV slugs. It shoots…UV slugs. Ultraviolet radiation…_

I typed the name into the terminal. _M-870 Hyperion Shotgun._

* * *

_I should probably add that I don't own House. _

_Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a bunch of wacky ideas for the Normandy home videos. So forgive me if they seemed too wacky. Also, Mark and Miranda got down and dirty. Didn't want to get too 'detailed'; I'll leave it up to your imagination to figure it out :P_

_As for the M-870, its a combination between a Striker shotgun and an Remmington 870._


	28. Rite of Passage

_Author's Note: Took a long time with this one...had some difficulties too. I dunno why but writing for Grunt has always been tricky. Which reminds me, I'll probably re-do his recruitment mission some time. I didn't feel too good about it. Anyway, we're going to Tuchanka!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2 (En Route to Tuchanka, ETA 1 Day)**

It was about four in the afternoon when I came out of the Tech Lab. As far as weapon design went, the Hyperion was all done. The hard part was up next: construction. Mordin was running some more tests on the Collectors to see how vulnerable they were to UV radiation. Preliminary results held high hopes.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I stepped into the elevator. I needed something to eat.

Gardner was busy fixing something so I just made a sandwich.

"Hey Mark."

I turned to my left and saw Kasumi leaning on the counter.

"Hey Kasumi. What's going on?"

She smirked. "Oh nothing much. Lurking around the ship, trying to occupy myself."

I chuckled. "Like what, cloaking and going into the men's room?"

Kasumi laughed and playfully hit me in the arm. "No! Just familiarizing myself with the ship. Listening for any rumors."

"Hear any good gossip?" I asked, putting the final touches on my sandwich.

"One of the girls in navigation thinks that she's pregnant. Even aboard a Cerberus vessel, life finds a way." She replied. "Can I have one too?"

"A baby? I'm flattered but I'm not ready yet." I deadpanned.

Kasumi groaned. "A sandwich."

"I know. Just messing."

She laughed again. "I'll have whatever it is you're having."

I nodded and started making another sandwich.

"How have you been?" she asked. "You seem…different."

"I've been all right. My arm should be all set by tomorrow." I replied.

"That's not what I meant." She said. "Let's eat in my room."

I finished up the sandwich and gave it to her. I followed her in and sat down at the bar. Kasumi took a seat next to me.

"So?" she asked, softly.

I explained the whole incident on the Collector ship and why I did it.

Kasumi seemed a little upset, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"That's pretty much it." I said.

"Wow. I can't I say I blame you for diving on that thing. But you should be more careful." Replied Kasumi.

I nodded. "I'll try Kasumi."

"You better." She said.

I sighed as she giggled.

"I hear that you and Miranda are becoming quite the item." Kasumi said, slyly.

I rolled my eyes. "Uh huh. Cerberus' top ranking operative and me? Can't see that happening."

"Anything's possible, Mark." Kasumi teased.

I snorted. "Meh."

Kasumi sighed. "Well, whether or not there is something between you two, I just wanted to tell you something."

I raised an eyebrow. Kasumi continued.

"It's strange to see Miranda smiling while she works. I've seen her make a few curious glances at you." She chuckled as she said it. "She's not so good at hiding it. But still, it's all because of you. Be gentle with her, Mark."

I smirked. "I'll do what I can."

"You better. Or else we'll all pay for it." She retorted.

I shook my head and laughed.

"I'll try not to piss her off." I said. Turning around, I looked at all of the various objects in Kasumi's room. It looked like a really swanky lounge now.

I got up and walked over to a painting on the wall. "Nice painting."

"I was hired to steal this a few years ago. When I went to grab the painting, another thief had already stolen it. I chased after him and tackled him. That's how I met Keiji." She let out a short laugh. "We never did tell our employers."

"Hm." I said, looking at Kasumi. "Either you're wicked strong or Keiji has no body balance."

Kasumi jabbed me in the arm and giggled.

"Yeah, you're strong." I grunted out as I rubbed my arm.

I walked over to a desk that had a red rose and a bust of a man's head. I picked up the rose and stared at it.

"What's with the rose?" I asked.

"The red rose. That used to be my calling card when I first started out. In place of what I took, I left a single red rose." She replied. "It wasn't until I met Keiji that I realized how silly it was. He had a way of making you realize when you were only being sentimental."

"Flair for the dramatic huh?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look. You do it too." Kasumi retorted. "Especially with your armor."

"Yeah. Can't help it. It's good for scaring the hell out of people." I replied, putting the rose down. I stared at the bust on the desk.

"Oh that." Kasumi said as she ran her hand across the top of the bust's head. "I stole this on a dare, believe it or not. This piece was on its way to Illium for an exhibit. I snuck in and stole it and replaced it with a harmless replica. No one noticed the difference."

I chuckled and shook my head. I saw an interesting painting on the wall behind Kasumi.

"Ah. That painting." She said, staring at it. "This was painted by a child prodigy from Elysium. She was the cutest thing. She was kidnapped by slavers who hoped to sell her on Omega."

I shook my head. "Damn."

"I set up an ID as a buyer's rep to get a special tour of the slaver's vessel. Once aboard, I freed the girl and smuggled her off the ship." Said Kasumi.

"Awesome."

She giggled. "She painted this for me on the way home. I'll never forget how it felt to watch her work."

"That's a nice piece." I added. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye laying on the bed; it was a book.

"Huh." I picked it up and looked at the title. "Love In The Time of Scurvy?"

I looked at the bookshelf and saw several other books, mostly sappy romance novels.

"Don't laugh. I like those books." Kasumi said, hitting me in my bad arm.

"Ow!"

She giggled and took the book from my hand. "I have a pretty good collection of these. Romance novels, crime novels, the classics. There's something about the feel of paper in your hands, their musty smell…it's relaxing."

I rubbed my right shoulder. "Can't argue with that. I've got a bunch old books at my place."

Kasumi looked at my arm. "Oh that was your bad arm! I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right. Still sore though."

She gave me a small smirk and shook her head. "I guess you can understand that feeling; reading through old books, I mean."

I nodded.

Kasumi turned back to the bookshelf. "Keiji used to find books for me while on the job. Some were more valuable than the objects he was hired to steal."

"All the books I have don't have any monetary value to me. They're priceless; passed down through my family."

Her eyebrows quirked up. "Wow. How old are they?"

"About two generations."

Kasumi's jaw almost dropped. "Do you think I can—check out your collection some time?"

"Sure. On one condition though." I replied with a small grin.

"What is it?"

I glanced over at the rose. "I don't want to find that in place of my book."

Kasumi held her hands up. "I wouldn't dream of it. You have my word."

"Cool. Tell you what, when this is all over, party at my place on the Citadel." I said.

"Nice. Have you told anyone else yet?" she asked.

"Nah not yet. I'm getting to it though." I replied as I headed toward the door.

"Oh and Kasumi…"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the chat."

"Anytime."

* * *

The rest of the day wore on without much action. I went down to the hangar deck to workout in the gym. I saw Garrus and Jacob poking around inside the Kodiak, learning all the new firing systems and sensor controls. Jacob seemed to have a good handle on it as he managed to clear the extraction point on the Collector ship by using the Kodiak's new guns. I knew how to use them as well as a few of the crewmen who helped assemble the new weapons systems.

After that, I headed back up to catch a quick dinner and go over various reports I got from Watson and Murph. Murph had yet to check in with me. Part of it was his SOP (standard operating procedure), he wouldn't report back unless he found something. He especially wouldn't do it if there was a chance that the enemy was monitoring communications.

_I hope he isn't doing the latter. I thought I made it clear to him that I go through separate channels._

Watson had acquired some of the materials necessary for construction but needed more time.

I was in no rush.

My omni-tool began to beep as I closed my terminal. It was a message from Miranda.

_ML: Are you busy?_

_MS: Nope._

_ML: Would you care to stop by? ;)_

_MS: Sure. I'll be right over._

I checked outside the halls and didn't see anyone around. I walked out of my room and locked the door behind me, making my way towards Miranda's room.

I noticed that the panel on the door was green.

_Heh…rolling out the red carpet for little ol' me._

Pressing the button on the panel, I waited for the door to open and walked into her room as soon as it did.

I looked around the dark room, it was empty.

"Miranda?" I asked.

"Over here." Miranda replied, saucily. She stepped out from behind the left corner of the room, wearing her workout clothes; a tight black tank top and short shorts.

I smiled as she showed herself off. "What do you think?"

"Every time I see you wearing that outfit, I have to resist the urge to stare. Now, who needs to resist anything?" I said as I walked up to her.

Miranda let out a small laugh as we wrapped our arms around each other and collapsed onto her bed, passionately kissing each other.

"Mm—I missed that." She whispered into my ear.

"Me too." I replied. "Why did you think I was all hands on this morning?"

"I can see why." Miranda replied with a small laugh. "How about you finish what you started this morning, hm?"

"I like your thinking Miranda." I said.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, (En Route to Tuchanka, ETA 10 hours)**

Miranda and I were breathing heavily in her bed. I guess it could be said that tonight's performance surpassed last night's.

"Oh wow." Miranda breathed out. "That was incredible."

I propped myself up, resting my head in my hand. "I couldn't agree more. You were amazing."

She chuckled and moved closer to me, wrapping her legs around mine. "You weren't so bad yourself."

I let out a small laugh as we embraced again. We lied here in her bed, staring into each others eyes in silence.

"I still can't believe it." Miranda whispered.

"Believe what?"

"The two of us…here." Replied Miranda, as she gently squeezed my back.

I smiled. "I know. It's like something out of a James Bond movie, but way better."

She raised an eyebrow. "Did you just compare yourself to James Bond?"

"No. I'm not that charming. Just saying the situation is like that."

Miranda sighed. "Still, I hope you weren't comparing me to a Bond girl."

"Nah. You don't strike me as a damsel in distress. Femme fatale? Yes." I added.

She chuckled and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"So you're aware of the James Bond films?" I asked playfully.

"I've seen one or two…" Miranda replied, trailing off.

"Which ones?"

"The only one I remember seeing was Casino Royale." She said.

"I love that one!" I replied. Miranda giggled at the response.

"Really…what else do you like?" she teased.

I bit my lip and put on a goofy, thoughtful face. "Good question. That's tough."

She rolled us over and sat on top of me, pinning my arms down. "You know, I have ways of making people talk."

I gave her a sly grin. "I'm sure you do."

"We can do this the easy way, or the fun way." She drawled out.

"Is both an option?" I asked. Miranda chuckled as she rubbed against me.

"In this case, yes." She replied. Miranda let go of my arms and the two of us kissed each other for some time and rolled around on her bed.

We stopped and caught our breath and looked into each other's eyes.

"I forgot why we were doing that." I said.

Miranda sighed. "A failed interrogation attempt."

"Oh yeah." I replied.

Miranda smiled at me. "We were talking about the things we like."

I nodded. "What about you? What do you like? Aside from yours truly."

She let out a small laugh. "Well, I like listening to Nielsen…and reading classic literature."

"Ah. Beautiful, smart, _and _cultured." I replied. Miranda shook her head and blushed.

"What about you Mark? Any interests?"

I let out a low whistle. "It's a pretty big list of things."

She snuggled up next to me. "I've got time."

"I listen to a lot of 20th/21st century music; mostly rock and metal. Out of every book I've ever read, the one I read the most is a memoir from my great-great grandfather. It's a great read."

"Really? What's in it?" Miranda asked.

"Family history, old cultural references, and advice on life." I replied. "There's some pictures too. I'm still kind of surprised at how similar I look to my great-great grandfather."

"Well if you look so similar, he must have been a dashing man." Miranda complimented.

I chuckled. "He was an average working man, spent most of his life working various jobs. He was a big history buff; always thought that the problems plaguing the world had happened before. Ironically enough, the same problems from his time are the same ones we have. There's still poverty, racism, corrupt politicians."

"He sounded like a smart man. Why was he stuck working menial jobs his whole life?"

"All sorts of companies and businesses were focused on college degrees, not work experience. He called himself a 'jack of all trades' and had the experience to back it up. When it came down to it, they chose the people with the degrees and no experience over him. Besides, he hated the corporate world; considered their hiring practices as an 'American Gladiators' process."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"It means that these companies would put potential prospects through some idiotic process of interviews and waiting periods. My grandfather thought that if they spent more time hiring instead of playing childish mind games that these companies might actually make a profit." I replied.

"I see." Miranda said. "Anything else that you like to do?"

"I love playing music. Got an old electric guitar that used to be my great-great grandfather's too, along with a bass guitar and acoustic drum set."

"Wow." Miranda said, impressed. "I hope you can perform for me some time."

"Me too." I replied.

"If I may, I'd like to read your ancestor's memoir some time." She said.

"Sure. Actually, my grandfather made a digital copy of it that I can send to you."

"Thank you." Replied Miranda.

I wrapped my arms around her as we laid back, slowly drifting off.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Tuchanka, Aralakh System, Krogan DMZ**

Miranda and I got another early start to our day with a rather exciting wake up call. Then came the new routine of slipping out of her quarters without anyone seeing or hearing me.

_Well, its one way to start the day._

After an incredibly long trip to the Krogan DMZ, we finally made it to Tuchanka. They didn't say it, but Mordin and Grunt seemed a little anxious this morning. Mordin was reluctant to say much of anything, which was strange since he never shut up in the morning. About week ago, Grunt started eating with the rest of the crew. He sat by himself as most of the crewmembers were still scared of him. The young krogan actually sat with me a few times as well. This morning he just took his food and disappeared back into the lift, heading back to his room. He had seemed a little more aggressive since the Collector ship.

_I bet we're coming here for the little fella._

As for the good doctor, I could only assume that it had something to do with his genophage project. I never asked for the specifics, it was probably too personal for him to say anything about it.

They weren't the only ones acting strangely.

Samara didn't come out of her room this morning. In fact, no one saw her leave the starboard observation room. Thane was even more quiet than his usual self as well.

Guess they aren't the only ones with personal issues on their minds.

I ate breakfast in relative silence before heading into my room to check my messages.

The news coming out of Mindoir was minimal. There had been no reported disappearances. Murph hadn't sent me any emails either which means he was still busy. Watson had sent me a message saying that he was making progress on the electromagnetic generator for the shotgun. All I needed now were the test results from the Collector body we had. There was only one other message I had received. The message was forwarded to me by one of my contacts. It was from the Fort Armstrong Disciplinary Barracks on Luna.

_Sears,_

_It's been a long time. I got in touch with someone who said they could send this to you. From what I hear, you've become a real force to be reckoned with. Good. About time you decided to grow a pair. I know we haven't seen or talked to each other since graduation and I heard about what happened to you on Akuze. Tough stuff. I would have dropped you a line but you sort of disappeared off the face of the galaxy. _

_As for me…well you probably heard about Torfan. I can't really say much about it as this message is probably gonna be censored. You probably know me well enough to know that I did what had to be done. Of course, there was backlash for that…had a laundry list of reprimands. It was all political. Now I'm here for 'striking a superior asshole.' _

_Which brings me to why I'm sending you this. I'm getting paroled at the end of the year. Would be nice to see a friendly face again._

_-Warren Rogers_

I smirked and shook my head at the message. I never really expected the 'War Machine' to be so sentimental. Warren was a tough guy; raised on the streets of Detroit as an orphan, he spent most of his time in gangs looking to survive. Warren got his way out when he decided to join the Alliance military. In his words, it was better than dying young or rotting in prison for ripping off a convenient store.

_The irony…_

Warren was unique talent. He was a masterful biotic, one of the few humans that could create a singularity the size of a basketball and have it turn a room full of bad guys into a meat grinder. John and I met him at the N7 academy. Warren and John butted heads a lot, both coming from different upbringings. I found myself being the enforcer whenever they got into a huge argument. But despite their differences, they had a great respect for each other and turned out to be good friends. Warren got his nickname, 'War Machine' as from his intensity in combat. He would wield an assault rifle in one hand and take on a platoon with his biotics in the other. He was the one of three soldiers to ever complete the rigorous Adept 'Nemesis' program, and the first N7 Academy student to complete it.

His attitude was a problem, one of the reasons why he would never make it past 2nd Lieutenant. Most officers and instructors didn't like his black and white outlook on mission objectives. All Warren cared about was getting the job done.

I never found out the whole story about Torfan. I guess I'd have to ask him when I saw him.

The door to my room opened up and in walked Shepard.

"Morning Mark. We're in orbit around Tuchanka, thought I'd let you know." He said.

I nodded. "Cool."

I stood up and followed my friend to the elevator and we stepped in.

"I haven't seen any other news updates from Mindoir lately." He said.

"Me neither. My contacts haven't reported in yet. They're being careful, getting everything they can." I replied.

John slapped me on the back. "We'll get there soon. Don't worry."

I smirked. "Thanks."

I stared at the floor and thought back to the old academy days.

"What's so funny?"

"Remember Warren Rogers?" I asked, turning to Shepard.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah…I remember him."

"I just got a message from him."

"Really? What's ol' War Machine up to these days?" Shepard asked putting his hands on his hips.

"He's in Fort Armstrong. Been there for awhile now." I replied.

John snorted. "After Torfan, I'm not surprised."

"Warren's not in there for that." I replied flatly. "He's doing time for, and I quote, 'striking a superior asshole.'"

Shepard burst out laughing. "Ah Warren. How many times has he done that?"

"First time to my knowledge. All he ever did was verbally assault them, not physically assault them."

"How long has he been in?"

I shook my head. "He didn't say. Warren told me he was getting out at the end of the year…parole."

Shepard nodded as we stepped out of the elevator. "Might have to pay him a visit some time."

"It would be good to see him again. He wanted me to pay him a visit anyway." I replied.

Shepard grunted in acknowledgement as we went into the armory. The rest of the team was suiting up to take a trip down to the surface.

"It'll be good to see Wrex again." Tali said to Garrus.

The turian nodded. "Yeah. I haven't seen him since we left the Normandy. I just hope he's gotten a little less…grumpy."

"When it comes to you Garrus, he'll always be grumpy." I added.

Garrus snorted while Tali chuckled.

"So you know the guy that's in charge down there?" Zaeed asked.

"Urdnot Wrex? Yeah. He served with us 2 years ago when we hunted down Saren." I replied.

Zaeed smirked. "Ah. Yeah I've 'erd of him. He was pretty big in the mercenary world for a long time. Not every day you see a krogan battlemaster."

Grunt was busy messing with his shotgun but looked up when Zaeed and I were talking.

"What's Wrex like?" Grunt asked flatly.

I turned to the young krogan. "He's a badass. Wrex knows when to fight and when not to and he cares about the krogan and their future. As for the rest, you'll know when you meet him."

Grunt let out a low growl and went back to messing with his shotgun.

I put my weapons in their respective slots and kept watching Grunt tool around with his shotgun. As I put the Eliminator on my back, I leaned on a nearby table and watched the young krogan.

"What is it?" he asked, angrily looking up.

"Nothing. Just trying to figure out what you're doing to your shotgun." I replied.

He grumbled and looked up. "I see you, the turian, and Shepard always messing with your weapons. I thought I would do the same thing."

"Oh, combat prep?"

Grunt just responded with a grunt.

"I'm trying to figure out what makes all of you act so calm before battle. Figured I'd understand by trying to do this."

I smirked. "Are you having trouble keeping cool under fire?"

"No. I can't control my battle rage. We're here so I can figure out what's wrong with me."

"Oh…I see." I replied.

"I have all of these imprints but I don't get it."

I tapped my chin and looked at his shotgun. "You want to make the carnage shot more powerful?"

An evil grin appeared on Grunt's face. "Yeah."

He gave me the shotgun and I turned on my omni-tool. I had to bypass a few protocols to give his carnage shot some extra kick. All of the energy would be diverted to the thermal clips.

"Here you are big guy." I said, giving it back.

Grunt looked at it. "What did you do to make it more powerful?"

"I diverted all of the kinetic energy and heat into the shot. You only get one shot so make it count."

He nodded. "Why one shot?"

"There's no easy or conventional way to make it more powerful since it's designed to be powerful in the first place. My modification gives it the force and power of a standard shot from my Eliminator."

"Awesome. But still…why one shot?"

"The carnage shot isn't supposed to generate the kind of heat and power I just gave it. There's a definite chance that the shot is going to fry every system in there. So save that shot and make it count." I stated.

Grunt nodded.

"Are you two coming?" Jack yelled. "Fuck!"

I shook my head as Grunt and I headed for the elevator.

* * *

**Urdnot, Tuchanka, Aralakh System, Krogan DMZ**

The Kodiak landed on the surface of Tuchanka inside of the remains of an old missile silo used in the Krogan Civil War. This was my second time on the krogan homeworld. The last time I came here was to make a delivery to Wrex in person.

Krogan didn't like aliens very much, especially turians and salarians. Both of them played a part in defeating the krogan during the Rebellions. The bitterness and the pain would linger for a long time.

They didn't care about humans too much. We'd done nothing to them but most of us saw them as a bunch of violent criminals and mercenaries. I knew better than that.

We stepped out of the Kodiak and looked around. The silo and surrounding construct was built to withstand heavy impacts and bombardments. Looking at the bases massive concrete walls and thick steel support beams was like taking a trip back in time. It partly reminded me of some old military bases I had seen in pictures of 21st century Earth.

_Huh. The krogan industrial age looked like our 21__st__ century. Talk about being late to the party._

A few krogan were standing around the platform giving us the stink eye.

"Uh, we probably shouldn't bring everyone." Miranda whispered to Shepard.

"You're right. Garrus, Tali, Grunt, Jack, and Mark are with me. Everyone else, stay with the shuttle." Shepard ordered.

"Aye Commander." Jacob replied.

There was a team of three that approached Shepard and Grunt.

"Stop right there, alien. You're Shepard of the Normandy." Said the overcaptain.

Shepard stepped forward. "That's me."

"The clan leader wants to speak with you."

John nodded and the overcaptain continued.

"Keep your rutting pet on a leash. Get him the Rite soon or put him down."

Grunt growled and stepped forward, causing the two krogan with the overcaptain to draw their weapons.

"We've got business here. Step aside." Shepard said flatly as we walked past them.

Heading down a rusty staircase, Grunt turned to Shepard.

"Why didn't you hold back? You usually do that when I get mad."

Shepard shrugged. "It's your homeworld. We're just guests here."

"What if I punch that varren over there?" asked the krogan as we walked by a pair of krogan and a varren.

I chuckled while John shook his head. "I might have to step in."

"But you said you're a guest here." Grunt retorted.

Shepard sighed. "You've been spending too much time with Mark."

"Guilty." I added.

We headed down the dank, concrete and steel hall and walked up a pile of rubble through an automatic door.

_Ah, the Urdnot Camp._

Grunt didn't seem too pleased.

"This is the great krogan homeworld? The land of Kredak, Shiagur, and Veeoll? This chunk of rock is barely worth standing on. Never thought I'd miss the tank."

I shook my head. "What were you expecting?"

Grunt shot me a fierce glance.

"This is all from the nuclear attacks during the civil war. Anything that can survive that hell and continue to exist is formidable." I added.

The young krogan grumbled and we walked up to a large throne made out of rock and concrete slabs. Sitting on the throne was Wrex…and man did he look bored.

The two guards held their hands up as Shepard and the six of us approached.

"Halt. You must wait until the clan leader summons you." One of the guards said.

The other one turned around. "He is…in talks."

We saw a krogan wearing Battlemaster armor, made by the Geth Armory, talking to Wrex.

Our old friend didn't seem too interested.

"You know what tradition demands! Clan Urdnot must respond! Your reforms will not go unopposed. You risk appearing weak at a critical time." Said the krogan talking to Wrex.

Wrex turned his head and looked at all of us. "Shepard!"

John looked at the two guards. "Good enough?"

Wrex shoved the other krogan out of the way while we approached him, pushing past the throne guards.

Wrex grabbed Shepard's hand and shook it. The joy in his laugh and the way he grabbed his arm was a side of Wrex I'd never seen.

_Must be getting more friendly in his old age…_

The old krogan glanced at the rest of us. "Heh. Well if it isn't Garrus, Tali, and Mark. Good to see you."

"Hey Wrex. Like what you've done with the place." Garrus replied.

Wrex shook his head. "Look who went and got himself a sense of humor. I heard you had some fun on Omega recently."

Garrus had a curious expression on his face. "How did you know that?"

"Heard some grumblings from the Blood Pack about how their Omega branch got annihilated. I'm glad you took care of them. Bunch of weak little pups."

Garrus let out a short laugh while Wrex approached Tali.

"Tali." Said Wrex as he sniffed the air. "You smell different than the last time. Like you've grown up a bit. Outfit's different too."

"Thanks Wrex. It's good to see you too. But…how could you tell by just smelling the air?"

Wrex laughed. "I'm a krogan. We can sniff anything out."

The old krogan turned to me next and stuck his hand out. "Mark, good to see you too. Thanks for the delivery last time, it's helped us out considerably."

"Glad I could help. You know I'm good for it." I replied, shaking his big hand.

"Of course." Said Wrex. Tali, Garrus, and Shepard glanced at me, confused. "And you Shepard. You look well for dead. Should have known the void couldn't hold you."

"Looks like helping me defeat Saren and the geth has worked out for you. Glad we didn't have to kill each other on Virmire." Shepard replied with a crooked grin.

"Hah! You made the rise of Urdnot possible. Mark too. Virmire was a turning point for the krogan." Wrex said proudly, before staring at the 'complainer'. "Though not everyone was happy about it."

The other krogan scowled but Wrex simply ignored him. "Destroying Saren's genophage cure freed us from his manipulation. I used that to spur the clans to unify under Urdnot."

Shepard nodded thoughtfully.

"You abandoned many traditions to get your way. Dangerous." Said the blue armored krogan.

All of us collectively rolled our eyes while Wrex turned to him and nailed him with a headbutt.

"Speak when spoken to, Uvenk. I'll drag your clan to glory whether it likes it or not." Wrex replied as he turned to return to his 'throne'.

"Now, Shepard. What brings you here? How's the Normandy?"

John sighed. "Destroyed in a Collector surprise attack. I ended up spaced."

Wrex grinned. "Well you look good. Ah, the benefits of a redundant nervous system!"

"Yeah…uh, humans don't have that." Shepard replied with a smirk.

"Oh…then it must have been painful." Wrex dryly answered. "But you're standing here and you've got a strong new ship."

He let out a chuckle and rested his chin on his fist. "Takes me back to the old days. Us against the unknown, killing it with big guns. Good times."

Tali sighed. "I don't know how you guys could consider that fun. It was frightening."

"Yeah." I added, sarcastically. "Frighteningly awesome!"

Garrus chuckled as John and I bumped fists. Tali shook her head and started swearing in quarian.

"As much as I'd like to reminisce about the old days, there are a few things I need to take care of here." Shepard said.

Wrex nodded. "We don't often allow aliens to do business on Tuchanka. You're an exception. Well, you and Mark."

Garrus whispered to me. "What did you do here?"

"I'll tell you later." I replied back.

Shepard pointed at Grunt with his thumb. "I've got a krogan on my crew. He's sick or something…we think he needs treatment."

Wrex leaned forward, tapping his chin. Grunt stepped forward.

"Where are you from, whelp? Was your clan destroyed before you could learn what is expected of you?" Wrex asked.

"I have no clan. I was tank bred by Warlord Okeer. My line distilled from Kredak, Moro, Shiagur—"

Grunt was cut off by the other krogan, Uvenk. "You recite warlords, but you are the offspring of a syringe!"

The young krogan held his arms out. "I am pure krogan. You should be in awe."

I bit my lip. For some reason, it just sounded funny.

"Okeer is a very old name, a very _hated _name." Wrex said.

Grunt replied simply. "He is dead."

"Of course. You're with Shepard. How could he be alive?" Wrex comically stated.

"He seemed pretty ruthless. More than most of the people we've picked. Does that name mean anything to you Wrex?" Shepard added.

Wrex nodded. "A vicious warlord responsible for many deaths. Who apparently toyed with genetics." The old krogan scratched his plated head. "A clone undertaking the Rite…?"

Uvenk was dumbfounded. "You are considering it? A tank bred allowed status as an adult? This is too far!"

Wrex ignored him again and shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with him. He's becoming a full adult."

Jack chuckled. "Puberty? Aw…Grunt's growing up."

Shepard rubbed his forehead, he had a bad feeling as to what was coming.

"Guys…" he muttered.

"Can't we just take him to Omega and get him a few dances?" Garrus asked, jokingly.

Shepard just shook his head and sighed.

"I don't care what aliens call it. Krogan undergo the Rite of Passage." Wrex replied dismissively waving his hand.

"Well it'll save me the trouble of having to explain the birds and the bees." I added. "The extranet can help you there."

Jack laughed out loud.

"Too far Wrex! Your clan may rule, but this thing is not krogan!" Uvenk yelled before stomping off.

Wrex watched him storm off and muttered. "Idiot."

I laughed.

"So Grunt, do you wish to stand with Urdnot?" Wrex asked the young krogan.

"You'll really let a tank bred krogan join your clan?" Shepard asked.

"Only because he's with you. After all, the five of us killed thousands like him. Not quite as big, but many." Wrex replied, gesturing to Grunt.

"Damn…" Jack muttered, giving us all a glance. Grunt looked at us as well with an unreadable look.

_Maybe the little guy's taken aback at the fact that we killed a bunch of tank bred krogan._

"Wouldn't this cause a problem though? Having him join you, I mean." Tali asked Wrex.

"Clan Urdnot is strong and the others will do as I say. They see the benefit of my vision." He replied.

"And what happens if Grunt doesn't do this?" Shepard asked.

"If he was left here, he would be killed. Clanless aren't respected and a tank bred, more so."

"Harsh." I added.

"It's what we do, Mark." Replied Wrex as I simply nodded.

Shepard turned to Grunt. "It's your choice."

The young krogan turned around and looked out at the Urdnot camp.

"It's in my blood. It is what I'm for." Grunt said to Wrex.

"Good boy." Wrex replied as he sat back down on his throne. "Go speak with the shaman. He's on the second level. Give him a good show and he'll set you on the path."

"Thanks Wrex. I appreciate the help." Shepard replied.

"How many times have you stepped in a mess for your crew hmm?" replied Wrex.

"I do it on a daily basis now." He said as we walked towards the second level.

"Hey Shepard." Wrex yelled out. "Watch yourself. Tuchanka isn't safe and homey like Feros and Ilos."

I laughed out loud. Grunt and Jack looked confused as the rest of us chuckled at the memory.

We headed up the stairs to look for the shaman. "So Mark, what exactly did Wrex mean by a delivery?" Shepard asked.

"Oh that? I came here about two years ago to give Wrex and his allies some stuff." I replied simply.

"What kind of stuff?" Garrus asked.

"Weapons, credits, and a few other supplies." I answered. "In return, Wrex told me about some contacts that could help me out. One of them happens to be the son of Clan Nakmor's leader. Good kid."

"You think we'll run into him here?" Shepard asked.

I shrugged. "Maybe. He told me that he was going to help the Nakmor ambassador out with the talks."

We heard Uvenk's shouting before we even made it up the stairs.

Uvenk was standing with his two bodyguards, bitching and moaning at another krogan, presumably the shaman. We approached them.

"You go beyond yourself Gatatog Uvenk! The rites of Urdnot are dominant!" yelled the shaman.

"How do we know it will challenge him? He's unnatural! The beasts of the Rite could ignore him like a lump of plastic!" retorted Uvenk.

"They know blood no matter the womb. Your barking doesn't help your case." Said the shaman.

I knew he was bad news the moment I saw him. Wearing armor made by the geth? Bitching at Wrex? He's done.

"I'll speak for myself!" yelled Grunt as he stepped forward.

The shaman turned and looked at Grunt. "So this is the tank bred?" He took a sniff of the young krogan. "It is very lifelike. Smells correct as well. Your protests ring hollow, Uvenk."

"I don't care what this idiot says. Grunt has the right to be here." Shepard stated, pointing at Uvenk.

"Oh there's some fire—and from an alien! Oh, the shame this heaps on those who whine like pups." The shaman said.

"If this must stand on trial, then I invoke a denial! My krantt stands against him, he has no one!" Uvenk yelled.

The shaman groaned. "My patience is tested, but Uvenk invokes correctly. Grunt, who is your krantt? The allies willing to kill and die on your behalf?"

"He can bring allies to the Rite?" asked Shepard. "How will that test him?"

"Not every krogan can be the strongest warrior but each must inspire his peers to battle at his side. If the ones who know you best find nothing worthy of you, then you should wander the wastes and die before you join my clan." Said the shaman.

I tapped Grunt on the arm. "Count me in, biggin'."

"Grunt will strengthen Clan Urdnot. Name our target, and it will die." Shepard said.

The shaman held his arms up. "Spoken well! Most aliens—and some krogan—" the shaman said while looking at Uvenk, "Do not understand our ways. I believe this human does."

"Aliens don't know strength! My followers are true krogan everything about Grunt is a lie!" Uvenk shouted out.

Shepard's gaze narrowed. "Well, then let me show you how humans work. Yippie ki-yay motherfucker!"

Just like that, Shepard nailed Uvenk with a huge headbutt. Uvenk simply shook it off while all of us looked on with wide eyes. I was grinning like an idiot.

"You—you dare?" Uvenk said darkly.

The shaman laughed out loud. "I like this human! He understands."

"I withdraw my denial." Said Uvenk. "This will be decided elsewhere." He stormed off, shoving Shepard aside as he and his bodyguards left. The other krogan in the room were laughing as he left.

"You have provoked them. Reason enough for me to like you. They're your problem now." The shaman told Shepard.

"Damn Shepard. Headbutting a krogan?" Jack said impressed. "You're crazier than I am."

Shepard turned to the shaman, rubbing his head. "Is Uvenk going to try and mess up Grunt's rite?"

The shaman shook his head. "He is forbidden to interfere. Will he? During the Rite of Passage, you must be ready for anything. From what I've seen, you will not disappoint."

The Urdnot shaman turned to me. "As for you Mark, I already know that you will do fine as well."

"How do you know that?" Garrus asked.

"Mark has told me his tales of battle, his ability to survive a four day attack from thresher maws far surpasses that of any krogan." Replied the shaman.

"That and a krogan fought me on my visit here…didn't end well for him." I said.

"You killed a krogan." Tali repeated.

"With my bare hands. But nah, I didn't kill him. I just broke a few bones and punctured his lungs. His fault for trying to attack me on a neutral ground." I replied.

"Do we need to bring anything?" Grunt asked the shaman.

"Only you and your krantt are required." He answered.

"You ready Grunt?" Shepard asked. Grunt replied by punching his fist into his other hand.

"Excellent. I must go prepare the Rite." The shaman answered.

"So you and Mark are helping Grunt. Want us to come too?" Garrus asked Shepard.

John shook his head. "Just the three of us."

"Are you fucking crazy?" Jack asked. "Who knows what they're gonna throw at you."

"I have to agree with Jack, Shepard. This is not a wise idea." Tali said in agreement.

"I know but this is between the three of us. We agreed to help him out." Shepard replied.

"Why Mark though?" Garrus asked. Shepard looked at me.

"He volunteered. Plus, the krogan seem to like him so that might get us some extra points." John replied with a smirk.

Garrus sighed.

"Please be careful out there." Said Tali.

"I appreciate the concern. But we'll be fine. We've got the firepower." Shepard replied, pointing at the Cain on his back and the Eliminator on my back.

"Good point." Jack added. "I still don't like it though…but…good luck. Okay?"

"Thanks Jack." I replied. "So, wanna grow some hair on your peaches biggin'?"

Grunt tilted his head. "What does that mean?"

"Puberty thing. Basically, wanna be a man today instead of a man-child?" I asked, doing my best to rephrase it to Grunt.

"Uh, yeah." He replied, still confused.

"Mark, you're still a man-child." John added.

I rolled my eyes. "So are you."

The three of us walked off following some Urdnot warriors that would take us to the battleground.

_Baptism by fire eh? Bring it on Tuchanka._

* * *

**Tuchanka, Proving Grounds**

Shepard, Grunt, and I were sitting in the tomkah with the Urdnot shaman and a few Urdnot warriors as we made our way to the proving grounds. The good news was that Shepard and I could fit inside. Even better was the fact that we weren't being squished by any of the other troops.

I couldn't help but wonder if these guys were with a security detail assigned to protect the shaman, or if they were simply along for the ride. With krogan, you couldn't really tell.

_Maybe they're here to watch, or to prevent whatever we're facing to spill over into the camp._

The ride was pretty tense for the three of us, no one really said anything. I was blasting some Lamb of God as a way of prepping myself. I also had to wipe a gallon of sweat off of my forehead for the umpteenth time.

The surface temperature of Tuchanka was 160 degrees Fahrenheit, shaded areas were a 'cool' 96 degrees. Of course for krogan, these temps were right at home. The shaman chuckled as he stared at me from across the aisle.

"What's wrong? Human's aren't accustomed to the temperature here?" he asked, getting a few laughs from the Urdnot troops.

"The hottest it gets on Earth in some places can be as high as 120. But those are only in the desert. I'd consider the shaded parts here to be somewhat bearable." I replied.

The shaman snorted.

"Out of curiosity, was it this hot before the nuclear war?" I asked.

"According to our oldest records, it wasn't. Plant and animal life once thrived here before the war. I'm sure you know the rest." He answered.

I nodded.

"What band are you listening to now Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Lamb of God."

"Oh, nice. Mind if I take a listen?"

"Sure." I replied as I turned on my omni-tools external speakers, the song 'Broken Hands' began to play.

Every krogan in the tomkah perked up almost immediately.

"Such anger and violence. Is this what you humans consider a battle song?" the shaman asked.

"You could say that. I listen to stuff like this before heading into combat or if I'm just sitting around." I replied.

"Ah. It is good to see that some things translate well across other races." Said the shaman.

"Indeed." I added as the tomkah came to a stop. All of us cleared out of the tomkah as we followed the shaman through the remains of an old tunnel. A massive door opened up to the proving grounds. My guess was that this might have been another missile silo.

"This is Tuchanka's most recent scar, the last surface city to fall in the rebellions. The Keystone was at the heart." Said the shaman as we looked at the massive structure in front of us.

"It has survived wars and the passage of centuries. It endures—like the krogan. If you wish to join Urdnot, you must contemplate the Keystone and its trials."

"What will happen?" Grunt asked.

"Who knows?" Replied the shaman. "You must adapt. You must thrive. Any true krogan will."

The shaman nodded and walked back down the ramp and closed the hatch. Here we were, standing in front of the Keystone. To me, it looked like a giant piston. I had no idea if this thing was part of their traditions, or if it served some purpose before the war and the krogan turned it into something…holy.

_For mining maybe? Or some kind of seismic weapon?_

"Let's get started Shepard. Hit the Keystone!" Grunt yelled.

"Not yet. Take a few moments to look around, figure out where they're going to come from." Shepard replied. Grunt growled but understood.

I found a large stone block and climbed on top of it to get a view of the area. I put my hood on as the wind started to kick up all sorts of dust and debris. There were krogan corpses scattered all over the area. Some were already decomposing, having been here for some time.

"What do you see Mark?" Shepard asked.

"We've got two bunker-like structures at 11 and 1. Corpses everywhere. The good news is that they left us a first aid kit and some ammo crates." I said.

Grunt noticed this as well. "I see…getting a lay of the land."

"That's right." Shepard replied.

I hopped off the block and approached Shepard and Grunt when I noticed something. There was a pair of krogan on the ground, about 10 feet apart from each other. Both of them were a mess. Their bodies were eaten away by some kind of acid.

_…Acid? Oh no…no!_

I started breathing heavily. "Oh no."

"Mark, we're gonna activate this thing. Mark?" Shepard asked.

* * *

Shepard turned and saw his friend, staring at two krogan corpses. He couldn't tell because of the recon hood, but Mark was frozen. Even John knew what killed those krogan.

"Mark?" Shepard asked. He could hear Mark breathing nervously.

"A thresher maw did this." Mark said.

"I know." John replied. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Mark nodded. "Got no choice. We can't turn back now."

Shepard was worried. Despite Mark's help two years ago, he was reluctant to bring him along for any missions that might have involved thresher maws. He just wasn't sure how Mark would react.

"We'll be fine Mark. Just take it easy."

Mark let out a deep breath. "Hit the button."

"First the krogan conquered Tuchanka…and mastered a natural world only we are fit to hold."

_Automated message eh? How quaint._

The keystone slammed into the ground behind us as we got into position. Barking and growling echoed throughout the area.

"Here they come. I'm ready!" Grunt yelled. Shepard pulled out his Revenant and I pulled out the Nighthawk. I don't think I would need the sniper rifle for varren.

The varren poured out of the bunker-like structures at a rapid pace. The good news was that they weren't that smart. We mowed them down, watching the pile of dead varren pile up. Of course since Grunt was using incendiary ammo, most of them got burned away so the pile wasn't as big.

"Whew." Shepard said.

"That was fun. What's next?" Grunt asked.

"Something dangerous…probably." I muttered as Shepard hit the Keystone activation button.

The announcement boomed across the grounds. "Then the krogan were lifted to the stars to destroy the fears of a galaxy, an enemy only we could chase to their lair."

The keystone slammed into the ground, with a strange noise following. We looked up at the sky and saw harvesters clutching klixen.

"Crawlers! Come to your death!" Grunt yelled out.

"What in the blue hell are those things?" asked Shepard.

"The weird crab things that look like rachni? Krogan call 'em klixen. They spit napalm at you and blow up when you kill them." I replied.

"Great." Shepard deadpanned.

"Keep 'em at a distance and we should be fine." Grunt said.

However, fighting klixen wasn't like fighting varren. These things were bullet magnets. It was like trying to kill a krogan. I had to switch over to my sniper rifle in order to even the odds and to thin out their numbers.

"Son of a bitch!" yelled Shepard. "This is like trying to kill rachni!"

"Told you it wasn't easy!" I replied. "How's the Revenant?"

"Totally awesome!" Shepard answered.

I popped out a thermal clip and reloaded. "How are you doing on ammo, Grunt?"

"Almost out on my assault rifle." He answered as grabbed a klixen by the neck and threw it with one arm.

"Here!" I said, tossing a clip at him.

Shepard and I burst out of cover, as we provided covering fire for Grunt.

"Grenade out!" I yelled, tossing a HE (high explosive) grenade at a crowd of klixen.

The explosion killed the klixen, causing the four of them to blow up simultaneously. On the plus side, the harvesters weren't planning on engaging us. They flew way too fast for us to shoot down as they strafed across the grounds, dropping klixen.

After a solid half an hour of facing waves of klixen and avoiding a fiery death, they stopped coming.

"Ammo check." Shepard breathlessly said.

"I'm good." I replied. "Still have the Judgement and Nighthawk. Evicserator's done."

"Shotgun's got one round left and I have one clip left." Grunt said, waving his Mattock.

"Pistol, sniper rifle, and shotgun are empty. Revenant's still good to go." Said Shepard.

I looked around at the battlefield. The area was coated with varren corpses, blood, and the charred remains of klixen…what was left of them anyway. I stared at the Keystone and the Aralakh star; there was an eclipse.

_Staring at it isn't too bad…there's enough smog in the atmosphere to see it clearly. Still…shouldn't look too long._

"What do you think is up next?" Grunt asked.

Shepard and I looked at each other.

"A thresher maw." I replied.

"You've fought them before Mark. Any ideas?" the young krogan asked me.

I shook my head. "I dunno. First time I went up against them we ran like hell. I was the first human to face one."

Grunt turned to Shepard who shook his head as well. "When I fought them two years ago we needed a tank."

We weren't going to push the button until we had a strategy.

_Fine by me._

"Well we don't have a tank, but we've got these." I said, pulling out the Eliminator. "And you've got the Cain."

"That I do." Shepard replied, as he equipped the Cain.

"So, shall we finish this up?" Shepard asked.

Grunt nodded. "Let's do this."

Shepard pressed the button and the final automated message played. "Now all krogan bear the genophage. Our reward, our curse. It is a fight where the only goal is survival!"

The Keystone slammed into the ground and the shaman's voice came over the PA.

"You have five minutes to survive, or kill the thresher maw!"

"How long did you last, Mark?" Grunt asked.

"Four days." I replied.

The ground began to rumble around us.

"Everything is…shaking." Said Grunt.

"It's gonna put feelers out. Take a few shots and then it'll pop up." I told the young krogan.

Massive blue tentacles popped up from left to right.

"And so it begins…" I muttered.

Grunt opened fire on the tentacles, doing his best to try and shred it or get it to surface. The familiar whine of the maw echoed around the area and it burst out of the ground.

_So…we meet again._

My fear was quickly replaced by rage. I kept pushing the trigger, letting the Eliminator rounds fly into it.

"Motherfucker!" I screamed at the massive worm, firing everything I had.

The thresher maw dove underground, leaving a large rock trail behind it as it went to the left.

"Don't let it hit you with that acid or you're dead!" I yelled out.

Shepard finally got a charge on the Cain and let fly…scoring a direct hit on the beast.

"What? It's not dead yet!" yelled Shepard.

"Tough bastards." Grunt muttered. "We should lure it in."

Shepard and I looked at each other and then at Grunt. "You sure Grunt?"

He nodded. "I've got one shot left." Grunt held his shotgun up.

_Ah yes. The carnage shot._

"Ideas?" Shepard asked.

"Put a round in its mouth. The area where the tongue connects is weak from what I've read. One of the chemical compounds in its acid is explosive and happens to be located in that area." I said.

"Good thinking guys. Let's get some!" Shepard said.

Shepard pulled out the Revenant and I continued to barrage the thresher maw with the Eliminator.

Shepard fell back, leaving me in a one on one with the maw. It burst through the ground, solely focusing on me. Grunt was sticking behind a giant stone block, waiting for the timing to be right. Then, the young krogan made a beeline for me. I sprinted past him as he made his way to the maw's mouth.

The thresher maw was now focused on Grunt and opened its mouth up and dove at the krogan.

"Grunt!" Shepard yelled out.

The thresher maw's mouth covered the whole area where Grunt was. Then, it suddenly exploded, the massive body falling limp.

I rushed at the body of the massive creature. "Biggin'!"

Shepard ran up as well as we inspected the remains.

"I don't see him…" Shepard said glumly.

A strange squishy noise came from the pile of gore, followed by laughter. Grunt was covered in all kinds of gore from the thresher maw, standing on top of the body.

"I am the king of the world, baby." Grunt said.

I burst out laughing. Shepard smacked himself in the forehead.

"You showed him Duke Nukem didn't you?"

"You bet your ass I did." I replied.

Grunt chuckled as he jumped down. "That was fun."

Before Shepard could reply, a ship bearing the Gatatog clan's logo flew past the Keystone.

"Looks like we've got some guests." I muttered.

"Good. I want more." Added Grunt.

"And I'm an equal opportunity ass kicker." I said as we walked past the Keystone.

* * *

We walked to the area where the ship landed and saw Gatatog Uvenk and his krantt waiting for us.

"You live, and you brought down the thresher maw. No one has done that in generations. Urdnot Wrex was the last." Uvenk stated.

"Huh. Why am I not surprised." I said to John.

"My krantt gave me strength beyond my genes. Which are damn good." Grunt told Uvenk.

"This will cause discussion. I wonder…you say you are pure? No alien meddling in your construction? Just Warlord Okeer?" questioned Uvenk.

"You're stumbling Uvenk. What's your game?" Shepard asked. We both seemed to have the same feeling…first he was bitching and moaning, now…

"Grunt will command much respect now. His strength may be artificial, but it is a tolerable loophole." Uvenk answered.

"A what?" cut in an angry Grunt.

"A reason to accept you. You are a mistake but your power could tip the current balance of the clans." Answered Uvenk.

"You spit on my father's name, on Shepard's name. But now you stop ranting because I'm strong?"

_You made a big mistake pissing him off._

"With restrictions, of course. You could not breed or serve on an alien ship. But you'd be clan in name."

_He's either really desperate, or really stupid. Probably both._

"You talk like he's a thing. You just want his power. You don't really want him in your clan." Shepard stated.

"Of course not. I didn't really want to cooperate with Clan Urdnot either, but I had to. Clan Gatatog is on the verge—either greatness or of joining the dust. I get traditionalist support if I fight you and reformer support if I back you. Your Rite of Passage also tipped the balance as well." Uvenk replied.

Shepard lulled his head back and fixed an evil grin on his face. "If I know Grunt, you're answer's coming at muzzle velocity."

Grunt smirked at Shepard. "You do know Grunt. This varren is dead."

Grunt tackled Uvenk while his krantt opened fire on us.

_Still have my pistol left…_

"Gonna thin out their back ranks, John!" I yelled as I turned on my stealth camouflage.

Shepard and Grunt ducked behind a fallen pillar firing on Uvenk's krantt while Uvenk hid.

There were two Gatatog members on the right flank where I was. I tossed a sabotage mine, knocking out their weapons while I peppered them; two shots to the head for each of them.

"On the right!" yelled one of the Gatatog clan.

"Damn." I muttered as I ducked behind cover and turned my stealth camo back on.

"Come out you little bastard!"

Shepard and Grunt rushed Uvenk after killing another bodyguard. I finished off the last one.

Shepard let Grunt finish off Uvenk by blowing his head off with a shotgun he grabbed from a dead guard.

Grunt tossed the shotgun aside. "Uvenk is meat. Let's go and leave him to rot."

"Sounds good." I said as we headed back to the entrance to the grounds.

Shepard let out a tired sigh. "I need a nap."

"I'm just hungry."

"I am krogan!" Grunt yelled out cheerfully.

All of us shared a laugh as we met up with the Urdnot troops and shaman at the entrance.

* * *

_All's well that ends well. Mark faced his fears and got to kick some ass. Also, there's a good chance that a new character will be appearing soon. His 'codename', if you will, is the 3rd Shepard (Earthborn, Ruthless). There's Mark, the ultimate survivor. And Default/Paragon Shepard. We'll be seeing the 3rd in due time. Mordin's mission is up next!_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	29. Old Blood

_Author's Note: Well that was quite the battle. Mark got to face his fears, Grunt passed the Rite and got to kill Uvenk. Now it's Mordin's turn._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Tuchanka, Urdnot Camp**

The bumpy ride back to the camp was fairly entertaining. We were getting all sorts of praise from the Urdnot warriors riding along with us. All of them had gone up against a thresher maw during their Rite and all of them managed to survive against it for five minutes. The fact that Grunt was the first to kill one since Wrex was quite an achievement.

_And Wrex is how old? Hell of a drought for Urdnot._

I leaned back in my seat, drinking from my water pack. I'd never fought so many deadly creatures before…and then take on a thresher maw…on foot!

Shepard tapped me on the arm. "You doing alright, Mark?"

I let out a tired breath. "Yeah. Just tired. You?"

John just tiredly laughed. "Wiped out. I'm just hoping the next assignment isn't so…insane."

I smirked. "Who's up next?"

"We're gonna help out Mordin. One of his students was captured here." Shepard replied.

I nodded. "Who are you going to bring other than yourself and Mordin?"

John scratched his chin. "Hadn't thought about it yet. I'll make up a list when we get back to the ship."

The tomkah made its way back to the camp and all of us piled out. Word had already reached the camp of our success so we had seen some krogan yelling and cheering as we got out of the tomkah.

"Now, now." I said, waving my hands. "I can't take all the credit. Get out here ya big lug!"

John snorted as I let Grunt walk past me. The young krogan just shook his head as the crowd around him started to pat him on the back. Shepard and I just stood back and followed the group as they made their way back inside the camp. I'd say it was a pretty joyous occasion for all of them; doing something that hadn't been done in a thousand years or so. The crowd moved away as Wrex and the shaman took Grunt aside. Wrex motioned us towards the second level where the shaman was.

"You have passed the Rite of Passage, earning the honor of clan and name. Many survive, but it has been years since a thresher maw fell!" stated the shaman.

Wrex chuckled and looked at Shepard. "You just can't help making trouble. No ones killed a maw here since my turn in the Rite. Next, you'll tell me he's a quint and craps dark matter."

I let out slow laugh.

Wrex sighed. "Guess that's what it takes to replace me." He tapped his chin and looked at Grunt. "You are Urdnot Grunt. Welcome."

Wrex stuck his hand out and Grunt shook it. The shaman spoke up next.

"Your names shall live on in glory! Grunt, as part of Urdnot, you may now own property, join the army, and serve under a battlemaster."

Grunt was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Shepard is my battlemaster. He has no match. Except for clan leader Wrex."

The shaman turned to Wrex. "Are you sure?"

Wrex nodded, smirking the whole time. "Couldn't think of anyone better. Doesn't matter if he's an alien or not. Shepard's got all the qualities of a krogan battlemaster."

The shaman nodded in agreement. "Understood. Here you are Urdnot Grunt. A gift for your success in the Rite." The shaman gave Grunt an M-300 Claymore shotgun. "Included in this weapon are upgrades from Fortack, our chief researcher. Use them well."

Grunt nodded as he accepted the weapon. "Beats the last one I had."

I snorted. "No argument here."

"Now…" the shaman started. "We must celebrate your triumph!"

I pumped my fist. "Hell yeah!"

The shaman motioned to some Urdnot warriors. "Gather whatever remains you can from the thresher maw. We must feast!"

John and I looked at each other with wide eyes. Wrex chuckled.

"Don't worry. From what I know, it won't kill humans." Said Wrex.

I nodded. "Does it taste good?"

"Yeah." He replied with a grin.

"I'm gonna eat me some thresher maw." I said to John, who rolled his eyes.

"We should probably get going, Mark. I dunno if we'd be welcome to celebrate." Said Shepard.

"Hate to break it to you Shepard but there's some nasty sandstorms that are rolling through the area." Replied Wrex. "Flying out of here isn't recommended, even with that fancy shuttle."

Shepard sighed. "So, what do we do?"

"You're welcome to stay here. Plenty of room and besides, anything outside of this camp is most likely going to kill you in your sleep." Answered Wrex.

"Thanks Wrex. We owe you." Shepard replied with a grin.

The old krogan waved his hand. "Think nothing of it."

Grunt, Shepard, and I made our way down the stairs to the main camp, overhearing various conversations between some krogan warriors.

"You hear that the tank bred and the humans took down a thresher maw?"

"Everyone's heard. Hasn't been done since Wrex himself."

"That takes a quad."

"I barely survived my own Rite."

"Ever hear of a human serving in someone's krantt?"

"No. Can't argue with the results though. We'll be eating thresher steaks for months!"

The three of us chuckled.

"You think they'll recognize us?" I whispered to John.

"Give it a few minutes." He replied.

"I like the idea of this celebration." Grunt said.

"Same here." I added.

"Well, I should go explain to the rest of the gang that we'll be staying the night." Shepard said.

"I'll tag along. I just want to see the reactions." I replied.

John let out a laugh. "Grunt, you're the man of the hour here. You can stay here and get acclimated. We'll be back."

"You got it Shepard." He said, as Shepard and I walked to the shuttle.

The krogan didn't seem to give us hostile looks like they did when we came in. Garrus, Tali, and Jack had gone back to the shuttle not long after we left. Jack was probably the first since she didn't know Wrex like the other two did.

_Everyone's probably bored out of their minds. Maybe they were worried too._

We walked up to the shuttle and saw the looks the rest of the team gave us.

"Holy shit, Shepard." Jack blurted out.

"What happened to you guys?" Garrus asked.

"You didn't hear?" I answered. "We killed a thresher maw!"

Everyone's jaws collectively dropped.

John nodded. "We sure did. First time since Wrex did it when he took his Rite."

"Wow." Replied Tali. "That's quite a feat."

Garrus scratched his head. "Didn't we do that a bunch of times before though?"

"Yes we did Garrus. Except we did that in a tank, not on foot." Shepard replied.

Zaeed snorted. "I've done a lot of crazy things in my time but I've thought about taking a thresher maw out on foot. Standard procedure is to run, pick up sticks, move the hell out. Krogan don't know any better I guess."

"Shepard and Sears don't either…apparently." Miranda muttered.

"Very funny, Miranda." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"So, are we heading back?" Jacob asked. Shepard shook his head.

"Wrex said that there are some violent sandstorms heading this way. We won't be able to head back, at least until tomorrow anyway."

Everyone grumbled.

"We have to stay here on this radioactive furnace of a planet?" Jack complained.

"It could be worse." Kasumi started. "We could have been stuck on the Collector ship."

"I know you guys aren't too big on this but Wrex invited us to stay. He's an old friend of mine and I don't intend on turning down his offer." Shepard said with finality.

"Plus, their throwing a huge party for Grunt." I added.

"Think they'll have anything that won't destroy our insides?" Jacob asked.

"Guess we'll find out soon enough." Said Kasumi.

Mordin, Samara, and Thane were the only ones who weren't vocal, or maybe they didn't care either way.

_Or in Mordin's case, it's something else._

The squad piled out of the shuttle glumly and followed us into the camp.

"Ah, sunny Tuchanka." Said Miranda. "It's dangerous and probably radioactive. There goes the plan of 'getting in fast, finishing our tasks, and getting out'."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." I replied. "Besides, complaining about the planet isn't going to get you on the locals good side."

"Don't tell me you actually like it here?" she asked incredulously.

"It's breathable, doesn't smell like ass, or contain lethal radiation or crushing gravity." I said.

Miranda simply sighed and shook her head. "I guess you have a point there."

"Hah. Mark one, Cheerleader zero." Jack added, getting a scowl from Miranda.

"Cut it out. Mark and I already had to fight through a hellish battle, don't start another one for us." Shepard said in a tired voice.

"Fine." Replied Jack, almost sounding like a pissed off little kid.

"That goes for you too Miranda." Added Shepard.

"What? I didn't do anything!" she yelled.

"Are we there yet?" Kasumi asked, sweetly.

Jacob, Garrus, Tali, and I laughed.

Walking into the camp we saw a small crowd of krogan gathering around in the center.

Jack was looking a couple of Urdnot warriors on our left. "Counted 13 guards on the way in. Are they expecting someone to start a war?"

"Those aren't guards, their warriors." Grunt replied, as he joined us.

Jack snorted. "I know guards when I see them."

Grunt made a low growling noise.

"Congrats on becoming a man." She said, giving him a nod.

"Thanks."

Everyone else went on to congratulating Grunt before the young krogan was led off to the celebration. From what I could see, it wasn't just Urdnot giving him kudos. I could see various clan markings from other krogan clans: Nakmor, Jorgal, and Drau.

_Probably clan reps. or something._

The team split up, probably to look around or see what the krogan were bringing in for the celebration.

"Long time, no see, Mark." Said a deep voice from behind. It was Nakmor Telal.

"Hey Telal." I replied with a smirk. "How ya been?"

The large krogan simply shrugged. "I've been fine. Busy with the Urdnot-Nakmor talks lately. You?"

"Busy with all sorts of things." I said.

"Like helping Urdnot's newest member kill a thresher maw?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah. Stuff like that." I answered.

Telal chuckled. "Crazy bastard. I barely survived my own Rite. You're here a day and you've already killed one."

"I'm human. We're strange."

"Indeed." He replied.

"So, how have the talks been going?" I asked.

Telal shrugged. "Pretty good. Dad and clan leader Wrex see eye to eye on a lot these policies. He even helped suggest a few new policies."

"Sweet. I'm glad you guys are uniting. I'd hate to see a couple of friends duking it out." I said.

Telal snorted. "Friends huh?"

"Why not?" I replied with a shrug. "Come on. We got some partying to do."

* * *

The celebration for Grunt went off without a hitch. Krogan war songs were played, food and drink were spread around, and for that moment of time, the krogan looked united. Grunt seemed to be enjoying himself, along with the attention he was getting.

_Well that and having a giant mug of ryncol._

"Hm. I didn't expect thresher maw to taste like this." Shepard said.

Shepard, Miranda, and I were sitting on a rock. John and I were eating a large slab of thresher steaks while Miranda looked on, disgusted.

"Me neither. Who would have thought that a creature containing so much corrosive venom would taste like chicken?" I asked.

"It's fine as long as you don't eat its head…" Miranda added in a repulsed tone.

"Hmm." I mumbled, chomping down on another piece. "Neesh more barbeque sauce."

"Could you try to chew with your mouth closed?" she asked.

"Nah." I replied with a grin.

Miranda rolled her eyes at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wrex approaching us.

"Hey Mark. Think you can show us that 'wall of death' thing again?" the old krogan asked.

I nodded. "You got it."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Mark…you didn't."

"Bet your ass I did." I replied. I took off my armor and followed Wrex up to a large concrete stage.

Shepard and Miranda followed us as well.

"Mark…you're only wearing shorts under your armor." Shepard stated.

"Yeah. In case you didn't notice, it's freakin' hot down here." I replied.

"Doesn't your armor's temperature control work?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah. I just prefer to dial it down so I get close to the actual surface temperature. Old training habit." I said.

The standard for all N7 trainees was not to rely on modern technology. Our suit's temperature control was always set to a certain temperature. For example, average surface temperature on Tuchanka was about 160. Instead of setting the temperature control to say, 73 degrees. We would set it to 95. Acclamation was key for certain environments, namely if we were stuck on a world with oxygen in the air. We had to take our helmets off sometime. As for worlds without an oxygen atmosphere, we just set it to the standard.

"Ah. I understand." Replied Miranda.

I stretched my legs out. "Oh yeah. Light and airy."

John let out a low chuckle.

"Miranda, we should probably step back. This is only going to get crazy." Shepard said.

"Tuchanka!" I yelled out at the crowd of krogan. "You remember the wall of death don't you?"

The crowd yelled back in their usual booming response.

"Time for a celebratory wall of death! Hit it!" I yelled as the krogan turned on some large speaker. I was surprised when it ended up being 'Barbaric Bludgeonings' by Cannibal Corpse.

_Good thing I know the timing for it._

I held my hands up, ready to signal the large crowd. Just as the first verse was about to start, I threw them down and watched them run into each other.

_It looks like a damn meat grinder…I might have to get in on this._

By the next song, I jumped into the next wall of death. The next song was an Urdnot battle song, apparently influenced by some of the music I introduced to the krogan.

* * *

"Mark! What the hell are you doing?" yelled Shepard.

"Mark!" Miranda yelled out.

They had lost sight of him as he dove into the krogan wall of death.

"Is he insane?" Miranda asked Shepard.

"You could say that." Replied John, with a sigh.

Miranda sighed and sat down on a rock, propping her head up with her hand. The two of them sat there, watching the celebrations unfold.

"The two of you seem to be getting along better than before." Shepard said.

Miranda chuckled. "Well, he did offer to assist me in helping Oriana."

"First, you two hate each other and then he helps you and all is well." He added, tapping his chin. "On top of that, you've let your hair down…so to speak."

"What are you implying, Commander?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Shepard shook his head. "Not implying anything. Just saying, it's a good change." He furrowed his brow. "Why, should I be implying something?"

Miranda simply snorted. "No. Whatever is between Mark and I is strictly professional. Even if he is an enemy of Cerberus."

John shook his head. "You don't sound too convinced."

She grumbled and shook her head. "This is no time for an interrogation Shepard."

He chuckled. "If I was interrogating you, you would know. Look, all I'm trying to say is thanks. Thanks for looking past Mark as a threat to your organization and for…I dunno, just giving me one less thing to worry about."

Miranda smirked. "You're welcome Commander."

He nodded and stood up, looking inside the giant crowd of krogan. "Mark!"

"What?" he asked, standing off to the left of Shepard and Miranda.

Mark had what looked like blood on his face, forming some kind of stripes under his eyes.

"Is that blood?" Miranda asked.

He shook his head. "War paint. Whew, krogan mosh pits are intense."

"You're insane." She replied flatly.

"Maybe. At least I got my shirt off. They would have torn it off." Mark said.

Shepard stood back as he watched the two talking to each other.

"But why?"

"Uh, because the krogan would have shredded it and because it's freakin' hot out." Mark replied. "Don't tell me you disapprove of this?"

Miranda facepalmed and Shepard laughed.

"Just put your shirt back on!" she yelled.

"Make me." Mark retorted.

Shepard smiled, as he looked the two go back and forth.

_Those two…they're not just friends. Good job Mark._

* * *

By night, the celebration died down. The sound of the sandstorms whipping over the underground camp could be heard. One of the Urdnot observation posts reported winds of up to 100 miles per hour.

_Good thing we're not heading out. I wouldn't do it._

I was laying down on a cot, staring up at the old concrete ceiling. After all of today's action, I was wiped out. Yet, for some reason, I didn't feel like sleeping.

_Might have something to do with being on a planet where everything can kill you._

I shook the thought out of my head. I could sleep anywhere…except Akuze.

_Or its because Miranda hasn't worn you out._

I smiled at that. I guess I did have some insane stamina.

"Can't sleep?" asked the familiar Australian accented voice.

I turned my head to the left and saw Miranda strolling over.

"Something like that." I replied softly.

Wrex got a room for all of us. It was big, but didn't have a whole lot in terms of furniture. There was an old couch and a table built for krogan. Aside from that, there were cots scattered all over the room. Everyone was asleep, except for us.

"What's wrong? Fighting Tuchanka's most dangerous creatures and jumping into a krogan mosh pit not enough?" she asked, taking a seat on the edge of my cot as I sat up.

I had a sly grin appear on my face. "Nope. I can think of one person in particular that could pull it off."

Miranda blushed lightly and bit her lip. "Hm. Good to know you have a weakness."

I shrugged. "I'm only human. So, you couldn't sleep either?"

Miranda shook her head. "Yeah. Spending the whole day in the Kodiak listening to Zaeed's war stories over and over again can take its toll. Well, that and worrying about you…"

I took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You shouldn't have to. Besides, Shepard's mom always used to say that worrying gives you wrinkles."

She gave me a smirk. "Shepard's mother?"

I nodded. "Long story."

Miranda took my other hand and held it. "Fighting the thresher maw must have been…difficult."

I let out a small sigh. "Yeah."

"Could you…tell me about it? The fight I mean."

I nodded. "I knew we were going to take it on before we made it to the proving grounds. I guess my instincts were right. This is Tuchanka after all."

I leaned back on the cot, as did Miranda who still held my hand. "Before we even went through the first wave, I saw the bodies of two dead soldiers. Half of one of the soldiers was eaten away by the acid. The other one…I couldn't even tell if it was krogan. That's when I knew we would face it."

"Were you afraid?" she asked softly.

"I hadn't been that scared in a long time. Thresher maw's were probably the only thing I was ever afraid of." I paused, thinking back to the battle. "When I saw it rise up out of the ground, I was ready. Ready to kill that thing. Ready to avenge the deaths of my fallen comrades. Once again, I stared death in the face and made it blink."

She gave me a warm smile and looked around the room before giving me a big hug. "I'm proud of you Mark."

"Thanks." I replied.

"So, you got your revenge on a creature that destroyed your unit. What will you do when this is over? Go after Cerberus again?" she asked.

"This is only a break in my battle." I replied simply.

Miranda's eyes softened. "You're going to continue doing it…"

"I have to."

She shook her head. "But, what about us?"

"We can still be together." I said.

"I won't betray Cerberus." She replied flatly.

"I know."

"So what do we do?"

"You still haven't seen things the way I do. I want you to see the truth." I replied.

She bit her lip and looked at me.

"Look Miranda, we've still got time to go over all of this. We'll get to that road when we come to it. Right now, lets just enjoy being with each other. Okay?" I asked with a grin.

She smiled and nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't rush ahead."

I took a quick glance around the room and kissed her. Miranda returned it and licked her lips when we finished.

"Been waiting to do that all day." I whispered.

"Me too."

She gave me a wink as she stood up. "Good night Mark."

"Good night Miranda."

* * *

It was the same dream that had haunted me for fifteen years. My father taking his sniper rifle, picking off batarian pirates one by one. The screaming and sounds of explosions echoing throughout the neighborhood. My mother taking me by the hand as we ran into the basement.

"_Dad!" I yell out. _

"_It's okay son. Just stay with your mother!"_

_It was the last thing he said to me before a rocket tore through the living room window, blowing up on the far wall. He was killed from the shrapnel after the explosion._

_My mother…I remember the anger and the fear in her eyes, her last words to me, the scream before the gunshot. Then came the terrible sight when I emerged from the Prothean cave. The bodies of neighbors and friends strewn across the whole neighborhood. Children that were summarily executed on the front lawns. Parents and adults that had resisted and fought back; some were executed, others faced a death far worse than a gunshot to the head, either being killed with incendiary or chemical rounds. The most horrific site for me was finding the bodies of my parents. Everything goes dark after that…_

_Then I'm on Akuze, running through the vast forests and valleys, trying to get away from the ungodly creatures chasing us. Two of our five teams had already been taken out by these things. We didn't have the numbers for this, even with 3 of the teams being from the marine detachment on board the Eisenhower. For days we ran, watching the rest of the team get dragged down or torn apart by these creatures._

_Nohman, Wei, Varlamov, Ferguson, Roberts, Nokelainen, Torres, Singh, Solzhenitzyn, Toombs._

_Task Force 110…gone. I did everything possible to get them out and I failed. We did everything we could, went far beyond our own physical limits to escape and failed. The visions of all of those brave men and women that I'd served with for years, getting killed in the most gruesome ways possible. And Toombs, I did everything to try and save him and he sacrificed himself so that I would survive._

_Then I'm at Walter Reed, surrounded by other 'broken warriors'. Men who were veterans of conflicts ranging from the First Contact War to conflicts on Earth that were now forgotten by the rest of the world. My roommate Joe Ramsey, a First Contact vet who not only lost his lifelong dream of being in the military, but lost his right leg from the knee down. He spent the remainder of his life living under a cloud of depression, rage, and vengeance…_

_General Hennessy keeps stopping by, attempting to blackmail and use fear to get us to help him out on Torfan. No amount of orders could stop him. He went too far one day, blaming me for the deaths of my troops on Akuze, calling me a coward for failing to help my parents on Mindoir._

_I feel nothing but rage…then I feel the bones in his face shatter as my left fist connects with his right cheek._

_My final day living in this world…the makeshift bed sheet noose tightens around my neck. I take a last breath, tears streaming down my face, apologizing to loved ones lost and friends I leave behind in this world. I jump…_

"Mark? Mark?" a monotonous but calm voice says.

I groaned and turned over in my cot.

"Mark, you must wake up." Said the voice again.

"No!" I yell out as I shoot up. "Ow, ow ow! My eyes!"

I blindly fumbled around looking for my sunglasses when I felt someone's hand holding them.

"Thanks." I said, grabbing them and putting them on quickly. It was Samara.

I let out a huge sigh and rubbed my forehead. "Morning Samara…"

"My apologies, however the Commander asked me to wake you." Said the justicar. "We are preparing to head out."

I did my best to slow my breathing down after the nightmare and the surprise wake up call. I simply nodded in response and grabbed my armor's leggings.

"I do not mean to pry but you did not appear to be sleeping well." Samara said.

"Heh." I snorted. "It's just a bad dream I've been having for years now."

"I see." Replied Samara. "Would it have anything to do with Akuze?"

"That's one part of it…the rest is from my time in a veterans hospital and my childhood home." I said. I looked up at Samara as I finished putting the leggings on. "I was born and raised on Mindoir."

Her gaze flickered slightly. "I understand. I once heard of an incident there fifteen years ago. Batarian pirates I believe."

I nodded.

"Wait…you weren't—"

"I was." I replied softly as I put the chest and arm pieces on. "I watched as they systematically killed and captured every person in my neighborhood…my parents included."

I looked back down at my right forearm guard and put it on. It was silent for some time but I could feel her gaze on me.

"I am sorry."

I shook my head. "You don't need to apologize. You wanted to get to know me, my origins, what makes me tick, things like that. Its what brings everyone together."

"I was not apologizing for that…but for your loss." She replied softly. "I…know what it means to lose the ones you love and care about the most."

I looked up and saw into Samara's eyes. Her face was blank…hell her whole expression was blank. But her voice wavered in a way I had never heard before.

"May I ask who it was?" I asked softly.

"One of my daughters." Was the simple reply.

I stood up and put my weapons into their slots. "My condolences."

The two of us looked at each other before Samara broke the silence. "Shepard is waiting for us."

I nodded, and we left the room.

The two of us walked through the Urdnot camp, looking around at the krogan doing various activities like fixing weapons or feeding their varren.

Samara and I walked by a fighting pit where some krogan were getting ready to have a match with their varren.

"Pitting living beings against each other for entertainment is unforgivable. When I am finished with our current mission, I may come back here to teach the krogan compassion. I will need many bullets." She said.

"Sounds noble but…" I replied, trailing off.

"But what?"

"If there's anything I've known about krogan, is that if you fight one, you're probably going to fight the whole planet." I said. "Sure the friends of the guys you kill will be mad, but then they'll all want to fight you as some test of strength."

"Perhaps. Fighting the entire planet would be unwise, but they must be taught a lesson." Said Samara.

I shrugged. "Still, you're walking into hell without back up. Krogan might understand force, but it won't make them change their ways."

"I appreciate your concern. You may be right, but they must learn to be respectful of other living beings." She replied.

I nodded.

Shepard and the rest of the team were talking to the Urdnot Chief Scout, getting the details down for our next assignment. While Shepard was talking to the Chief Scout, Garrus was kind enough to fill me in on the details. Maelon, the salarian that Mordin was looking for was captured by Clan Weyrloc; a clan with ties to the Blood Pack mercenary group. I had heard about the clan from Wrex and Telal. Weyrloc was a clear enemy of both clans; having some serious disagreements over policies and a few series of fights over the last two years. The leader of Weyrloc was one Weyrloc Guld, a krogan battlemaster who was considered to be lucky as he had two daughters. Guld's group that was holding Maelon operated out of an old krogan hospital.

When Shepard was done, he signaled us over to a tomkah.

"Hey Mark." Said Shepard. I took a look at the heavy weapon on his back.

"John. So, you finally decided to use the Collector Beam Rifle eh?" I asked.

He snorted. "What do you mean by finally?"

"That was like the one weapon you truly avoided using." I answered.

"Its unknown technology. I won't use it unless I'm totally sure." He retorted.

"Dude, its not like they indoctrinate their own gear." I said, rolling my eyes.

"I just don't trust it…it's all weird, and skin-like."

"That's what she said." I replied with a grin.

"Very mature." John said flatly. "All right, everybody get in."

"Don't tell me your driving." I muttered.

Shepard held his hand up to the side of his mouth. "Bet your ass I am."

I mentally sighed and looked around. "Where's Grunt?"

"The shaman wanted to go over a few things with him, so he won't be coming along." Shepard replied as he got into the tomkah.

I followed him in and sat in the passenger seat.

* * *

**Tuchanka, En Route to Weyrloc Stronghold**

"Goddamn it Shepard!" Jack swore as we bounded through the rubble of Tuchanka.

"Why is he driving, again?" Kasumi yelled over the chaos of the ride.

"Sorry but there aren't any cleared roads here. I'm doing the best I can." He replied as we hit another large bump.

"Well, at least everyone is buckled up." I said, turning around to face Garrus. "And I mean _everyone._"

The turian snickered. "You're still mad about that?"

"Of course I am! I mean really, a smooth surface and you go flying! Shit!" I fired back as Tali laughed.

"Hey Mark, you said that you were going to tell us that story!" Kasumi said. "The one you mentioned when we went to get Samara."

"Oh right…that…" I muttered.

"So? Tell us the fuckin' story! Whatever it is." Yelled Jack.

I took a deep breath and began. "All right. Two years ago, we were doing this mission on Earth's moon, Luna. Some Alliance VI went haywire during a training op, so we get called in to take it out."

"Ah yes." Miranda cut in. "The VI called Hannibal. The Alliance's attempt to create a bridge between a VI and an AI."

"Didn't really work as they discovered." I added. "Anyway, its me, Shepard, Garrus, and Liara; I'm driving the Mako. We're about a mile from the bunkers containing the VI databanks driving on a flat surface. We hid this really small bump…I mean its so small its virtually flat. All of a sudden, I get kicked in the back of the head and Shepard pulls the e-brake. I turn around and see Garrus with his legs up in the air, laying on the floor of the Mako. Bastard didn't even buckle up."

Everyone starts laughing minus Thane and Samara who just smirk.

"I told you, I was sorry!" plead Garrus.

"Let me ask all of you something. Have you ever been kicked in the head by a turian?" I ask.

Not surprisingly, Zaeed raises his hand.

"Hurt like hell huh?"

"You bet your ass it did." He replied.

Garrus grumbled. "You're never gonna let go of that are you?"

"No!" I shot back. "How do you end up getting launched from something that isn't considered to be a bump?"

Garrus shrugged.

"On top of that, no seatbelt!"

He simply facepalmed.

I sighed. "It's okay, detective. Best buds?"

I held my fist out as Garrus and I bumped fists.

"Best buds." He replied glumly.

"You two are unreal." Jacob said with a chuckle.

"Our awesomeness knows no bounds." Garrus said. "That's the right word? Awesomeness?"

I nodded.

"Awesomeness not a word." Mordin muttered.

"Ah the professor is alive! And awesomeness is a word." I said.

"Is not."

"Is too!"

"Immature exchange. Should focus on mission." He retorted.

"Probably but neither of us is an English major so we're not qualified to argue." I added.

The professor snorted and went back to brooding. It was a little odd considering that Mordin never got into many arguments with people on board. Even more unusual was the fact that he hadn't said much in the past few days; the guy just never stopped speaking.

Hitting another sharp bump got everyone yelling at Shepard.

"Sorry!" he yelled back.

"As your navigator, I'm disappointed." I said. "I keep showing you these routes and you're ignoring me."

"We gotta get there fast. Who knows what Weyrloc is doing to Maelon?" Shepard replied.

"Good point. But I'm driving on the way back."

"Deal." Shepard said.

* * *

**Tuchanka, Weyrloc Stronghold**

We piled out of the tomkah and got ready for whatever enemies we might encounter beyond the nearest door. I pulled my recon hood over my head.

"Okay everyone, the plan is simple: get in, get Maelon, and haul ass out. If its got a Blood Pack logo or happens to be one of Tuchanka's famed flora or fauna, kill it." Shepard stated

We all nodded.

"Mark, since the two of us are the most familiar with Tuchanka's 'wildlife', you will be part of a forward recon. Garrus, Thane, and Kasumi will be with you. The rest of us will follow." Ordered Shepard.

"You got it." I replied as Garrus, Thane, and Kasumi approached me.

"Make sure to keep in touch over the radio." Miranda added, as I opened the door.

"I know." I replied.

"Aww. The cheerleader wants to keep her boyfriend safe." Jack teased.

"He's not my boyfriend." Miranda replied flatly.

I shook my head as the four of us walked outside.

"What was Jack talking about…Mark?" Garrus drawled out.

"No idea, Garrus." I replied.

Kasumi snickered, but didn't add anything. Thane just raised one of the eyebrow-like ridges above his eyes.

"Come on, let's see what's out there." I said.

The area was littered with all kinds of debris, a massive satellite sat off to our twelve o'clock.

Must have been some kind of military base of sorts.

"Did you hear that?" Thane asked.

A familiar screech of klixen came from in front of us, two of them emerged.

"What the hell are those?" Kasumi asked.

"Klixen. Keep them at a distance or they'll spit fire on you." I replied, taking aim with my sniper rifle. Thane and I opened fire, dropping both of them and watched them explode.

"Nasty things." Garrus said.

I nodded. "Shepard, Grunt, and I had to fight four waves of those things."

"Four?" Garrus asked, incredulously.

"Yeah. Talk about a baptism by fire." I replied.

Kasumi snorted.

I put my hand up to my ear. "John, we might have to scrap the forward recon."

"Why is that?" he asked.

"We've got klixen here. God knows how many. We could switch back to recon once we get to the hospital. For now, strength in numbers will help."

"Got it. We're heading your way." He replied.

"Hold up everybody. Shepard's coming." I said to my team.

"I guess we'll have to save the sneaking for later." Garrus added while I nodded in response.

"Yeah. It's too bad…I was looking forward to doing infiltrator stuff again." I said.

"Me too." Added Kasumi.

"Perhaps we can do that when we get to the hospital." Said Thane.

"Yes. 'Let your plans be as dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.'" I added.

"Interesting quote." Replied Garrus. "Who said it?"

"An ancient Earth military strategist, Sun Tzu." Thane said.

I nodded. "That's our special forces motto. More specifically, the Infiltrator's motto."

Shepard and the rest of the squad came walking up.

"So, shall we?" John asked as we headed towards a broken highway.

It was our first encounter with the Blood Pack, two vorcha with missile launchers and some of Tuchanka's wildlife. Samara and Jacob used their biotics on the vorcha pulling them out from their cover while Jack and Miranda worked on the vorcha. Garrus and I were busy flanking up the left side, checking for any other enemies that might be hiding. Shepard and the rest were done mopping up the klixen.

"We're set." Shepard said.

"All clear, Commander." Jacob chimed in.

We regrouped and walked up the broken section of highway.

I held a fist up.

"What's up, Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Vorcha. They're in front of us." I replied.

"You're up Kasumi." Said Shepard. The thief nodded and pulled out a flashbang grenade.

"Here you go!" she yelled out as the vorcha began to advance.

The grenade blew up, causing the four vorcha near by to either get thrown from the concussive blast, or get blinded. Either way, we finished them off as another wave of Blood Pack mercs showed up.

"Flammable! Or Inflammable. Forget which. Doesn't matter." Mordin said as he tossed an incendiary grenade at the Blood Pack mercs.

"Fire bad…" I muttered, watching the mercs bodies go limp as they burned to death.

The team moved quickly down the remainder of the broken highway and saw more vorcha wielding flamethrowers.

"I got this." I said, pulling out a sabotage mine. I saw four of them slowly advance, muttering something in their native tongue.

Sabotage mines were effective against any weapons. Against flamethrowers, they were probably the most lethal. The jamming signal emitted sent the signal into the firing mechanism, reversing the ignition switch. Every flamethrower had an ignition switch at the tip or an internal mechanism so that the flammable liquid in the tanks would ignite when released through the barrel. With the sabotage mine messing with the ignition, the person firing it would essentially be igniting the tanks, causing the tanks to explode. Anyone with a brain would know that. Vorcha on the other hand…

As I expected, they pulled the triggers and saw nothing come out the front. It was the last thing they saw before they blew up.

"Damn Mark. What the hell was that?" Jacob asked.

"Sabotage mine. Way more effective than using overload and keeping your fingers crossed." I replied.

There were more vorcha that were dug in at the hospital entrance, but with their numbers, they were no match for all of us.

"Kasumi, you get the door. I gotta pick this thing up." Shepard said, as he grabbed a combustion manifold off of a wrecked tomkah.

I raised an eyebrow. _Wonder what he's doing with that?_

"Door's open." Kasumi said as we walked in.

"Repurposed krogan hospital. Sturdy. Built to withstand punishment." Mordin said.

"You sound like you know the place." Replied Kasumi.

"Hospitals are good site for genophage drops." Said the professor.

Kasumi raised an eyebrow. "Do you always think about stuff like this?"

Mordin shook his head. "Not always. Sometimes I fall asleep."

I chuckled.

"Aw, hospitals are no fun to fight through." Garrus dryly stated.

"What is fun to fight through, Garrus?" Shepard asked with a smirk.

"Gardens, electronic shops, antique stores…but only if their classy…" replied the turian.

I laughed.

"Did you take Detective Thunder with you? That sounds like something you guys would do." Kasumi joked.

"Heh no." Garrus said.

"Where the hell have you been fighting?" Jack asked.

Mordin and Miranda were focused on the corpse of a dead human at the bottom of the stairs.

"That body. Human. Need to take a look." Mordin said as he took a knee and scanned the body.

"Sores, tumors, ligatures showing restraint at wrists and ankles. Track marks for repeated injection sites. Test subject. Victim of experimentation." Said the professor.

Shepard took a knee as well. "I don't suppose there's a way to tell who this poor bastard was."

"No tattoos or ID. Maybe slave or prisoner. Maybe merc or pirate. Irrelevant now. Clearly part of krogan tests to cure genophage." Mordin paused to take a breath. "Humans useful as test subjects. Genetically diverse. Enables exploration of treatment modalities."

Shepard rubbed his forehead. "I expected this kind of garbage research from Cerberus…"

"Thanks a lot…" muttered Jacob.

"I'll be sure to put this in my report." Miranda said flatly.

Shepard turned around and glared. It seemed to snap them out of it.

"Never used humans myself. Disgusting, unethical, sloppy." Mordin said. "Used by brute force researchers, not thinkers. No place in proper science. Krogan use of humans unsurprising."

"Why is that?" I asked. "Why not use something more local like varren?"

"Use of human subjects is for concept testing. Far more genetically diverse than local wildlife. Use of local life forms, such as varren, used later." Mordin shook his head. "Also, varren have powerful bite. Better to use later."

"Makes sense." I replied.

"Now we've got two reasons to shut this place down." Shepard said pointing to the body.

We stood up. "Must focus on Maelon. Too late to worry about the dead."

"Shep, there's a door here at the bottom of the stairs. Could be trouble on the other side." Kasumi said into the radio.

"Got it. We're on our way." He replied.

Making our way down the steps, the rest of the team was holding up in front of the large steel door.

"Mark." Shepard said nodding at the door.

I turned on my omni-tool and placed my hand to the door. Beyond the door were three krogan standing on a balcony.

"You were right to not open the door, Kasumi." I said. "Got three krogan on a balcony, twelve o'clock."

Shepard nodded. "Defensive positions. Samara, Mordin. You're with me."

"I've got an idea, John." I said. "Send me and Kasumi in too."

He gave me a smirk. "I think I know what you're planning. You're in."

The rest of the team took positions on opposite sides of the door while Shepard opened it. Kasumi and I turned on our stealth camo and snuck in behind Shepard and his team.

"I am the speaker for Clan Weyrloc, offworlders. You have shed our blood. By rights, you should be dead already. But Weyrloc Guld, the chief of chiefs, has ordered that you be given leave to flee and spread the message of our coming."

_Letting us go? Either these guys are incredibly weak, or there's something else going on._

"Shepard, Kasumi and I are in position." I radioed.

"If I flee, I might trip over krogan I killed to get here, I'll take my chances." Shepard replied to the clanspeaker.

The clanspeaker merely waved his hand. "You killed our youngest and weakest, human. They were not worthy of remaining near our glorious work! Inside, you will find only hardened Blood Pack veterans, tempered by savagery and war and dedicated to one goal!"

The two krogan with the clanspeaker let out some sinister laughs.

I pulled out a miniature high explosive grenade and threw it at the ceiling above the krogan.

"Grenade set." I said into the radio.

"Hand over Maelon…now." Shepard said.

"No. The salarian's work is the tool of our conquest." Replied the clanspeaker.

"Clan Weyrloc will cure the genophage and spread across the galaxy in a sea of blood!

"Appears they have discovered work…unfortunate." Muttered Mordin.

"I won't ask again. Hand him over." Shepard said forcefully.

The clanspeaker ignored him. "When we cure the genophage, Weyrloc Guld will rule all krogan. The Krogan Rebellions will become the Krogan Empire! The surviving races will frighten their children with tales of what the Blood Pack did to the turians! The asari will scream as their Citadel plunges into the sun! We will keep the salarians as slaves and eat their eggs as a delicacy!"

Shepard pulled out his pistol and fired at a flammable tank on the balcony.

"See, the human cannot hit a simple target!" the clanspeaker said.

"You said you're the clanspeaker?" Shepard asked.

The sound of hissing gas echoed through the room and more Blood Pack troops flooded in.

"Yes…?" The clanspeaker answered in a confused tone.

"You're fired." Shepard replied firing another shot at the tank, causing a jet of fire to shoot up and engulf the clanspeaker.

"Open fire!" yelled one of the krogan. Before they got the chance, I blew up the high explosive grenade on the ceiling killing the krogan and one of the vorcha that came into the room. The rest of the team, opened fire from their position behind the door, mowing down the rest of the Blood Pack.

Kasumi and I deactivated our stealth camo and stared at Shepard.

"Really Shep? You're fired?" Kasumi asked.

John shrugged. "Why not?"

I laughed. "Whatever works."

"Okay, okay…Thane, Kasumi, and Tali, you're scouting ahead. Everyone else, fan out." Shepard ordered.

"Labs likely through there. Can smell antiseptic, hint of dead flesh." Mordin said as we moved down the hall.

"Well, I'm spooked. Thanks." Kasumi sarcastically replied.

"Yeah. Great. Sounds like fun." Added Jacob.

"At least I can turn my suit's olfactory filters off." Tali said.

Thane, Tali, and Kasumi opened the door and moved down the hall. Garrus and Zaeed backed them up. Shepard, Jacob, Miranda, Jack, Mordin, Samara, and I were left to search around. Mordin and Shepard approached an active console nearby.

"I get the feeling that somethin' strange is going on." Muttered Jack.

"You're not the only one." I replied.

"Why would they say the guy they captured is working on a cure?" She grumbled.

I shrugged. "Maybe their forcing him."

"Perhaps." Added Samara. "It would seem unusual if someone involved on a genophage project would willingly do it."

"Yeah." I replied. "Tell you what, for good luck we rub Jack's head. Y'know so things don't go south."

Jack's eyes went wide. "Touch me and I'll fuckin' gut you."

"Come on." I drawled out. "I bet its all smooth and tingly."

Miranda and Jacob rolled their eyes. Samara looked on puzzled.

Jack seemed to get the joke. "I bet you'd want to do that you freak."

"Hey its superstition. Had this bald guy in my company a few years ago. We'd rub his head for good luck before a mission." I replied as I took my hood off.

"Whatever." Jack replied with a shrug. "If it wasn't me, you'd probably slap the cheerleader's ass for good luck."

I snorted. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Fuck off." Retorted Jack, her tone lacking any malice.

Miranda looked agitated. "Seriously Jack, don't you have anything better to do?"

"Yeah. I just prefer to piss you off." She shot back.

"All right, calm down." I said. I took a whiff of the air. "Anyone else smell that?"

"Ugh. Smells like a corpse." Jack replied.

"I'll be back." I said, as I walked down the hall. The old hospital looked like it had seen better days. Cracked concrete, scorch marks, and bullet holes were all over the place. I walked into a large room on the left side of the hall and saw rows of old hospital beds. That's when I found the source of the smell. There was a body covered by a tarp, a datapad lying next to the corpse.

"Oh man." I muttered holding my nose. I lifted up the tarp and saw what it was…a dead krogan female.

My eyes widened. "Oh my god."

She looked as though she was dead for some time as decomposition had started to take place. I put the tarp back over her and took a few deep breaths. This discovery was horrifying; more so than the dead human we found. Now we knew the extent Clan Weyrloc was going to go to just to get a cure. Their own women were freely giving themselves up just to get a cure. Since the genophage, krogan women became highly sought after. But seeing this…

_It's no wonder the other clans hate them._

I left the room and went to find Shepard and Mordin who were talking in front of an active medical terminal.

"Uh…Shepard?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.

He turned around. "What is it Mark?"

I swallowed hard.

"Mark?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath. "I found something…you…might want to take a look. Both of you."

Mordin and Shepard looked at each other and followed me.

The professor walked up to the side of the hospital bed and looked at the datapad.

"Dead krogan. Female. Tumors indicate experimentation. No sign of restraint marks. Volunteer." Mordin looked up from the datapad and at the body. "Sterile Weyrloc female willing to risk procedures. Hoped for cure. Pointless. Pointless waste of life."

Shepard scratched his chin. "I didn't expect you to be so surprised by sight of a dead krogan."

"What? Why? Because of genophage work? Irrelevant. No, causative!" he replied, pointing his finger at Shepard. "Never experimented on live krogan. Never killed with medicine. Her death not my work, only reaction to it."

Mordin placed his hands on the bed and leaned on it. "Goal was to stabilize population. Never wanted this. Can see it logically…but still unnecessary. Foolish waste of life. Hate to see it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know if you had this much direct contact with things like this." Shepard replied. "Did you come back to Tuchanka after dropping the modified genophage?"

The professor nodded. "Yearly recon missions. Water, tissue samples. Ensure no mistakes. Superiors offered to carry it on. Need to see it in person." Mordin looked back down at the body. "Need to look. Need to see. Accept it as necessary. See small picture. Remind myself why I run a clinic on Omega."

He waved his hand over the body. "Rest, young mother. Find your gods. Find some place better."

"Never expected to see any spirituality from you, professor." I said.

"Genophage modification project altered millions of lives. Then saw results. Ego, humility, juxtaposition. Frailty of life. Size of universe." He replied softly.

"You wanted to find answers elsewhere." Shepard stated.

"Explored religions after work completed. Different races. No answers. Many questions."

"You wanted to absolve your guilt." Replied Shepard.

"Modified genophage great in scope. Scientifically brilliant. But ethically difficult. Krogan reaction visceral, tragic. Hard to see big picture behind pile of corpses." Said Mordin.

"But how do you live with it? How do you justify it?" I asked.

Mordin took a deep breath. "Wheel of life. Popular salarian concept. Similar to Hinduism in focus on reincarnation. Appealing to see life as endless. Fix mistakes in next life. Learn, adapt, improve. Refuse to believe life ends here. Too wasteful. Have more to offer. Mistakes to fix. Cannot end here. Could do so much more."

Mordin looked up at me. "What would you do, Mark?"

I stared at the body. Then I thought back to last night's celebration and helping out Grunt.

"Of all the things I've seen and experienced, this…" I cleared my throat. "This is an example of people who believe that the ends justify the means. For years, I saw a people who believed that they were going to be extinct in a few centuries. Sure, the genophage wasn't capable of that but…the krogan just…didn't care. For them, the galaxy just wanted them to die." I shook my head. "I know a lot of krogan. They're like us in so many ways…more violent, but so what? Why should we believe that if we cure the genophage they'll react like Clan Weyrloc?"

Mordin tapped his chin.

"We shouldn't let it continue. If we do, two things are going to happen. One, more and more clans are going to act like Weyrloc or Cerberus, killing their own in brute force experiments just to preserve themselves. Two, if a united krogan government fails to work, they'll kill themselves in a long and bloody conflict…and we will just sit back and watch it unfold on the news. The galactic community will be as bad as them…no worse. Because we sat by and let this happen because _we _decided to play god and let this atrocity happen."

I looked back down at the body on the table. "We were too late to save her. But maybe…just maybe, we can save them before this one body becomes a thousand."

Shepard gave me a slap on the arm. "Let's move out." He said softly.

Mordin looked at the body again. "Worked with available data. Only option. No other possible…doesn't matter."

I put my hood back on and we walked out.

* * *

"Commander, we found the missing Urdnot scout." Jacob said.

Shepard nodded. "Where is he?"

Jacob pointed to the room at the end of the hall. "He's in there but he doesn't want to leave."

John sighed. "I'll take care of it."

The rest of the team was gathered at another door on the left, presumably leading to Maelon. Miranda, Tali, and Zaeed were waiting in front of the room where the Urdnot scout was. The scout was sitting on the floor next to the body of another dead krogan.

Shepard took a knee in front of him. "You alright? We've been looking for you."

The scout groaned. "You killed the Weyrloc guards."

Shepard nodded. "What did they do to you?"

"They gave me drugs, injections. They said I was sacrificing for the good of all krogan." Replied the scout.

I shook my head.

"Experiments to cure the genophage. Everything's blurry…hard to think. Have to stay."

Shepard turned to Mordin. "Mordin, can you get him back on his feet? Stims, maybe? Something to bolster his immune system?"

The scout grumbled. "You don't understand. I'm not too sick to leave. I have to stay. They're curing the genophage. They're going to make it all better! They have to keep doing the tests!"

Mordin whispered to Shepard. "Caution, Shepard. Patient unstable, susceptible. Brainwashed."

Shepard turned back to the scout. "Why do you want them to keep doing the tests?"

"This is my fault. I got caught. Wasn't strong enough, not good enough. This is the best I can do. This is all I can do." The scout looked down. "I'm not big enough to have a shot at the females. I'll never have kids of my own. But if I help undo the genophage, then I mattered!"

"Millions of children will be born—Weyrloc children. They're going to destroy the other clans."

The scout's brow narrowed. "But—no. No, they said I was helping Urdnot!"

"If you want to help Urdnot, you need to get back there. But it would take a real badass to make it back to camp while injured." Shepard said.

_Ha ha, the old drill instructor motivational speech._

"I can do it." The scout said.

"You?" Shepard asked in a mocking tone. "I said a badass not some scout whining like a quarian with a tummy-ache."

"What?" Tali exclaimed at the room's entrance.

"Oh crap…" I muttered.

The scout got up. "I'm up! And I'm going to the female camp!"

"Damn right you are!" Shepard exclaimed. "Get back there and show them what you're worth! Double time, soldier!"

The scout flexed and let out a full-blooded roar.

"Get some big fella!" I said as he left the room.

"Nicely done. Fortunately, subject is unlikely to be contagious." Mordin said.

John nodded and turned around, biting his lip. Tali was going to have a few choice words.

"Tali…I am _so _sorry." Shepard said.

She stood there, arms folded. "Whining like a quarian with a tummy-ache?"

"I had to get him out of here." Argued Shepard.

"You do realize that there's a quarian right here!"

"Tali…"

_Their just going to go back and forth. She's obviously not going to listen. Tali always gets this way when she's angry._

"Tali, you're obviously confused and aroused." I said with slick grin on my face. "When Shepard talks its like a thousand golden puppies licking your face."

Everyone turned and looked at me. Tali was wide eyed, and Shepard was doing his best not to burst out laughing.

"There. Much better. Now can we continue with the mission?" I said.

John snickered. "Always there to get us on track, eh Mark? Come on."

"This isn't over yet, Shepard." Tali muttered.

"Oh you two can kiss and make up on the way back. Garrus, you're on picture duty for said kissing and making up." I said.

"Can do, Mark." Replied the turian.

"You bosh'tet."

"Love you too, sis." I retorted.

Jacob, Kasumi, Jack, and Zaeed chuckled as I scanned the other room.

"Shepard, I am detecting crates ahead that are holding unstable materials. A misplaced shot could cause a significant explosion." EDI radioed.

"Or a well placed shot. Explosives useful. Burn through krogan armor." Mordin added.

"Whaddya got Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Two vorcha at twelve, krogan at two." I replied.

"You got it…wait…what kind of omni-tool is that?"

"Oh this? The new Savant Black Series. Got it on Illium." I replied.

"Nice." Shepard said as we opened the door. "Thane, Garrus. The vorcha are all yours."

"Affirmative." They both said, sniping both vorcha which alerted the krogan.

Jack engaged the approaching krogan. "Watch the landing!" she yelled as she hit the krogan with a biotic pull.

The floating krogan made for easy target practice. Several more Blood Pack mercs came rushing at us from across the way. With all of our combined firepower and abilities, we turned their advance into a firestorm. Almost all of the hazardous material crates were ignited or detonated, instantly incinerating them.

"Whew. Didn't expect to see that many." I said.

"You're right, kid." Replied Zaeed.

"There they are, fire!" we heard from a level below us. There was a squad of at least ten Blood Pack mercenaries, one of which had a missile launcher aimed at us.

"Oh fuck me." Jack muttered.

"Everybody down!" Shepard yelled as we took cover. That's when I realized at the last second…they were aiming at one of the nearby tanks.

The missile slammed into the tank causing a huge explosion. Mordin, Jacob, and Zaeed got caught. Mordin and Jacob disappeared while Zaeed was blown backwards into a wall and knocked out.

"Professor! Jacob!" Shepard yelled out.

"Goddamn it!" I said, pulling out my sniper rifle to get a shot on their missile troopers.

Gotcha now.

The missile launcher wielding krogan was taken care of but the professor and Jacob were MIA.

"Take defensive positions!" Shepard ordered, as we returned fire with the Blood Pack.

I switched my HUD over to our tracking beacons. Mordin and Jacob were below us.

_Oh man…it's only a matter of time. Gotta think of something._

I went through all sorts of strategies in my mind. Despite having the high ground, we didn't have much of a view. The stairwell leading down was well within their firing range and would only lead to casualties. Moving beyond the staircase provided no cover, even the cover next to it. All we had was an 11 to 1 view of the battlefield. That's when I got a wild idea.

_No other choice. I guess this will be my first test run._

I turned my omni-tool and activated the mini gliders under my arms and legs, a little feature I took from my previous suit. "Haven't done this since Thessia." I muttered.

"What?" Shepard asked.

"Back in bit!" I yelled as I leapt over the balcony.

_This is what Batman must feel like whenever he does this._

I had a hard landing but ended up where I wanted to be, right next to Jacob and Mordin.

"Holy shit, Mark!" Jacob said.

"Nice to see you too. You guys alright?" I asked.

Jacob shook his head. "I think I broke something on the way down."

Mordin seemed fine as he ran his omni-tool over Jacob. "You would be right. Two fractured ribs, minor fracture in left arm. Suggest you stay here. Use pistol only."

Jacob nodded. "Where's the cavalry?"

I pointed up. "Pinned down. That's why I dropped in."

"I'm counting on you Mark." Jacob replied.

"You got it. Just lay low." I said, pulling out my sniper rifle. Several krogan began to slowly advance on our position. All Mordin had on him was a Tempest submachine gun and a Carnifex hand cannon. Jacob could only use his Carnifex.

I popped out from the crate we were hiding behind to pop a shot off on one of the krogan. It hit him in the knee, causing him to double over.

"Fuck this. We need to clear 'em fast." I said, switching over to the Eliminator.

"Eat shit and die!"

I opened fire and made a slow advance myself, blowing them away with every trigger push.

"Shepard, its Mark! Clearing out the lower level. Where are you?"

"On our way down. How's Jacob and the doc?"

"Jacob's hurt but Mordin's fine." I replied. I heard a roar shortly after the transmission and saw a krogan decked out in silver and red armor.

"Tremble and die, offworld scum! I am Weyrloc Guld, chief of chiefs!"

I ducked behind a pillar. "So you're the crazy bastard we're trying to kill."

"How dare you come here! Your blood will be the first to be spilled as we spread across the galaxy to annihilate our enemies and be free!" he yelled.

"Free? You call killing your own people free?" I spat out.

"They were martyrs to a greater cause. That cause is the genophage cure! I will crush all opposition and unify us all under this cure and under the banner of Weyrloc." Guld stated.

"There's on old saying we have. Every tyrant who has lived believed in freedom—for himself." I retorted. Before Guld could even respond I popped out of cover, the Eliminator at full charge.

I pushed the trigger and felt the massive kick from the overcharge. In an instant, Guld and whatever bodyguards near him were near him were killed. They practically exploded and the round itself passed through the door they came through.

"Woah. So that's what it does to living targets…" I muttered.

Shepard and the rest of the team approached. He looked at the damage. "Uh, Mark. You didn't just—"

"I did. We're clear." I replied. I looked over at Jack who was biting her lip and giving me an icy stare.

_I did it again…_

Garrus was carrying a knocked out Zaeed. "Just how powerful was that?" he asked.

"Well…that was overcharge…which has an explosive yield of a megaton." I replied.

"Spirits…" he muttered.

"You could have blown the building up you know." Miranda said sternly.

"It's a krogan hospital. It can handle it." I replied with some humor in my voice. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Okay. Everyone hold up here. Mordin, Mark, and I will go in and get Maelon." Shepard ordered.

We walked towards the door I had just blown up and saw nothing but orange blood and pieces of krogan everywhere.

"You had to do it…didn't you?" Shepard asked.

"I had to end it fast. I didn't want anyone else getting hurt." I said looking at the remains. I walked over to whatever was left of Guld and grabbed his helmet. The good news was that his head wasn't in it, so it was fair game.

"What's with the helmet?" John asked.

"Figure I'd give this to Wrex." I replied. "Proof of death, y'know?"

"Mm-hmm."

We opened the door and saw Maelon working on a large screen. There were eight medical beds in the room, all occupied by dead krogan. On the far wall where Maelon was working were some more terminals.

"Maelon. Alive. Unharmed." Mordin said.

Maelon glanced back at us and closed a window on his large screen.

"No signs of restraint. No evidence of torture. Don't understand." Said Mordin.

"For such a smart man, professor, you always had trouble seeing evidence that disagreed with your preconceptions." Maelon replied as he turned around. "How long will it take you to admit that I'm here because I wish to be here?"

Shepard shook his head. "He wasn't kidnapped. He came here voluntarily to cure the genophage."

Mordin's brow narrowed, either in disbelief, anger, or both. "Impossible! Whole team agreed! Project necessary!"

"And how was I supposed to argue with the 'great' Doctor Solus? I was your student! I looked up to you!"

Now Mordin was angry. "Experiments performed here! Live subjects! Prisoners! Torture and executions! Your doing?" he shouted pointing at his student.

"We've already got the blood of millions on our hands, doctor! If it takes a bit more to put things right, I can deal with that!" retorted Maelon.

"Do you honestly think the experiments you've done here are justified?" Shepard asked.

"We committed cultural genocide! Nothing I do will ever be justified! The experiments are monstrous because I was taught to be a monster!" replied Maelon.

Mordin shook his head. "Never taught you this Maelon."

"So your hands are clean. What does it matter if the ground is stained with the blood of millions! You taught me that the end justified the means! I will undo what we did, professor. The only way I know how!"

Shepard shook his head. "You talk about killing, but the genophage isn't lethal. It only affects fertility rates."

"Krogan fight over fertile females. They become mercenaries or pirates because they see no other alternative. They would be thriving in a cultural renaissance now had we not decided that this is what they deserved." Stated Maelon.

"Inaccurate. All outcomes would have resulted in war. Simulations were clear!" Mordin shot back.

"If you cure them, the krogan will expand and threaten the galaxy again. That will be on your head." Said Shepard.

"We justified this atrocity by saying the krogan would cause havoc if their population recovered. But look at the galaxy now! Batarian attacks in the Traverse, geth attacks on the Citadel. The attack on your Eden Prime could have been avoided as well…but we'll never know."

"How the hell does that have anything to do with Eden Prime?" I spat out.

Maelon sighed. "With a krogan population boom, the turian military would have been patrolling the borders and been on high alert for any sign of attack."

Mordin shook his head. "Supposition. Impossible to determine."

"Don't you see? We tried to play god and failed. We only made things worse and I'm going to fix it!"

Shepard and I turned to Mordin. "Maelon clearly doesn't need to be rescued. What do you want to do?" asked Shepard.

"Have to end this." Mordin answered.

Maelon pulled out a Carnifex and pointed it at all of us. "You can't face the truth, can you? Can't admit that your brilliant mind led you to commit an atrocity."

Mordin stepped up and nailed his former student with a heavy right hook.

_Damn…old guy can throw a punch._

Maelon dropped the pistol as Mordin pulled out his Carnifex, holding it up to Maelon's jaw. "Unacceptable experiments. Unacceptable goals. Won't change. No choice. Have to kill you."

"Wait, Mordin!" Shepard yelled.

Mordin paused.

"You don't have to do this. You're not a murderer." Shepard said.

The professor froze and let out a gasp as if he was in a daze. "No. Not a murderer. Thank you, Shepard."

Mordin backed off as we approached Maelon.

"Finished, Maelon. No Weyrloc left. Project over."

"But where am I supposed to go, professor?"

"Don't care. Try Omega, can always use another clinic." Mordin replied dryly.

"The krogan didn't deserve what we did to them, professor! The genophage needs to end!"

Mordin looked up at the screen. "Not like this."

Maelon was about to turn and leave when Mordin hit him in the neck with a syringe.

"What the-?" I blurted out.

"Anesthetic. STG vessel in orbit. Will pick him up shortly." Replied Mordin.

Shepard nodded.

"Apologies, Commander. Misunderstood mission parameters. Not kidnapping. My mistake. Thank you." Said Mordin.

"Don't worry professor. Are you okay?" Shepard asked.

Mordin sighed. "Unsure. Should have killed him. Wanted to. Easier than listening." He looked at the large screen. "Easier for him too. Experiments indicate how far he's fallen. Expected it from krogan. Not one of mine."

"Maybe it's something to think about when you're discussing the ethics of the genophage."

"Yes. So many variables. Stress responses. Impossible to truly predict. Something to think about."

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"Maelon's research only loose end. Could destroy it. Closure, security. Still valuable though."

"Why not hang onto it?" Shepard asked.

"Very useful. Could cure genophage but could also be dangerous. Effects on krogan. Effects on galaxy. Too many variables. Too many variables!" Mordin stated.

The professor looked at Shepard and then at me. "Think I should keep data?"

Both of us nodded. "You regret what the krogan have become. You see the horror of what they did here, but you see the loss too." Said Shepard.

"Wasted potential. Point taken. Capturing data, wiping local copy." Mordin said. "Still years away from cure. But closer than starting from scratch."

I nodded. "Should we stay and wait for the STG?"

Mordin shook his head. "Should be here soon." He replied looking at his omni-tool. "Five minutes."

The three of us left the room, and Mordin just seemed a little more relieved.

* * *

**Tuchanka, En Route to Urdnot Camp**

As promised, I got to drive the tomkah back to the Urdnot camp.

"Damn this is a nice ride!" I said. "They even have cup holders! Fuckin' A!"

Zaeed laughed. The old man got knocked out but was up and about after we finished up with Maelon. "What is it with you and cup holders, kid?"

"Never know when you need a drink, my man." I replied.

"Shit Mark, you really are better than Shepard at driving." Jack said as John sighed.

"Well I hate to make my best friend look foolish but…" I pointed to a button on the dash. "John, you never…_never_…turn on the active suspension when we go off-roading."

Everyone in the tomkah moaned loudly while Shepard laughed.

"Knew I forgot something." He said with a chuckle.

"Damn spacer kids. You were born and raised on ships and yet you can't drive. Hell of a paradox." I replied.

"I don't remember this route." Garrus said, sitting in the gunners nest buckled in.

"Taking the long way for our broken friend in the back. Far more smoother." I replied.

Shepard pretended to turn on the radio. "This just into our traffic desk, Route 495 is smooth sailing as there's no traffic…just rubble from a nuclear war. It's 1330 here on the Afternoon Buzz."

Everyone got a chuckle out of that.

"Now we turn it over to Martin Thunder for the music." Shepard said, giving me the point.

"This is Martin Thunderrrrr! And you are listening to the sound…Up next is a killer track from 2011. It's the song Self vs. Self by Pendulum featuring In Flames." I said, turning on my omni-tool.

Once the song kicked on Shepard and I started banging heads. He would do the clean vocals while I dead the screaming parts in the song.

The rest of the ride was John and I singing various tracks as we made our way back to the Urdnot Camp.

* * *

_Whew! Probably the longest chapter I've done to date. Reason why? I wanted to have some fun and not add a really short interlude. Also the quote Mark said to Guld was from Elbert Hubbard...felt like I had to add that somewhere. Anyway, onward to the Citadel! Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_(Edited 5/12/12)_


	30. Interlude 8

_Author's Note: Ah, here's a little break in the action with a nice little interlude. We get to learn a few things, have some laughs, and other stuff as well. In the meantime, I've been working on a giant fact checking sheet for this whole story as I'm slowly forgetting things. If I missed something, don't hesitate to point it out. I'll end up amending it or adding it in the next chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Tuchanka, Urdnot Camp**

The ride back to the camp was entertaining to say the least. Mordin was still quiet, probably going over the day's events in his mind. Jacob needed to get back to the ship as he had several fractures that needed to be tended to.

"So John, how was that beam rifle?" I asked.

"Not too bad really. Ended up disintegrating a couple of mercs with it. But all of the weird noises kinda freak me out. It's like its alive or something." He replied.

"Eh. If it doesn't talk to you and claim to be the 'vanguard of our destruction' then we're good." I added.

Shepard chuckled and shook his head as we walked into the camp.

"I'll be back in a bit. Just gotta drop this combustion manifold off." Shepard said as the rest of the team fell in behind me.

I was looking for Wrex. I had a helmet to give him.

"Uh, Garrus and Thane…Could you guys take Jacob and Zaeed back to the shuttle?" I asked.

"I'm fine." Zaeed grumbled.

"Dude, I saw you get thrown into a wall by an exploding missile. You were knocked out for about ten minutes. Go to the shuttle." I stated.

The old merc sighed. "You got it kid."

Garrus helped Jacob while Thane helped Zaeed.

"Hey Mark." Said Jack.

"Yeah?"

"Didn't think you were such a good singer." She said.

I chuckled. "Well there's a lot of things you don't know about me. For example, I'm a pretty good singer."

The ex-con rolled her eyes. "No shit. That's what I said you fucker."

"I know."

"I didn't even know that Shepard could sing either." Tali added.

"Eh. We always did that as an icebreaker if we got stuck with a new squad back at the academy." I replied. "He'll only do it if I do it."

"Why is that?" Kasumi asked.

"He thinks that he sounds bad if he sings alone."

"Ah. Now that we'll have to judge for ourselves." The thief said with a sly grin.

We finally approached Wrex who was talking to Grunt.

"Welcome back Mark. Where's Shepard?" Wrex asked.

"Giving somebody a combustion manifold. I came here to give you this." I answered, giving Wrex the helmet.

"Hm. This wouldn't happen to be Weyrloc Guld's helmet?"

"It is actually." I said.

Wrex smirked. "I remember Shepard asking me about some salarian captured by the Blood Pack. Then one of our recon units reported not too long ago that their all dead."

"That they are." I replied. "Figured that I would give you this as proof."

"Keep it. Seeing it is beliving. Besides, I've got no use for a trophy that I didn't earn." Said Wrex.

"Thanks big man. What are you going to do about the rest of Clan Weyrloc?"

"That's already been taken care of." Replied Wrex. "We've adopted Clan Weyrloc's women and children into our clan. Better for all of us."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're not afraid they might take revenge?"

Wrex shrugged. "Why would they? The female leaders approved of my reform policies. They were more or less a part of Urdnot…now it's just official."

"Groovy." I replied.

Shepard walked back over to us. "Hey. Just had to help out one of your mechanics."

"Didn't know that you could fix a tomkah, Shepard." Wrex said with a smirk.

"I can't. I just gave him a part I found in the field."

Wrex let out a small sigh. "I take it that your business is done here."

"Yep. We're heading to the Citadel next." Shepard said.

"Hope you don't mind if I come along for a send off."

"Not at all, Wrex." Replied Shepard.

The team was already on their way to the shuttle except for Tali and Garrus who were with Shepard, Grunt, and I.

Many of the krogan we passed gave some respectful nods to Wrex and some waves to Grunt.

_The little fella's growing up before our eyes…so touching._

EDI decided to choose that moment to inform us of Grunt's Rite…or rather the result of it.

"Shepard, after completing Grunt's Rite of Passage, there have been multiple breeding requests for Grunt."

"Look who's the new ladies man." I said, jabbing Grunt in the arm with my elbow.

"There is also one request for Shepard and one for Mr. Sears." EDI finished.

All of us stopped just in front of the shuttle and looked at each other.

Grunt was the first to speak. "Hah!"

Wrex laughed heartily as did Garrus and Tali.

Shepard and I just looked at each other and tried not to laugh.

"So John, do we dare go where no human male has gone before?" I asked.

Shepard sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

"But you just responded."

He just grumbled.

"You might have to tell those women that humans don't have a quad." Garrus said.

"They have them in spirit." Wrex replied. "Probably bigger than your nuts, turian."

"I miss these moments." I added. Tali just shook her head.

"Indeed." Said Wrex. He turned to Grunt. "Urdnot Grunt. Hunt well and remember what you have learned here."

Grunt respectfully bowed his head. "Yes Clan Leader Wrex."

The old krogan gave him a nod and Grunt headed into the shuttle.

"Tali. It was good to see you again." Wrex said, shaking her hand.

"You too, Wrex. Good luck uniting your people." She replied.

"Thanks." He turned to Garrus. "And you Garrus, all these years and you still look pissed off. Well at least you got scars now, women love that."

Garrus let out a small laugh. "I think only krogan women do."

"You'd be surprised. Still, good to see you again."

"Likewise, Wrex." He replied as Garrus and Tali headed into the shuttle.

"As for you Shepard, when you finish with the Collectors, come back. I want to hear all about it." Said Wrex.

"Heh. Last chance to join us." Replied Shepard.

Wrex shook his head. "Wish I could but someone's gotta keep these short sighted fools in line."

John nodded. "Well, until next time."

Both men shook hands and Shepard headed into the shuttle. Telal walked up to the platform and stood next to Wrex.

"Mark, thanks to you, Urdnot and Nakmor now have a permanent alliance." Wrex said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh…me? What did I do?"

"Well aside from giving us some high quality supplies, you gave us some good intel." Wrex said. "Can't forget your little friend here."

Telal laughed. "Little?"

"You know what I mean kid." Replied Wrex. "You and Shepard have done a lot for us. Thanks."

I shook their hands. "Anytime guys."

"First Uvenk, then Weyrloc Guld. Next time you and Shepard come back, we'll give you a list of people that piss us off." Telal said.

I laughed. "Sorry. Mercenary work isn't my thing."

Telal shrugged. "Too bad. You guys would be good at it."

Wrex shook his head and smacked Telal in the head. "Guys like that are too idealistic to be mercs kid. You've got a lot to learn."

I chuckled. "Well, it was good to see you guys again."

"You too Mark. Hunt well…and enjoy the helmet." Wrex said.

I held up Guld's helmet and sniffed the inside. "Well it doesn't smell like ass." I put it on. "Heh…roomy."

Both krogan chuckled. "Bye Mark."

"Later guys!" I replied as I climbed into the shuttle.

"Nice helmet kid. You take that off of the Weyrloc chief?" Zaeed asked as I sat down across from him.

"Yes I did. I was gonna give it to Wrex but he told me to keep it." I replied.

"Looks a little big for your head." Grunt said.

I tilted my head as the helmet smacked against my right cheek. "Not quite…"

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Citadel**

After the shuttle landed on the Normandy, we were met by most of the crew.

_We're gone for the night and they already miss us._

"Welcome back team." Kelly greeted as we walked out.

"Thanks for the greeting everyone." Shepard replied as we filed out. "It's good to be back."

Hawthorne and Goldstein got out as well. "Whew. That was probably the longest stretch I've done since the Alliance." Said Hawthorne.

"I know…god I could use a shower." Replied Goldstein.

"You said it." I added, stretching my arms as I stepped out.

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed." Said Kasumi.

Everyone grumbled and moaned as we headed for the elevator. Jacob was the first to go up as he needed medical attention, so the rest of us waited, minus Kasumi who went to be with Jacob and Zaeed who went to be checked out in the med bay.

"I really want to get out of this armor." I said. "And get some food."

"Way ahead of you on the armor thing." Jack replied, already stripping out of her armor.

"Do you really have to do that right now? And in front of everyone?" asked Miranda in an annoyed tone.

"Why not? I've been wearing this shit since we landed on Tuchanka. Oh let me guess, you're worried I'm gonna steal your man." teased the ex-con.

Miranda scoffed. "In your wildest dreams, Jack and I have no idea who you're talking about."

"Come on. It's so obvious who it is." Jack shot back, giving me a wink.

"Say one more word Jack…I dare you." Miranda said angrily.

"Woah!" Shepard said, quickly getting in-between both women. "We just got back and I'm tired. I swear to god if anyone gets into a fight right now…that person is going out an airlock. No questions asked. We haven't come this far to get into petty arguments."

Miranda sighed. "Of course. My apologies Commander."

Shepard looked over at Jack who simply shrugged. "Fine. I don't feel like taking a walk in space anyway."

Thankfully, the elevator came back down and we all piled in. Coincidently, I ended up standing in-between Jack and Miranda. Both women were glaring at each other through me.

I sighed and shook my head.

The first stop was deck four where Jack, Tali, Grunt, and Zaeed got off.

"Welcome back Commander." Joker said over the intercom. "Had a feeling it was you since I can smell you from up here."

"Funny. And here I was thinking you knew we were back when you opened the cargo bay doors." Shepard playfully shot back.

"Nah. Got distracted and hit it by accident. You know me."

"Watching Asari Confessions 26 again Joker?" I asked.

"I…uh—"

"Gotcha!" I yelled, pumping my fist.

"How the hell did you know?" Joker asked.

"Because you kept raving about it the other day at breakfast." I replied.

"Damn it." He said, cutting off the intercom.

Shepard and Garrus chuckled. "You gotta teach me how to do that someday." Said John.

"Do what? Make Joker stop talking?"

"Yeah." Replied Shepard.

"Oh its easy." I said. "Remember what I said in that krogan hospital?"

Shepard groaned. "That when I speak its like a thousand golden puppies licking your face?"

I smiled and nodded. "Should be a cinch for you."

"Thanks for the help." He replied sarcastically.

"Anytime."

The elevator stopped at deck two and all of us got off to drop off our weapons and armor. I already took the liberty of checking everyone's gear in for Jacob.

_That should save the poor guy some trouble._

After that, all of us except for Shepard and Mordin piled back into the elevator and went down to deck three.

"Citadel's next eh?" I asked out loud.

"Indeed." Thane replied.

"Good." I said tiredly. "I need to see if my friend is finished building that part…"

"Part?" Garrus asked.

"Top secret thing." I replied. "Its for me."

Garrus shrugged.

I fell against the elevator wall, out of sheer exhaustion and leaned on it.

"Garrus…" I drawled out.

"What?" he asked with a sigh.

"Can you help me get to my room?" I asked.

He sighed again.

"Garrus…"

"Fine. Only if you stop talking."

I groaned.

_What's eating him?_

The elevator stopped and all of us got out. I noticed Miranda giving me a small smile as Garrus half carried me to my room.

"Why are you so tired Mark?" he asked.

"Because John and I were the only ones who did both missions down there." I replied as we walked into my room.

"You know I'm tired too." Garrus said.

"Then crash here for a bit. God knows I've got the space in here."

He sighed as he dropped me on the couch.

"Nice drop." I said dryly.

"Glad you liked it." He replied as he leaned back on the chair next to me.

Something was eating away at him.

"Garrus…what's wrong?" I asked.

My turian friend sighed. "Sidonis…he's on the Citadel."

"Oh yeah. I remember you told me about him." I replied.

Garrus nodded. "He ran to the Citadel and got in contact with a forger named Fade."

I let out a small grunt as a reply.

"I want to find him and make him talk. Then I'll deal with Sidonis…"

I sighed.

"I know you don't like it." Garrus added.

"Of course I don't…but I want to go with you. I'm sure John said the same thing, right?"

Garrus nodded. "Tali too…although she was more enraged than the two of you."

"She's got the right to her opinion. As for John and I, I wouldn't say enraged as much as…"

"As much as…what?" he asked curiously.

"Disappointed." I finished.

Garrus snorted. "Disappointed." He repeated flatly.

"Yes. Disappointed. Especially Shepard." I said shaking my head as I sat up on the couch. "I remember the little pep talks he gave you on the Normandy two years ago. Back when you were a hot headed detective who was devoted to the law."

Garrus chuckled at the last sentence. "Those were the good old days."

"They were…" I replied softly. "But…we've all changed. You're not a bright eyed detective anymore and I'm not a dying man trying to leave the world a better place."

"If you know me so well, what do you think I am now?" Garrus asked neutrally.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "You remind me of a man I once knew. He used to be my roommate when I was in a veterans hospital."

Garrus raised a ridge, an eyebrow equivalent. "What was his name?"

"Joe Ramsey. He was a First Contact War veteran, lost his leg from the knee down." I replied. My mind was wandering back to those dark days. "This is a story I've never told to anyone before so…bear with me."

Garrus nodded his head. "Of course."

I adjusted the lights in the room so that I could take my glasses off and still have it visible enough for Garrus to see. I cleared my throat and began.

"Joe was one of those guys that was going to be a lifer in the military, a guy that was never going to leave because he loved it so much. At the same time, he had a wife who he loved equally, if not more than being in the military. When we first met the turians, he got shipped out to Shanxi and fought. That's when he lost his leg and his dream. All of that on the first week of conflict when the surrender ordered was issued."

"That's pretty rough…" Garrus mumbled.

I nodded in agreement. "It was for him. By the time the war ended, he got shipped back to his home in Baltimore. There was no parade, no loved ones to greet him when he came home, and no other fanfare. It was as if the world forgot about Joe. Of course, that wasn't the worst of it…"

I paused and swallowed hard. "He came home to find that his wife of ten years was five months pregnant; and Joe was on a six month tour. As you can imagine, he was furious. He demanded to know who it was and she didn't say a word. So they go to the hospital for a DNA search and he gets the results which leave him even more furious than before."

"Who was it?" Garrus asked.

I bit my lip. "In a moment…"

I cleared my throat and continued. "Joe became consumed by revenge. All he wanted to do was to find the guy and kill him. Or at least inflict some pain and suffering that no sane person could dream up."

"And this guy was your roommate?" he asked incredulously.

"Well on top of that he had a case of PTSD which was why he was admitted. He left his wife not long after finding out who it was she cheated on and ended up sharing a room with me. Revenge was all he ever talked about…except for those days when he did break though and became his real self." I replied.

"Anyway, he spent two years searching around for this guy. The guy Joe was looking for slipped up one day when he went to stop by Joe's wife's house. Joe was staking it out." I thought back to the way Joe described it to me. "Joe grabbed the guy when he was leaving his ex-wife's place and beat him up pretty badly and then threw him into the trunk of his car. He took him out to a quiet area and pounded the crap out of him…"

I rubbed my forehead. "Then…Joe killed the man. After he did it, he came back to the hospital and I, along with most of the staff and patients saw him mentally rot away. The man who destroyed Joe's life was the he cared about as much as his own family."

"Who was it?" Garrus asked.

"Gary Ramsey. Joe's twin brother." I replied softly.

Garrus' eyes widened and his mandibles flared out. "Spirits…"

"Joe lost it one day and left the hospital…five minutes after he did a gunshot came from the parking lot. He shot himself in the head…" I said before muttering. "Two weeks before I took a leap of faith…"

Garrus leaned forward in his seat. "Leap of faith?"

I scratched my chin. "I tried to kill myself."

I saw Garrus bolt up out of his seat in pure shock as he stared at me. "What? You—"

I nodded. "As for that part…only a handful of people know about it. John's the only other person on board that knows. But I'm not the subject of the story Garrus, Joe was."

I stood up and placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder. Obviously this was a revelation that might have been too much for him to handle.

"Garrus, the reason I told you that story was because it's the same one I see play out all the time. I know Sidonis was only a member of your team, but when it comes to squad morale I know that he was a vital part of your squad; as every member was. I've been there so I know what its like. I just don't want to see _you_ go down that road because I've also been there and I can tell you, it isn't pretty."

The turian looked at the floor, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Garrus?" I asked.

He didn't respond, still looking at the floor.

"Garrus, look at me."

Garrus struggled but eventually looked me in the eyes. "What the—"

A small smirk came across my face as I saw Garrus' reaction.

_Oh that's right…he hasn't seen my crazy new eyes yet._

I took my hand off of his shoulder. "I'll help you out when we get to the Citadel." I walked back over to the couch and laid down.

"Try to remember what I told you…"

"Yeah…" Garrus replied softly as he walked out of my room.

* * *

Garrus walked out of the rec. room feeling horrified. All his life he wanted to do the right thing, fight for justice and punish criminals. Here he was, betrayed by a man who had fought alongside him against criminals and mercenaries.

_Sidonis…you were just as affected by Omega's gangs like the rest of us. Why?_

Garrus Vakarian was lost, seething from watching his comrades get picked off one by one. Shepard's death sent shockwaves throughout all the friends he made during the hunt for Saren. Liara had a vendetta against the Shadow Broker, Wrex honored his dead friend by attempting to unite the krogan, Tali went back to the Flotilla and became one of the foremost experts on the geth, and Ashley became even more dedicated to her job. And Garrus…despite all of Shepard's advice, despite asking for his help in finding Dr. Saleon, he just threw it away. Perhaps his death affected him far more than he expected.

_I hadn't even thought of it that way._

Then there was Mark, one of Garrus' best friends and a guy who always knew how to make anyone laugh. When he thought about it, Garrus didn't really know much about Mark's past; he heard murmurs about it but didn't want to pry. He remembered when Mark managed to talk down a girl who said she was from Mindoir, and how upset he was and the first time they met when he mentioned that he was a survivor from Akuze. Putting both of those together painted a tragic picture. Yet Mark never seemed like he had a dark cloud hovering over him, he did everything to make sure everyone was happy…

_That's it. He doesn't want anyone to worry about him or drive anyone away._

But to hear that someone as kind hearted and funny as Mark go so far as to kill himself…

Garrus shook his head and sighed as he looked at the main cannon's firing panel. Even with Mark's pep talk, Garrus still wanted to find and kill Sidonis. He had to do it.

_Erash, Monteague, Mierin, Grundan Krul, Melanis, Ripper, Sensat, Vortash, Butler, Weaver…you can rest easy soon._

* * *

I took a short nap after Garrus left. I wasn't kidding when I said I was tired. It was even better to be sleeping in a room with temperature control and air conditioning. I woke up to the sight of Thane looking at one of my drawings on the right wall.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to wake you." Thane said without turning around.

I rubbed my forehead. "I didn't even know you were in here. Never even heard you come in."

He let out a small laugh as he continued to stare at my drawing. It was my drawing of Virmire, to be specific, the Normandy's landing zone where the STG was stationed. I drew it without the ship and people around.

"You like that?" I asked as I slowly stood up and walked over, stretching my arms out.

"It is an interesting drawing. The landscape reminds me of Kahje." Replied Thane.

I nodded. "That's Virmire. I drew that two years ago. It's a shame though…that beach is completely irradiated now. Well, pretty much that whole area is now."

"I see." Thane replied.

"So what brings you by my humble abode?" I asked.

"There is something I wanted to ask of you." Said Thane as he sat down on one of the nearby recliners. I took a seat across from him.

"What is it?"

"I would like your assistance in a…personal matter." Thane said. "I believe your expertise can be of help."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll help you out. But, I might need some specifics."

"Of course." He said, wringing his hands slightly.

"I had a family once…I still have a son. His name is Kolyat and I haven't seen him for some time."

_Wow. There's a hell of a shock. Never would have figured an assassin could be a family man._

"Huh…" Was all I managed to mutter.

"Shepard said the same thing but with more than one word." Thane joked.

I snorted. "Look who went and got a sense of humor."

Thane still had the same blank expression on his face. "Anyway, as for my family, I left them. Not all at once, I just did my job. My wife would always say that I was on business. I was always on business."

"Hmm. I take it they weren't very happy about that." I said.

Thane simply shook his head.

"How long has it been since you saw them?" I asked softly.

"Ten years. Kolyat was just a child then." He replied. Thane's eyes flashed as if he became lost in an old memory.

"Ten years?" I asked surprised. "Have you…kept in touch at all?"

Thane was silent for some time. "It began when my wife departed from her body. I—attended to that issue. I left Kolyat in the care of his aunts and uncles."

I raised an eyebrow. Thane didn't seem like the 'deadbeat dad' type. He was too smart, too polite, too religious. Nothing added up.

"You didn't take him with you?" I asked.

"My body is blessed with the skills to take life. The hanar honed them in me. I have few others." Thane scratched his nose. "I didn't want that life for Kolyat. I had hoped that he would find his own way. If he hated me, so be it. He would not have shared the path of sin."

I sighed. "That's a noble goal. But everyone's capable of something. All of these drawings I hung up? I did them from memory."

Thane looked back at the Virmire drawing. "Impressive."

I nodded. "But its not my place to even try to argue about parenting. You did what you had to do. My apologies."

Thane waved his hand. "There is no need to apologize."

I shrugged. "Still, no need for me to shoot my mouth off about something I don't know about. Anyway, you asked for my help with something."

"I did. I learned from my contacts about my son's whereabouts. He has become disconnected. He does what his body wills." Thane replied.

"Disconnected…" I trailed off rubbing my jaw.

"Yes. Our body is not our true self, our soul is. Body and soul work as one in a Whole Person. When the soul is weakened by despair or fear, or when the body is ill or injured, the individual is disconnected. No longer whole." Explained Thane.

"Ah. I see." I replied. "So how did your son become disconnected?"

Thane shook his head. "Something happened that should not have. He knows where I've been and what I've done. I don't know his reasons but he has gone to the Citadel and took a job as a hit man."

I raised both eyebrows. "He doesn't—Kolyat isn't trained right?"

"No. He is not."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry. Had to ask. I wouldn't want to end up fighting another you."

He snorted.

"Anyway, why the Citadel? The security's the tightest its been in years." I added.

"Years ago, I prepared a package for him. A relic of my ill-spent life. I had volus bankers store it and arranged for it to be delivered when I died. How he got, I don't know. But I did wet work on the Citadel around the time his mother died."

I rubbed my forehead. "But if he's got no real battle experience, and he's just a rookie. Why hire him?"

"Perhaps someone saw that we shared a name and therefore share skills." He shook his head. "I'm not sure why he would accept the task."

"To be closer to you?"

"That thought haunts me more than anything." Replied Thane.

"Well, you won't have to dwell on it anymore. I already agreed to help you out, so I'll do what I can." I said, giving the assassin a pat on the arm.

"I appreciate it." He said before leaving.

I dug out the folder where I kept all of my drawings and began to go back to work on them. Some of them I had were going to be alternates. For example, Thane's. I wanted to know what his son looked like so I could add him in.

_Just because their alternates doesn't mean they have to be incomplete._

After about a half hour of drawing, I finished up the alternates when Miranda came strolling in.

"Hello Mark." She said in a cheery tone as she sat down next to me.

"Hey Miranda." I replied, leaning in to give her a kiss on the lips.

"Mm. I missed that." Said Miranda.

"Me too."

She smelled the air for a second, a sour expression appearing on her face. "You smell like Tuchanka and sweat."

"I've been too busy napping to bother." It was my turn to take a whiff. "Shouldn't blame me when you haven't taken a shower either."

Miranda let out a small laugh. "I've been busy sending out reports."

"Uh huh…" I drawled out.

"Better than your excuse." She shot back playfully.

"I was tired."

The two of us inched closer to each other's faces and kissed again.

"You know…" I began. "I got the craziest idea the other day."

"Hm? What was it?" She asked softly as she ran her fingers along my right cheek, with the occasional tingle given off by her biotics.

"Remember when we first…you know?"

Miranda shook her head. "No. Could you enlighten me on what we did?"

I sighed. "Pulling that card huh? I can play along."

She snickered. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. But…I know what your talking about."

"Well, the next morning when be brushed by each other on the way to the showers…I had an idea on where—"

"You want to have sex in the shower?" she asked flatly.

_She's quick…I'll give her that._

I simply nodded as Miranda gave me a wry smile. "Sounds like fun. We both get cleaned up and we get to have some alone time." She said saucily.

"Glad we're on the same page." I replied.

"Me too. I actually had the same idea that day." Admitted Miranda. "I even—never mind."

"Oh no, please go on." I replied, dryly. "What else did you do?"

Her face turned red and Miranda bit her lip. "Nothing…nothing at all."

I tilted my head down. "Miranda…" I drawled out.

She sighed, still embarrassed. "I—thought about you and…"

"Oh." I said, the realization dawning upon me. "That's cool…I did the same thing."

"What?" Miranda asked, her mouth falling open.

"Come on. We're two adults madly in love with each other. Nothing wrong with fantasizing about each other." I answered.

She raised an eyebrow. "Madly in love?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, why? Want me to find something more descriptive?"

Miranda smiled and shook her head. "No."

We stared at each other, brimming with all sorts of excitement and passion.

"So…" she started. "Do you love me?"

_Oh snap…here we go._

I smirked. "Yeah. I love you."

Miranda gave me the brightest smile I had ever seen. "I love you too, Mark."

We hugged for what felt like an eternity before Miranda stood up. "Meet me at the women's bathroom in two hours."

"You bet." I replied.

* * *

Kasumi was in her room, writing a haiku about Jacob. Even with all of her little advances, the man just seemed oblivious to it all.

_Unless he's playing me…you handsome devil you._

Somehow her thoughts kept going back to Keiji. The closer they got to the Citadel, the closer they got to Beckenstein, the planet Donovan Hock called home. The party he was throwing for himself was coming soon and considering how fast Shepard had helped out some of the other squad members with their issues, it would be done in no time. For that, she was thankful. He was devoted to everyone on his team and now they were devoted to Shepard.

Kasumi sighed and got off the couch to get a snack from the mess hall. When she walked out, the thief saw Miranda waiting in front of the women's bathroom.

_Why is she waiting? The door's open and no one else is around._

As quietly as she could, Kasumi walked up to the elevator and pressed herself against the wall. Looking at Miranda she saw the Cerberus operative giggle and whisper something.

_What the-? Is she talking to herself?_

Miranda walked into the women's bathroom and the door closed and locked behind her.

Now Kasumi was curious. She crept up to the door and turned on her omni-tool. For privacy reasons, every door and room on the ship was sound proofed. Kasumi pressed her ear closer, letting the omni-tool pick up whatever sounds were inside. She had used this technique before on several heists, but never to eavesdrop…well not lately, anyway.

"Oh…oh yes Mark." She heard Miranda moan out.

Kasumi's eyes went wide.

_No way! Oh this is too good._

She giggled as she listened in on the two lovebirds in the shower. Kasumi had her suspicions that there was some tension between the two. Now she knew for certain: they were romantically involved.

Kasumi had the urge to spread the word but part of her felt guilty, even if it would make a fun prank. She was friends with Mark, and she knew that Miranda and Jacob used to be an item.

Kasumi shook her head. _I'll let it slide. People are probably going to figure it out anyway._

She stayed there and listened in. Kasumi was a sucker for romance after all…

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Citadel, Serpent Nebula**

Waking up the next morning was a chore and a half. I could barely move. Glancing over at the clock on Miranda's nightstand, I saw that it was 0900.

_Guess we slept in a bit. Not really shocking, considering all the things we did last night._

"Whew." I whistled out, as I slowly sat up in bed.

"Mmm. Mark last night was amazing." Miranda groaned as she squeezed my arm.

I smirked. "Agreed. I'm surprised I can even move this morning."

Miranda laughed. "Me too. I've never been worn out like that before."

"Then I'll have to do it again later tonight." I cheekily replied.

She smacked me in the arm. "I recall that I was doing the wearing out."

"Heh. That was when we came back here for round two." I replied. "I'm just wondering where you got your second wind from."

Miranda tapped her chin. "Probably after you said the three magic words."

I smirked. "Remind me what those were again?"

She rolled her eyes and smacked me in the chest before rolling us over, sitting in my lap. Miranda wrapped her arms around my neck. "I—love-you."

I kissed her. "I love you too."

"What time is it?" she asked.

"A little past 0900." I answered.

Miranda grumbled. "Damn it. I was supposed to be up at 0700."

"Just say that you slept in." I said jokingly.

She sighed. "What am I ever going to do with you?"

"I can name a few things, if you want."

Miranda got up and started getting dressed, as did I.

"I guess I'm gonna have a busy stay here." I muttered as I put my pants on.

"How so?" Miranda asked.

"Garrus has some business he wants to take care of here; I'll be helping him out. Same with Thane." I replied.

"As long as you don't wear yourself out." Miranda said, a small amount of humor in her voice.

I shook my head. "You know me, I won't go too far."

"That depends. Last time out, you fought Tuchanka's wild life and dove off of a balcony. Before that, you jumped onto a Praetorian." Miranda deadpanned.

"Yeah? That was easy."

Miranda sighed and took my hands. "Just promise me that you won't do anything reckless."

I nodded. "I'll try."

She smiled. "Good."

* * *

I left Miranda's room in secret, again. Truth told, I was getting tired of doing it. Yeah there was the rush of sneaking around but I just wanted to leave her room without anyone making a big deal about it.

_Guess you'll have to wait until everyone finds out._

Sadly, there were no new messages for me. All I wanted was a status update from Murph. The waiting was killing me.

_Maybe Watson will have an update. Murph's still paranoid about sending messages to me since I'm on the Normandy._

I left my room and got some breakfast, taking a seat near the water cooler.

"Good morning Mark." Said a very cheerful Kasumi.

"Hey Kasumi." I replied.

"So…did you have a good night?" she asked, her cheerfulness was kind of creepy now.

"Uh…yeah? Finally got to sleep on my own couch again." I answered uneasily.

Kasumi giggled. "Oh, I'm glad to hear."

"Kasumi." I said flatly.

"Yes?" she drawled out.

"Why are you acting so…?"

"So?"

"Strange." I finished.

"Oh…no reason." She answered.

I sighed. "I don't understand women."

Kasumi tilted her head and whispered. "Well you seem to understand Miranda. You understand her _very _well from what I heard last night."

I dropped my fork, jaw falling open as I turned to face Kasumi.

"You—you didn't?" I stammered out.

She bit her lip and giggled.

I let out groan and rested my forehead on my hand.

Kasumi patted me on the back. "Oh don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Thank you Kasumi…you hooded saint you." I replied with a sigh of relief.

She giggled again.

"You okay, Mark? You look like you've seen a ghost." Garrus said as he took a seat across from us.

"Fine. Food went down the wrong pipe." I replied quickly.

Garrus scratched his head. "Wrong pipe?"

"Swallowed it wrong." I amended.

"Ah. You humans have some strange descriptions for organs." Garrus replied, shaking his head.

"I'm sure you've got some strange ones too." I added. Garrus simply shrugged in response.

"Well, we're back on the Citadel. You guys going to pick up anything?" Kasumi asked.

I scratched my chin. "I've got a few things in mind. Mostly weapons and parts. I'm not really sure about anything else."

"Are you going to stop by your place?" Kasumi asked.

"I might. It would be nice to sleep there since I haven't done it in…a long time." I said lost in thought. "That and it would be nice to see Watson again."

"Your geth friend?" Garrus asked. "I wonder if he would want to join us."

I shrugged. "Maybe. He elected to stay behind and coordinate with everyone. I'll have to ask."

Kasumi spotted Jacob. "I'll talk to you guys later. Jacob!" she got up and walked towards Jacob, leaving Garrus and I by ourselves.

"Sorry about dropping that bombshell on you Garrus." I said, grabbing my coffee.

"You don't have to apologize. I'll admit it was a little shocking but…I appreciate you telling me that story." He replied.

I nodded.

"There's one thing that puzzles me though."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Why did you do it?"

I took a sharp inhale. "You can only push a man so far before he breaks. For the last fifteen years, I have the same nightmare. I see my neighborhood engulfed in flames, bodies of friends and family scattered everywhere. I see my entire unit disappear piece by piece…and I just want it to stop. I was a cursed man…if nothing else in this universe can kill me, maybe I can. When the nurses found me, they said I was legally dead for thirty seconds."

Garrus looked on patiently and calmly.

"Those thirty seconds weren't peaceful. I saw my loved ones, staring at me with the most pained expressions I had ever seen. They told me it wasn't time for me to go yet, that I still had things to do. That's when I woke up."

"Hm." Garrus said.

"It took me a while when I was in the hospital before I realized, death is hard, life is much more simple."

He let out a small chuckle. "And yet here we are, fighting against the Collectors and Reapers."

"Maybe I just have grim luck on my side."

Garrus shrugged. "Don't we all. I got hit by a missile."

I chuckled. "Speaking of which, I picked up something for you."

"You got the missile fragments and pieced them back together?"

I laughed even harder. "No! I got you a new set of armor."

Garrus' mandibles twitched. "What's wrong with this one?"

"You don't see the giant gaping hole?"

"I do. But this armor works fine." He shot back.

"Dude, the structural integrity of that has got to be piss poor. Especially in the neck. If some 'crack shot' merc manages to knock your shields out you're done." I replied, folding my arms. "Besides, since when have you complained about free gifts?"

"Well, what kind of armor did you get?" he asked.

"Oh that's a surprise." I answered.

Garrus snorted. "If you got me a set of Phoenix armor, I'll kill you."

"Hey, that was Shepard's idea!"

"You had to be involved in that. Shepard's not the sinister type."

"You would be surprised." I said, pointing a finger at him. "Actually, Wrex was an accomplice in that too."

Garrus sat back and grumbled. "I knew it!"

_It's good to see that we got past that. Hopefully Garrus will come back to the old Garrus._

* * *

**Apartment 358, Presidium Ring, Citadel, Serpent Nebula**

_It feels good to be home._

My first 'objective' since our arrival was to find out what the hell was going on with Murph.

"Watson! You here?" I yelled out.

"Yes. Hello Mark." Watson said, not in his disguise.

"Hey big guy." I replied, giving him a slap on the arm.

Watson looked down at his arm. "A curious greeting. Perhaps if we were to perform it…"

I held up my hands. "No! I mean, no offense but you could probably shatter my arm."

Watson shook his head. "We have measured the impact of your own slap and can accurately replicate it."

"Oh." I said, flatly as I wiped my forehead. "Thank god."

"It is good to see you again."

I nodded. "Likewise. It's good being back home." I took a seat on the couch and kicked back.

"We have acquired the items you requested in your last message."

"Sweet." I replied. "Have you heard from Murph?"

"We have not. The last transmission received was the message confirming that Murph had arrived on Mindoir."

I grumbled. "I know he's working hard but the waiting is killing me."

Watson was silent as he stared at me for some time.

"Will Commander Shepard be stopping by?" he asked.

"Yeah. He's with Garrus and Tali. They're in Zakera talking to Captain Bailey." I answered.

"Garrus Vakarian. Former C-Sec Detective. Also known as Archangel." Watson stated. "He had visited this apartment before."

"Yep."

"Tali. Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya. Creator. Also served with Commander Shepard two years ago. Provided evidence on Saren Arterius."

"Spot on, Watson." I replied.

"We had accessed all personnel files and information regarding the mission to kill Spectre Agent Arterius. Including the hard copy files you have." Said Watson.

"I thought the geth knew about that."

"We did. Not in this detail however." Replied Watson.

I scratched my chin. "We might have a problem then if Tali's coming over."

"We anticipate Creator Tali'Zorah's reaction to be violent."

"The good news is that she wasn't armed." I said.

"A threat of violence still exists." Watson retorted.

"Point taken." I replied. "Let's just hope this is civil. I don't want anything in here to get destroyed."

The doorbell rang and I went up to the door. "Is that you John?"

"You know it." Came the reply.

I opened the door and Shepard, Garrus, and Tali walked in.

Tali was scoping the place out the moment she entered. "Wow. There's so much space in here."

"I take it that you like the place." I said with a grin.

She nodded. "How could you afford a place like this?"

I shrugged. "I've got my sources. Come on in. Sit down. Take a load off."

My three friends came in and sat down on the large couch.

"So, where's Watson?" Shepard asked.

"Watson?" Tali added.

Garrus groaned.

"Oh…uh he's here." I said clearing my throat.

"Who's Watson?" Tali asked again.

I bit my lip and looked up. "Promise you won't freak out Tali."

She looked very confused. "Um…okay?"

I sighed. "Come on out Watson."

He decloaked right in front of us. Tali audibly gasped.

"A geth? He's a geth!"

I muttered. "Tali, remember what I said about freaking out?"

She darted up and furiously paced around. "He's a geth! What is he doing here?"

Watson decided to speak up. "We are here to assist Mark Sears. That was our mission."

Tali stopped dead in her tracks. "A single geth only has as much intelligence as a varren…"

"We are one of two unique platforms that operate outside of the Perseus Veil." Replied Watson. "There are over 5,000 programs active within this platform."

"5,000?" Tali asked incredulously.

"This is not a standard platform, what you would refer to as a 'trooper'. This platform, which organics have designated 'prime' can hold more programs including advanced combat VI programs."

I stepped in. "I can say for a fact that those VI programs have saved my ass a bunch of times."

Tali was still unconvinced. "How do you know this geth isn't manipulating you?"

Watson shook his head. "Geth do not lie."

"I didn't say manipulate." Tali replied darkly.

"A lie is a form of manipulation."

"Tali, Watson's been with me for two years. If he was gonna kill me, he would have done it when we first met."

Watson stepped forward, his massive figure looking down at Tali before he took a knee.

"We understand the Creators anger and hatred toward us. We accept it." Watson expressed before turning to Shepard. "Commander Shepard, if you allow it, we would like to assist you and Mark in your mission."

Shepard smirked. "Of course."

In a surprising gesture, Watson stuck his hand out. Shepard looked at it and shook it.

"Welcome aboard, Watson." Shepard said.

Watson nodded his head.

"So, Watson…do you have any weapons?" Garrus asked.

"Yes. Follow me." He replied as we followed him into our workshop.

Shepard and the gang looked around at some of the various pictures I had on the wall.

"You sure like these Boston Minutemen, Mark." Garrus said.

"Love 'em! Please tell me you're a sports fan Garrus." I added.

"Uh…can't say I spend my time watching any sports."

I held my arm out and stopped everyone. "Mark?" Garrus asked.

"You've never spent any time watching any sports?"

"No. I've been busy trying to save the galaxy." He shot back.

I shook my head as we kept on walking. "You've missed too much my friend."

Garrus just shrugged. Shepard turned to me. "Hey Mark. That EUCC game we were going to see on my birthday…who won?"

"Stockholm. First time Boston lost at the Garden in two years." I replied. "Talk about bad omens eh?"

"No kidding." Replied Shepard.

We walked into the workshop. The group making some impressed grunts as we walked around.

"You've got a lot of advanced equipment in here." Garrus said. "How did you sneak this past C-Sec?"

"Permits. Plus, I got my own private docking bay here. The elevator in the back can take you down." I answered.

"Impressive." Shepard said.

Watson went over to his weapons station and picked up his Geth rotary cannon.

"Damn." John said, clearly impressed with the cannon. "I've never seen any weapon like that before."

"It was originally going to be used on dropships. We miniaturized this weapon to be used by the Prime platforms." Replied Watson.

"All of the geth we've encountered haven't used it." Added Shepard.

"They are not a part of us." Watson simply said.

"What do you mean?" Tali asked.

"The geth that you fought are not a part of us. The ones that allied themselves with Saren and the Old Machines are not a part of us."

"Old Machines? The Reapers?" asked Shepard.

"Reapers: a superstitious title originating with the Protheans. We refer to them as the Old Machines." Watson said, slinging the cannon onto his back.

"Hm." Grunted Shepard.

"Watson, you ever name that thing yet?" I asked pointing to the cannon.

"We call it the Geth rotary cannon."

I sighed. "Eh, it needs a cool name."

Watson stood still, his head flaps twitching.

"I'll call it the Leviathan because its big and it weighs so damn much." I said.

"An appropriate title." Watson added.

"How much does it weigh?" Garrus asked.

"Approximately 103.5 pounds."

"Good name." Shepard quickly added.

Garrus looked over at a black armor case on one of the tables nearby. The case was emblazoned with a silver and white Armax Arsenal logo.

"What's in this, Mark?" he asked.

I rushed over. "Oh that! Its my uh…gift I told you about."

"Armax Arsenal eh?"

I shrugged. "If I recall, you were partial to any sort of turian military gear as you're used to it."

He snorted. "You know me so well."

"Meh. I try. Open it up."

Garrus released the locking clamps and popped the case open. His mandibles flew out wide and he stepped back. "Spirits!"

"You like?"

"I—I don't what to say…well, other than thank you."

"You're welcome." I replied.

Garrus picked up the armor. For the most part, the armor was silver with hints of blue and burnt orange. The blue was very predominant when the kinetic barriers were active. It was Armax Arsenal's newest armor line: the Ghost.

Even Shepard and Tali were taken aback by it.

"Oh, don't forget. A dual communicator headset. Designed specifically to pick up turian speech patterns and inflections. Which makes sense since its made by a turian company."

Garrus picked it up and inspected it. "Wow."

"Last but not least, a little something extra I had added in." I opened up one of the top compartments of the case and pulled out a custom visor.

I saw Garrus' eyes go wide. "A new visor?"

"It took awhile to get the various details and specs from yours but…its more or less like the one you have, only with a ton of upgrades and cool new things. It'll be like you never parted with the old one." I said, handing it to him.

Garrus inspected it. Every detail, even down to the names of his fallen teammates, minus Sidonis were etched in.

"Mark…this is. It's amazing. Thank you." Garrus said.

"Anytime man." I replied.

John just smiled. "Hate to break up this moment but…do you have anything for us?"

I chuckled. "Of course. I knew the three of you would be coming over so I made some arrangements."

I walked over to another table and picked up two more armor cases and laid them out on the table.

"This one right here, John." I said, pointing to the gray case. "Is for you."

Pointing to the dark purple case, I turned to Tali. "Tali this one is for you."

Both of them opened up the cases, with wide eyes. It was like looking at a couple of kids on Christmas morning.

"Woah." Said John. "What is this?"

"That is Kestrel armor, made by Rosenkov Materials. Probably the most advanced standard armor on the market next to the Colossus and Predator suits. Unlike those, every piece from the neck down contains artificial muscle fibers which increase speed in movement and power in hand to hand combat. All of those fibers are based on spider silk and controlled through a central processor in the spine."

Shepard let out a low whistle. "What else?"

"The spinal mounted processor allows power to be transferred to the arms. It's all generated by moving your legs. So when you run and then punch someone in the face, it'll feel like you got kicked. Lets see…in the chest piece is where the firing platform is located, which allows seamless autotargeting and waist capacitors to add power to the kinetic barriers. The shoulders have backup capacitors…the arm pieces allow gross motor movement and precision hand support so autotargeting will be easier. There's also backup capacitors in the ulnar side of the forearm. In the legs, there's a hip mounted capacitor which provides emergency power for your barriers and heavy weapons."

"Now that's a mouth full." Tali said as she looked at her new armor."

"Hey Mark. What's up with this helmet?" Shepard asked.

"Oh…that's the coolest part. Instead of transparent glass, they added a reinforced faceplate and HUD. It connects to a bunch of redundant microcameras which allow a natural field of vision. Plus it syncs up with the rest of the autotargeting stuff so every shot will count. And I had a breather attachment added to you can use it in vacuum or on hostile environments."

"Thanks Mark. You freakin' rule." Shepard said, slapping me on the arm.

"Anytime, John."

"Anything you can tell me about my new armor, Mark?" Tali asked.

"To be honest, Watson dug that up. I didn't know this but apparently there's a private company that specializes in military grade quarian armor. I'd tell you the name but its in your language and I can't pronounce it for the life of me."

She giggled. "That's fine. But thank you for getting it."

I waved my hand. "It's no biggie. As for features, you have a HUD as well but it can be toggled. There's extra torso protection…mostly in the obliques which, in my opinion, is vital. I guess you could say that this suit is the quarian equivalent of the Kestrel armor. Other than that, its pretty much like the suit you have. I took all of that into account…for all of your new suits."

Garrus and Shepard immediately shed their old armor for their new one. Tali went off into one of the d-con rooms in the workshop to change into her new suit. Hopefully this would be enough to keep their spirits high, especially Garrus. We would be helping him out soon enough.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed that nice little interlude. Some lovin', feuding, a big ass geth joining in, the ME1 gang getting some cool new gear. I should note that Tali's new suit is from the new appearance pack, as is Garrus'. Up next, will Garrus go through with killing Sidonis? Will Thane save his son? You'll see soon enough...Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_(Edited 5/12/12)_


	31. Payback and Family Reunions

_Author's Note: Here we go, it's a two-fer featuring Garrus and Thane! Big thanks again to my loyal readers and reviewers._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Apartment 358, Presidium Ring, Citadel**

After the team got suited up in their new gear, we got ready to head out.

"So John, what did you guys find out from Bailey?" I asked.

Shepard shrugged. "Not much. We found out some info about this guy Fade. All we know is that he's forger who's baffled C-Sec for a while."

I turned to Watson. "Watson, what do we know?"

"Fade is elusive. He leaves no traces and as Bailey indicated, he can freely move through C-Sec databases. Our theory is that this Fade is a former C-Sec agent who had mid to high-level access."

"Hm. Do a search for any former C-Sec operatives with that kind of database access." I tapped my chin. "Add a parameter…ex C-Sec operatives with criminal records."

Watson nodded and began to search on a terminal in the workshop.

Garrus shook his head. "That narrows it down."

"Yeah. I doubt there's that many cops with records like that." Added Shepard.

"Are there any other leads?" I asked.

"Just a location." Said Tali. "A warehouse in Zakera Ward."

"We'll check it out." Shepard replied.

"Mark, we have narrowed the search down to three possible suspects. Silvat Nuredan, a salarian, former C-Sec detective. He was convicted of dealing red sand and assaulting a suspect in custody. Soren Abrudas. Turian. Charged with extortion, bribery, evidence tampering. Finally, William Harkin. Human. Charged with—"

"Harkin?" Garrus asked angrily.

"Yes." Replied Watson. "Do you know who he is?"

Shepard nodded. "We've had a couple of run ins with him before. Considering who he is, Harkin is most likely to be the guy we're after."

"We suggest that we start at the Zakera warehouse." Watson suggested.

"Good idea." Said Shepard. "But…how are you going to get around?"

I turned to Watson and smirked. "Do the thing."

He activated his holographic camouflage and turned into a human.

"Cool, huh?" I asked, pointing back.

Tali shook her head. "This is dangerous. Don't tell me the geth have developed this technology to infiltrate the fleet?"

"No. This was co-developed with Mark."

"What?" Tali shrieked.

"It was either this, have him run around with his stealth camo, or give Watson a giant sheet to wear and say that he's a quarian suffering from a rare growth disorder." I replied.

"Infiltration of the Migrant Fleet is unnecessary." Watson added. "We have no plans for the creators."

Tali just snorted and I sighed as we left my apartment. "Oh Watson, did you finish that part?"

"Yes. We have taken the opportunity to deliver it to the Normandy."

"Cool. Just gotta get the data from Mordin and we're all set." I replied.

"What part?" Shepard asked.

"Top secret weapon I'm making." I answered.

"Uh huh…" he drawled out suspiciously.

I turned to Garrus and pointed at Wilson with my thumb. "So, is it alright if we bring one more along to help you out?"

The turian shrugged. "I don't see why not. Gives us a chance to see him in action."

The five of us climbed into the car that Shepard had driven over here. Our next stop was the Zakera Ward Shipping Warehouse.

* * *

**Zakera Ward Level 26, Citadel**

We stepped out of car and headed for the warehouse that was next to the Sirta Foundation store.

"This is the place." Garrus said, small traces of anger broke through in his voice.

We opened the door, ignoring the Tupari machine spewing ads and this one guy complaining about his omni-gel converter. The warehouse was empty, except for two armed krogan lounging around.

_Great job looking inconspicuous guys…_

As we approached, both krogan stood up and approached us, followed by a volus in a black and yellow suit.

"Uh…Fade? You're not quite how I imagined you." Shepard asked, confused.

"Looks can be deceiving." Replied the volus, breathing heavily as most volus do.

"So…which one of you wants to disappear?"

The krogan behind him were loading their weapons casually.

Garrus looked down at the volus and said in a menacing tone. "I'd rather you make someone reappear."

Taking a deep breath, the volus replied. "Uh, that's not the service we provide."

"Make an exception, just this once." Garrus said, drawing his pistol on the volus.

"Damn it. Quick! Shoot them, shoot them you lumbering mountains!" the volus yelled. His krogan bodyguards drew their weapons and then the rest of us drew ours. Both krogan looked at each other and dropped them. They weren't stupid enough to take on all five of us.

The two krogan walked away, leaving the volus alone.

"What? Just like that? You're not getting paid for this!" shouted the volus. He sighed. "What's the point of hiring protection when they won't _protect_ you?"

"We're looking for someone. A client of yours." Shepard said to the volus.

He held up his hands. "Not mine. I'm not Fade I just work for him. Sort of."

"I knew it." I muttered.

Garrus walked up to the volus and took a knee. "Well then maybe you'd like to tell us where to find him."

"Uh…yes. Of course. He's in the factory district. Works out of the old prefab foundry."

Garrus turned to us. "I know the place."

The volus inhaled sharply and paced back and forth. "He's got mercs working for him. Blue Suns. Harkin thinks they're protecting him."

I pounded my fist into the palm of my hand. "I knew it!"

"How the hell did Harkin end up becoming the fade?" Shepard asked incredulously.

"Well, he got fired from C-Sec a while ago. He used his knowledge of C-Sec and their systems to help a few people disappear. Then he made himself disappear, and the Fade was born…so to speak."

"Interesting, but it changes nothing." Replied Garrus, flatly. "We still need to find him before we can get to Sidonis."

Shepard sighed. "It'll be good to see that corrupt dumbass again."

"I'm sure he'll be glad to see us again." Garrus sarcastically said.

"So, I uh, can I go?" the volus asked.

"Sure. But if I find out you're lying, we'll be back for you." Garrus said, flashing his pistol.

"Oh…good." Came the dim reply from the volus.

* * *

**Factory District, Citadel**

Garrus got behind the wheel of a car and we sped off towards the factory district. I had the pleasure of sitting in between Tali and Watson.

_I hate the middle seat. It's like giving a big middle finger the person driving…can't see what's behind you? Too bad!_

Watson pulled out a funky looking gun I hadn't seen; definitely of geth origin.

"What is that Watson?" I asked pointing to it.

"This is a geth plasma shotgun. Among its features, it has three barrels and fires superconducted projectiles. A dual trigger system can fire quick shots or charge shots."

"Hm. Sounds wicked." I replied.

"Indeed."

Garrus was making some pretty slick moves as we approached the prefab factory. He dropped down in a quiet area and the five of us got out, weapons ready. Watson decided to disengage his holo camo as we approached.

There was 'Fade', also known as Harkin. He was standing around, observing, as the Blue Suns carried some things into the factory. Harkin's face turned to stone as he saw Garrus and Shepard.

"Found you." Shepard said darky.

"Shepard?" Harkin exclaimed. "Stop them! Stop them!"

"Run all you want Harkin! We'll get you!" shouted Garrus. Watson and I drilled both of the mercs standing by the door. Watson and Shepard led the way as they ran into the factory.

"Watson? You synced up with the rest of the team?" I shouted.

"Affirmative. Sending tactical readouts to team." He replied.

"Woah." Said Shepard. "I've never seen this much combat analysis before."

I chuckled. "It only gets better from here."

"Switching to Leviathan." Stated the large geth as he traded his shotgun for his large gatling cannon.

"Mechs up ahead!" shouted Tali as one of the large shipping crates opened up, revealing a pair of LOKI's.

"We are detecting several more units to the right of our position. Approximately twelve including three Blue Suns mercs." Watson added.

Garrus and Tali destroyed the two mechs while Shepard, Watson, and I wandered through a maze of crates.

"You hear that?" Shepard asked.

I nodded. It was the sound of more mechs activating. Three of them were rounding the corner, as I decided to break out the mag locks again. Reversing the polarity, I could throw them once I triggered the locks.

_Just like artificial biotics._

I triggered the locks and sent the mechs flying at hurricane force speeds and into a wall, causing them to detonate on impact.

"Sweet. I really gotta use these more often." I said, nodding with approval.

"Where do get the ideas to come up with this?" asked a befuddled Shepard.

"Movies, video games. Stuff like that." I replied.

"You'd think weapons designers would take that into account."

I shook my head. "They think like businessmen. If its cost effective, it's a worthwhile investment."

John shrugged. "Lets keep moving."

Garrus took up a position on a crate, picking off mercs at will. Tali had her combat drone swing around to attack from behind. Shepard and Watson were cleaning house. I was hanging back, looking for any surprises.

After a few minutes, they were all taken care of.

"Harkin's in here somewhere. I can smell him." Garrus said angrily.

I sniffed the air. "Either you've got a great sense of smell, or Harkin smells like oil and cigarettes."

"Mark." John said, flatly. "It's not the time."

"Sorry."

The next area was loaded with more shipping crates, forming a bottleneck. Several Blue Suns troopers began to rush us, followed by some crates carrying LOKI mechs.

_For a guy that's in a rush, they were really prepared._

But the good news was that ones the mechs came piling out of the crates, they attacked the Blue Suns. I turned to Watson.

"Nice job."

"We cannot take credit for all of the mechs. Creator Tali'Zorah also helped out." Watson replied.

"Kudos to both of you." I amended.

Watson then triggered the self-destruct mechanisms on the mechs he controlled, as did Tali. Just a few more things we didn't need to worry about.

The five of us pushed forward, absolutely hammering the Suns. They were so focused on using their 'toys' instead of taking us on that we used their own mechs against them.

_You'd think they'd learn…_

We eventually came up to a small bridge which Tali lowered.

"We're getting close." Garrus said as we began to cross it.

The Blue Suns were waiting for us, popping out empty shipping containers and anything else that was laying around.

"Come on! How are they this prepared?" I yelled out.

"Contingency plan, maybe?" Replied Tali.

"Sounds about right." Shepard added.

"Damn contingency plans." I muttered.

"Heavy mech overhead—watch out!" Garrus yelled as a YMIR mech got dropped about 30 meters away.

I grumbled loudly. "Son of a bitch!"

Watson decided to take the initiative and take the thing on with that cannon he had. Its shields didn't stand a chance, let alone anything else.

"Damn Watson. Angry much?" I asked.

"Geth do not feel anger." He replied.

"I know. Just a figure of speech." I said.

We followed Garrus inside a shipping office. "What the hell is Harkin up to?"

"Who knows." Tali muttered darkly.

Shepard pressed a button on a nearby control panel, raising the shutters to show another large warehouse.

"So, Harkin's gone completely bad now." Shepard said.

Garrus nodded. "Yeah. And he's still a pain in the ass. But I'm in no mood for his games. If he doesn't cooperate, I'll beat him within an inch of his life."

Shepard had a slight scowl on his face. "You seem to be getting tense, Garrus."

"Harkin might know why Sidonis wanted to disappear. If so, he knows why we're here and I don't want him tipping Sidonis off." Garrus shot back.

Shepard simply nodded.

_I doubt Harkin's that well informed. From everything I've heard about him, he was usually too busy drinking shots instead of investigating._

We looked out at the warehouse when something moved behind a nearby crate. All of us ducked behind the wall.

"Did you see that?" asked Garrus.

"I saw something." Replied Shepard.

"He's getting ready for us." Garrus concluded.

I turned to Watson. "You pick anything up?"

"We detected several mech platforms and Blue Suns radio communications in the nearby area." He said.

Shepard looked down at Garrus. "We won't catch him waiting here."

Garrus nodded. "Right behind you."

Before we entered the warehouse, EDI radioed us. "Shepard, I have patched into the warehouse scanners. The crates in the transport carriers overhead are rigged to explode when dropped."

"Good to know." Replied Shepard.

"He can't remotely trigger them, can he?" I asked worriedly.

"No, Mr. Sears. I have made sure of that." EDI answered.

"Oh…thanks hun." I Replied.

Tali sighed. "Stop flirting with the AI. It's bad enough there's a geth here."

"Thanking someone for their help isn't flirting, Tali. And besides, Watson's kicking ass right now." I retorted.

She shook her head as we advanced through the warehouse.

"Why don't you just turn around?" Harkin shouted through the intercom.

"How about no?" I shot back as LOKI mechs began to activate. Three Blue Suns mercs ambushed us along with the mechs. They were no match for us.

Watson splashed a group of mechs with his Siege Pulse, blowing up five of them.

We ran up to a series of platforms and climbed up.

"You're never getting in here, Garrus!" Harkin yelled out.

"Doesn't he know what he's up against?" I asked incredulously.

"Apparently not." Shepard deadpanned.

Reaching the top of the raised platforms, we didn't see any other mechs or mercs in sight.

"Did he run out of mechs to throw at us?" Tali asked.

I looked up as I saw two transport carriers carrying two YMIR mechs. "Not yet." I said.

"Oh crap! Two heavy mechs—incoming!" Garrus yelled as he, Tali, and Shepard ducked behind cover.

I turned to Watson. "You ready big guy?"

"Affirmative."

I pulled out the Eliminator as Watson took aim with the Leviathan. We fired on both YMIR mechs, leveling them with a barrage of high explosives and high velocity ammunition. In less than a minute, both mechs were shredded. I looked up and saw Harkin in the control room; his mouth fell open in shock.

"You're next." I said loud enough for him to hear.

Harkin rapidly pressed various buttons on the control panel, trying to slow us down by raising several platforms. It didn't work very well as we scaled them in no time. Shepard and the rest of the team, minus Garrus, set up at the door.

As we walked in, weapons drawn, Harkin was heading for the other exit.

"You were close Shepard, but not close enough—"

Garrus walked in the door Harkin was heading out of, and bashed him in the face with the butt of his rifle. In one quick motion, Garrus grabbed Harkin by the arm and threw him into the wall, pinning him with his right forearm.

"So, Fade…couldn't make yourself disappear huh?" Garrus said in a menacing tone.

Harkin's lip was busted open from Garrus' rifle butt. "Come on Garrus—we can work this out. Whaddya need?"

Garrus let go and turned around. "I'm looking for someone."

Harkin wiped his mouth and had a slick smirk on his face. "Well, I guess we both have something the other one wants."

Garrus turned around, a dangerous look on his face as he approached Harkin. The ex cop put his hands up, in some lame surrender attempt. Garrus simply delivered a knee to the groin, causing Harkin to double over in pain.

"Eesh…right in the testicles." I muttered.

"We're not here to ask for favors, Harkin." Said Shepard.

"You don't say." Replied a breathless Harkin, as he struggled to stand.

"You helped a friend of mine disappear. I need to find him." Garrus stated.

"I might need a little more information than that."

"His name was Sidonis. Turian, came from the—"

"I know who he is, and I ain't telling you squat." Harkin shot back.

Shepard sighed. "Is this information really worth the trouble?"

"I don't give out client information. It's bad for business." Replied the ex cop.

Garrus delivered a huge right knee to Harkin's abdomen, sending him sprawling to the ground. He placed his foot on Harkin's neck.

"You know what else is bad for business? A broken neck!" shouted Garrus.

"All right, all right! Get off of me!" Harkin choked out.

Shepard tapped Garrus on the back and the turian slowly backed off. The whole situation was getting Garrus riled up.

_It's only going to get worse if he keeps this up._

Harkin slowly sat up, spitting blood. He looked like hell. "Terminus really changed you, huh Garrus?"

"No but Sidonis…opened my eyes. Now arrange a meeting." Garrus demanded.

We looked at Harkin as he slowly stood up, looking intently at Garrus.

He snorted. "I'm going."

Harkin hobbled over to a nearby terminal and called Sidonis up.

"Who is it?" a paranoid turian voice said over the phone. It was Sidonis.

"Fade. Listen, there's a chance that your identity may have been compromised."

"What? You said it was good!" replied Sidonis.

"It was. Can't say much more over the phone. I'm sending an agent to give you a new one. Where do you want to meet?"

Garrus pulled out his pistol, waiting for Harkin to finish the call.

_I knew it…he is getting worse._

I glanced over at Shepard who gave me a nod. He knew what he was going to do if Garrus got violent.

"Tell them to meet me at the Orbital Lounge. Midnight." Sidonis said.

"All right. He'll be there. Don't worry—I got it covered." Harkin replied.

"You better." Sidonis stammered out before hanging up.

Harkin shook his head and hung up. He walked over to us.

"It's all good. He wants to meet you in front of the Orbital Lounge. At midnight."

Harkin folded his arms. "So if our business is done, I'll be going…"

Garrus grabbed him. "I don't think so. You're a criminal now Harkin."

"So what…you're just going to kill me? That's not your style Garrus." Challenged Harkin as the two men stared each other down.

Garrus shoved him. "Kill you? No. But I don't mind slowing you down a little…"

He pulled out his pistol, ready to shoot him in the leg. Before he could, Shepard swatted his hand up.

"You don't need to shoot him. He won't be able to hide from C-Sec now." Said Shepard.

Garrus tried to wrestle away but couldn't. Shepard let go once he seemed to calm down.

"I guess its your lucky day." Garrus dryly said.

"Yeah. I hope we can do this again real soon." Replied a sarcastic Harkin.

As we turned to leave, Garrus leveled Harkin with a headbutt, knocking him out cold.

I grumbled.

"I didn't shoot him." Garrus argued.

"Come on. Let's move." Shepard said.

"Sidonis better be there. Or I'm coming back to finish the job." Garrus said to Harkin.

* * *

**Outside of the Orbital Lounge, Citadel**

We went back to the car where Shepard drove us to the Orbital Lounge. It was quiet the entire way. Garrus was silently fuming or preparing for his encounter with Sidonis. Not long after we left the Prefab factory, Shepard sent a message to Bailey to pick up Harkin. The good news was that he was still knocked out when they found him.

I turned my omni-tool on and decided to send Miranda a quick message.

_MS: Hey. You busy?_

_ML: Nope. Just went to pick up a few things. How are things on your end?_

_MS: Almost done here. I just wanted to ask you something real quick._

_ML: Go ahead._

_MS: I'm gonna be staying at my place tonight. Haven't been home in some time. Do you wanna come over?_

_ML: Love to. ;)_

_MS: Sweet. See you in a bit. Love ya._

_ML: Love you too :)_

I glanced up and saw that Shepard had pulled up to a parking lot near the lounge.

"Harkin's a bloody menace. We shouldn't have just let him go. He deserved to be punished." Garrus angrily said.

"Like Dr. Saleon?" Shepard shot back.

Garrus just snorted.

"I'm getting worried about you Garrus. You were hard on Harkin." Said Shepard.

"You don't think he deserved it?"

"It's just not like you."

Garrus turned and looked out the window. "What do you want with me Shepard? What would you do if someone betrayed you?"

"I'm not sure…but I wouldn't let it change me." Shepard replied.

Garrus leaned back in his seat and looked up. "I would have said the same thing before it happened to me."

"It's not too late. You don't have to go through with this."

The turian turned, angrily. "Who's going to bring Sidonis to justice if I don't? Nobody else knows what he's done. Nobody else cares."

"Then let me talk to him." Shepard replied, even he was starting to get annoyed with Garrus' behavior.

"Talk all you want but it won't change a thing. Why should he go on living while ten good men lie in unmarked graves? I'm sorry Shepard words won't make a difference."

I glanced over at Tali who sat there silently, shaking her head. She was probably seething with as much anger as the rest of us.

"I need to get set up." Garrus said. He glanced around the area and saw a service ramp nearby. "I can get a clean shot from over there."

"Uh huh." John said flatly. "Keep him talking…blah, blah, blah."

Garrus gave him a sharp look but didn't say anything else.

"I'm going too." I said, clearing the air. Both men turned around.

"What? You need a spotter." I flatly said.

Garrus turned around but I gave John a wink.

_If he can't convince him, then I guess I'll have to give it a shot._

I whispered to Watson. "Stay with Shepard. I'll be back in a bit."

I got out of the car with Garrus and the two of us headed to his perch. Shepard parked the car just outside of the entrance.

"So…a spotter eh?" Garrus asked.

"Snipers usually work in teams." I answered flatly.

He shook his head. "You're going to try and talk me out of it."

"Doesn't matter what my intentions are." I shot back.

Garrus and I scoped in and looked at the lounge entrance.

"Shepard, do you read me?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah." He simply replied.

The turian sighed. "He's not happy with me."

"No shit." I muttered dryly.

"You're not either."

"Don't forget Tali. She was about ten seconds away from tearing your head off." I added.

Garrus shook his head. "There's Sidonis. In the blue and red shirt."

"Hmm. A hundred meters away." I muttered.

Shepard and Tali spotted Sidonis and made their way over.

I put my rifle away and leaned on the railing while Garrus went prone to steady his shot.

"All right. Wave him over and keep him talking." Garrus radioed.

I saw Shepard signal Sidonis.

I grumbled. "It's good to know my pep talk was a bunch of bullshit. That'll teach me to help a friend."

"Mark…" Garrus said.

"Shut it." I angrily replied. "As far as I'm concerned, this little job and saving the galaxy are pointless. What's the point of saving trillions of lives if I can't save a friend from making a huge mistake?"

It was the final straw for me. Watching Garrus turn into this revenge-seeking monster was disgusting. Everything Shepard and I had done to try and show him the right things to do just seemed like wasted effort. Even telling that personal story just seemed like a waste of time. For that brief moment, I really did want to give up helping fight the Collectors. I just kept walking, hearing everything transpire over the radio.

* * *

I was sitting against a car tapping my foot on the floor.

_Glad that's over and done with…_

Shepard had talked to Sidonis and learned his side of the story. Sidonis was cornered by some mercs who threatened to kill him unless he gave up the team. He caved and ran, fearing what would happen to him if Garrus found him, if he survived. Of course, Garrus did find out and here we were. Sidonis never forgave himself. He saw his teammates in his dreams, glaring at him, blaming him for their deaths and his betrayal. Sidonis would have to live with that.

Shepard did manage to have luck in that situation, once Sidonis spilled everything, he talked Garrus down. Sidonis vowed to do better and make it up to Garrus somehow.

Here was I was…waiting against a car for them to come back.

_God I need a lufar…good thing you can buy them anywhere now._

Garrus had made his way over to where I was sitting. Shepard had pulled up as well.

"Mark…" Garrus started. I got off the car, ignoring him and went into Shepard's car.

John had a few words with Garrus who seemed reluctant to talk but did anyway.

The car ride was silent as we made our way back to Zakera Ward. I just wanted to go to my apartment.

"Mark. I want to talk to you once we get back." Shepard said.

I grunted in response.

We made it back to Zakera Ward in no time and all of us got out. Watson switched over to his holographic camouflage and waited to the side with Garrus and Tali.

"Mark, we heard everything over the radio." Shepard quietly said.

I looked down at the ground. "Figures."

"I know it was heat of the moment and everything but still…are you going to be okay?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "I'll be fine."

He tapped me on the arm. "You sure? You sounded like you wanted to knock Garrus on his ass."

I let out a short laugh. "I did. Still do actually." I shook my head. "He didn't even listen to us. Didn't even listen to the story I told him."

John raised an eyebrow. "Story?"

"The Joe Ramsey story. You remember?"

Shepard nodded. "Yeah…didn't think you would tell him that."

I shrugged. "It fit the situation."

"Yeah. You're right."

I let out a yawn. "If it's cool with you, I'm gonna stay at my place until we're ready to cast off."

John nodded. "It's fine. I don't blame you. It beats sleeping on the couch."

I chuckled. "Yeah. By the way, Thane asked me to help him out. Dunno if he told you."

"He did. I'll let you know when we're ready." Replied Shepard.

"Thanks man."

Shepard walked back to Tali and Garrus while Watson approached me.

"Are you going with them?" Watson asked.

I shook my head. "Spending the night at home. Hope you don't mind."

"We do not feel 'cabin fever' as humans call it."

"All right." I said with a small laugh. "Listen, we're going to be having a guest stay the night."

"Miranda Lawson." He stated.

"Oh yeah…I forgot I told you that." I said, half embarrassed.

"We do not have a problem with her presence. However, we will monitor her as a precaution."

I snickered. "Don't worry. I think I can take care of most of the monitoring."

We started walking down the streets looking at the various shops. I needed to pick up some supplies to bring when we went back to the Normandy.

_Lets see…3 cartons of lufar cigarettes, case of grape soda, case of coca cola, Johnnie Walker Black Label, pizza flavored chips, and something chocolate related._

Once I finished up, Watson and I headed home.

* * *

**Apartment 358, Presidium Ring, Citadel**

"Ah. It's good to be home." I said tiredly. I placed the bags with my 'supplies' down and started taking my armor and weapons off in the living room.

"It was an interesting turn of events." Watson said. "Your reaction to Garrus Vakarian's plan was…interesting."

"It wasn't an act either, Watson." I replied. "I meant every word."

"And yet Garrus Vakarian did not go through with killing his former teammate."

"Yeah. Can't say that I had any impact on that decision." I dimly responded.

"We believe that you did. After leaving the area, we detected that Garrus Vakarian had turned the safety switch on his rifle."

My brow furrowed. "He wasn't going to…what?"

I was dumbstruck.

"It is our theory that he was planning on listening to what Sidonis had to say, and what Shepard was going to say. Garrus Vakarian was tracking the target but never turned the safety switch off." Watson answered.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "I dunno what to say to that…great…now I feel like an asshole."

The doorbell rang and so I got up to answer it. And there was Miranda…standing at the door, wearing a similar outfit to what she wore on Illium. She had on a dark blue, silky top and black pants.

"Hello Mark." She said sweetly.

"Miranda." I replied with a grin and a kiss. "Welcome to my place…again."

She smiled and looked around. "It's a beautiful apartment. I never got the time to see all of it when we last came here."

"Yeah. Back before we were together. Come on, I'll give you the tour." I said, taking her by the hand.

I showed her around my apartment. Considering the amount of rooms, the workshop, and private docking bay, it was more like a penthouse than an apartment. She seemed impressed with the place.

"How did you ever afford a place like this?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I've got my connections."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."

We made our way to my room, the last stop on our little tour.

"Last but not least, my room." I said, extending my arms out.

Miranda laughed. "I was wondering when you were going to show me this."

I bit my lip. "Well, I didn't want to do it first because that would be straight forward. And I didn't want to do it last since that would—ah never mind."

She chuckled and put her hand on my shoulder. I swear her laughter was one of the best sounds I've ever heard.

"Don't worry. Frankly, I'm glad you showed me this last." Miranda wrapped her arms around me, and gave me a peck on the cheek. "We get to end the tour in a fun way."

I smirked and shook my head. "Guess the gift shop will have to wait."

She rolled her eyes and kissed me on the lips.

_Looks like we'll get to break in this king sized bed._

* * *

I woke up about 4 in the morning, a couple hours after Miranda and I had some fun. It was the sound of my private terminal beeping over and over again. I pulled on some pants and walked over to the desk near the right hand wall of the room and sat down in the chair. It was a message that I had been waiting for…a message from Murph. As I opened it, the message itself was short…way too short and it was coded.

_EAM (emergency action message)_

_Ronin,_

_Situation critical. 50 more people now missing._

_Hit a snag._

_-Pops_

"No…" I muttered, as I closed my eyes. All of the resources in the galaxy and people are still getting captured. I buried my face in my hands.

_365 people…just gone._

Tears were slowly streaming down my cheeks. Meanwhile, I had to wait until we finished our business here on the Citadel and god knows what else.

_By then, the whole damn planet will be gone._

It was a pain that had bored into my conscience like dagger, moving slowly and meticulously. My home, my birthplace…a place I had avoided like the plague for fifteen years. I had to go back, to prevent another tragedy like that from happening again. And yet, it was already happening.

I started to softly cry.

There was no confirmation that the people that disappeared were moved or who kidnapped them. No one knew…and now I had to figure it out. But I wouldn't do it alone. I had John and Murph and the rest of Outer Heaven backing me up. Murph wouldn't say it, but he probably had enough information for me to piece together. He wasn't a detective, he was an informant; a retired soldier. He was done fighting wars with his bare hands.

I heard a soft moan come from the bed. Miranda was starting to stir.

"Hmm…Mark?" she asked softly.

"I'm here." I replied in a shaky voice.

"Mark? What's wrong?" She sat up, covering herself with the bed sheet.

I shook my head and got up from the desk and sat at the edge of my bed. Miranda made her way over and draped herself around my back. I could feel her warm body and breasts pressing against my back.

"Mark, are you okay?" she asked again. I turned to look at her, a concerned look on her face.

"No…I'm not okay. I—just got a message from my friend who's monitoring the situation on Mindoir." I swallowed hard. "50 more people have disappeared. On top of that…they've hit a snag."

"Oh…" Miranda replied softly.

"I need to go there but…"

"Didn't you tell Shepard?"

I nodded. "He agreed but we've been so busy lately. I just—"

"It's okay." She reassured. "Just take your time." Miranda added, planting a kiss on my left cheek.

I took a deep breath, lightly smiling at the kiss she gave me. "Today was the first time that I had ever thought about abandoning our mission."

"Really?" Miranda asked, a small amount of surprise in her tone.

"We were helping Garrus out. You remember when we picked him up on Omega?"

She nodded.

"He had a team on that rock…they were the covered bodies we saw in his base. Apparently, one of the members of Garrus' team got cornered by the mercs and spilled the beans. He fled to the Citadel and Garrus wanted to take him out." I explained.

"Ah. That explains why he wanted to go here." Miranda said.

I nodded. "Well, by the time we caught up to this guy, all of the things I had said to Garrus, the things Shepard and Tali said…he just blatantly ignored it. Even the story I told him. As he was lining up the shot, I told him, "What's the point in saving trillions of lives if I can't save a friend from making a huge mistake?" and then I just walked away."

Miranda raised both eyebrows. "Wow. And you meant it?"

"Yeah…I did."

She looked at me, studying me with those gray/blue eyes of hers. "You're very devoted to your friends, Mark."

I looked at my feet on the floor. "They're the closest thing to family that I have…John's like the older brother I never had. Garrus is my partner in crime. Tali…she's like a sister to me."

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Makes me wish I had friends like that growing up."

"I never really had any friends growing up. Just a few kids in my neighborhood. It was hard for most parents to explain that the kid living at the end of the block is a genius, which is why they never saw him at school. My mother did everything in her power to try and get me at least one friend in the neighborhood. I ended up with three." I said, reminiscing about the old days. "But now…now I've got an entire ship full of friends."

I placed my hand on Miranda's hand. "Plus, I've got you."

Miranda rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Same here."

We both went back under the covers and snuggled up next to each other.

* * *

In the morning, I decided to treat Miranda to some of my home cooking. She was a little surprised to say the least.

"I didn't know that you could cook." She said, taken aback.

I shrugged. "Now you know."

"I mean…it's just—I never expected that you knew how." Miranda said, slightly stumbling over her words.

I snickered. "Because I'm a guy?"

"No." she replied with a small frown. "You just never struck me as the cooking type."

"Oh. Well, mom taught me how. I took all my classes over the extranet so I had some free time to do things around the house." I said. "I always preferred making breakfast."

"Why is that?" Miranda asked, before eating some scrambled eggs.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure…probably because I like to start my day off on a good note."

"That makes sense."

I took the last sip of my coffee. "So, what's going to be your excuse for disappearing from the Normandy last night?"

Miranda laughed. "Well, I told EDI to keep it a secret. As for showing up, I'll just say that I went out to eat and do some shopping."

I smiled. "Sounds like you really planned this all out."

She folded her arms. "Of course I did. We have to keep our relationship a secret. If the Illusive Man found out…"

I walked over to the sink and cleaned my plate. "By the time he finds out, our mission will be over. But I wouldn't count on our relationship being a secret…some people probably figured it out by now."

Her eyes widened. "Oh god. Who knows?"

I scratched my cheek. "Well…Kasumi does. Listened in on us when we were in the shower together."

Miranda put her face into her hands. "Oh no. The whole ship probably knows by now…"

"Kasumi came up to me the next day and promised that she wouldn't say anything." I replied, waving my hand.

"Yeah, that'll last long." Miranda sarcastically muttered.

I walked over to her and put my hand on her back. "We'll be fine. Don't worry about it so much."

Miranda still grumbled and finished up her breakfast. "I should get back to the ship."

"Me too. Got to get Watson acclimated and hope that no one on board will shoot at him." I said.

Miranda smirked. "I'll take care of it for you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Of course. If I recall, Shepard told me that he was bringing you along to help Thane."

I smiled. "Thanks Miranda. I owe you one."

She gave me a small hug and whispered in my ear. "You can make it up to me tonight."

"Sure thing."

I gave Miranda a kiss while Watson came out of the workshop.

"Morning Watson." I said. "Hope you don't mind but Miranda offered to take you aboard the Normandy."

"We appreciate it."

* * *

**C-Sec station, Zakera Ward**

I met up with Shepard and Thane at C-Sec station. Miranda took Watson to the Normandy to get him acclimated. The good news was that she ran into Shepard on the way over so everything was cleared up. Now came the matter of finding Thane's son.

Bailey was sitting at his desk, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning kid." Bailey said. "You catch last night's Edmonton match?"

"Eh. Caught the highlights. I had a busy night."

Bailey nodded. "Missed a hell of a lot. Irving had this great shot. Fifty meters out through a crate…a beauty."

"He's the only bright spot the Blood Dragons have."

Bailey shrugged. "If you say so." He turned to Shepard. "Ah hello again, Shepard. Something I can do for you?"

"Yes. My associate is trying to find his son. We think a local criminal may have hired him." Shepard said.

Bailey nodded. "That should be easy. We don't see too many drell around here."

The captain started typing away on his terminal. "Ah there we go. One of my men reported seeing a drell recently. And he was talking to Mouse…interesting."

Thane's eyes lit up. "Mouse?"

"Oh he's a petty criminal. Probably not the guy who hired your boy, but a messenger. He's a former duct rat, runs errands for anyone who will pay." Bailey answered.

"What's a duct rat?" Shepard asked.

"It's a local slang for the poor kids who grow up on the station. When they're small they tend to play in the ventilation ducts, where the adults can't get to them." Explained Bailey.

"That doesn't sound too safe." Added Shepard.

Bailey sighed. "Every couple of months we pull a little body out of them. Lacerated by fan blades, broken by a deadfall, or suffocated by vacuum exposure." He cleared his throat and continued. "Those are just the ones we know about. More just disappear. Maybe they got sucked into space or fall into the protein vats that the keepers run. Mouse survived long enough that he can't fit into the ducts anymore. He was one of the smarter ones or luckier ones."

"What kind of trouble has Mouse been getting himself into?" I asked.

"Odd jobs for shifty people. Duct rats take whatever's available to get by. Data running, fencing stolen goods, selling illegal VI personalities." Said Bailey. He turned to Shepard and smirked. "Actually, he was selling one of you."

"Uh…me?" John asked, confused.

"Yeah. When you erased a file, it would say, 'I delete data like you on the way to real errors.'"

I burst out laughing. "Oh I'm so buying one of those."

Shepard rolled his eyes. "Mark…"

"Oh come on and live a little man." I replied with a smack on the arm.

Bailey let out a small laugh. "It was buggy though. Crashed every half hour. The error message was about how the galaxy was at stake and you should fix the problem yourself."

I had to lean against the wall to keep myself from falling over, laughing.

"So getting that." I said.

"But its broken!" argued Shepard.

"Tali or Watson can fix it." I replied.

John just sighed. "Well that's it for now, captain."

"Mouse is usually outside the Dark Star Lounge. He works out of a public comm. terminal." The C-Sec captain turned to me. "You should pick up a copy of that VI, kid."

"Oh I am." I said.

Bailey turned to Thane. "Sounds like your boy's running with the wrong crowd."

"Yes. I agree." Replied Thane.

"If Mouse can't get you in touch with your son directly, he'll know who can. I'll help you out if you need it." Bailey added.

"You don't know us Captain. Why are you going so far to help us?" Shepard asked.

"Well, your friends with Mark, so as far as I'm concerned your good in my book." Answered Bailey. "Also, I've worked Zakera for two years. Every day, kids turn to crime because they've got no other choice. Because their parents don't care." He looked at Thane. "You're trying to save yours."

"…He faces a dark path." Replied Thane.

"We better hurry then." I added. The three of us left the station and Thane stopped Shepard.

"You didn't tell him that Kolyat planned to assassinate someone." Said the stoic assassin.

"He's a cop. He would try to arrest Kolyat and one of them could end up dead. I don't want that." Shepard replied.

"Of course. You are right. Thank you Shepard." Said Thane. "And you as well, Mark."

The three of us began walking towards the nearby staircase to head up to the Dark Star.

"So, think we'll need any weapons for this?" I asked.

"I should hope not." Thane said. "However, we shouldn't go completely unarmed either."

"Good point." I added.

"Mark, you're not seriously going to buy that VI are you?" John asked.

"Yeah I am. It sounds like mindlessly badass version of you."

John chuckled. "Well, I am a little curious about it…"

"Even more of a good reason to buy it." I added.

Thane was silent most of the time but decided to add in. "From what I gathered, Mark, you appear to know Captain Bailey."

"Oh yeah. We go way back." I replied. "I helped him out with an investigation a couple of years ago. He used to work up on the Presidium back then."

"What do you know about him?" asked Shepard.

"Like his methods?"

John nodded.

"Well, some of the things he does are a little outside of the norm. All I'll say is that he does whatever he can to keep the peace."

Before we made it up the stairs, I heard an advertisement that seemed to be heard all over Zakera Ward.

"I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel."

I stopped in my tracks.

John stopped and turned to me, biting his lips.

"You know John…that's all I've heard down here since we came back to the Citadel." I said flatly.

"Sorry. I needed some discounts. Money's tight you know." He cheekily replied.

"Even though our whole mission is being funded?"

"I don't want to rely on Cerberus for our financial needs." John said.

"So…you resorted to saying the same endorsement for every store in this ward."

Shepard just shrugged.

"Unreal…" I muttered.

On Level 28, we saw Mouse standing in front of a bunch of terminals, holding a datapad. We were about to approach him when a reporter cut us off…it was Khalisah al-Jilani.

"Khalisah bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News." She greeted, holding her hand out.

Shepard just stared at it.

"I interviewed you two years ago when you first became a Spectre." She stated.

John rolled his eyes. "I know who you are…" he drawled out.

"You presented your case very well on camera."

Shepard snorted. "What, so you can do another smear job on me?"

She held up her hand. "Now Shepard—you may object to my methods, but we're on the same side."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." He muttered under his breath.

"You're back, you're news. I just want to give your story its due." Khalisah said, turning on her camera and reviewing the questions on her datapad.

"Sources claim you were at the heart of the Presidium during the Battle of the Citadel. It's fair to say the course of the battle hinged on your words."

Thane and I stepped out of the way of the camera. No need to get our faces on the six o'clock news.

Khalisah continued. "If true, you told Admiral Hackett to assist the Destiny Ascension, costing hundreds of human lives and securing the continued dominance of the Citadel Council."

_And now for John Shepard, the man to crushes puny media foes with the truth hammer._

"The turians lost 20 cruisers. Figure each had a crew of around 300. The Destiny Ascension, the asari dreadnaught we saved, had a crew of nearly 10,000."

"But surely the human cost—"

"The Alliance lost eight cruisers. Shenyang. Emden. Jakarta. Cairo. Seoul. Cape Town. Warsaw. Madrid. And yes, I remember them all. Everyone in the Fifth Fleet is a hero. The Alliance owes them all medals. The Council owes them a lot more than that. And so do you…" Shepard finished, as he walked back to us.

"Commander Shepard. First human Spectre, hero of the Battle of the Citadel. Check vid. We get it? Great. Bull rushed on my own show."

"She has a show now?" John whispered to me.

"Don't worry. Its ratings are in the tank. Plus, I, uh…had some people dig up some things on her." I replied.

"Really?" Thane asked.

"Oh yeah. Nothing dirty, just a little showing of how she skews things to get ratings and some interesting opinions on the Council and other races." I answered. "Let's just say she was the media's favorite go-to target for months."

Shepard chuckled. "Why did you do it?"

"No one fucks with my friends." I answered as we approached Mouse.

"Yeah, sure. I can get you two cases by the end of the day." Mouse said into his datapad.

"You Mouse?" Shepard asked.

"What do you—oh shit! Krios? I thought you retired." Mouse said turning to the drell.

"Commander Shepard? I thought you died! What do you want with me?" he asked.

Thane walked up to Mouse and patted him on the arm. "Be still Mouse, you can change your pants in a moment."

I let out a short laugh.

"How do you know Thane?" Shepard asked Mouse.

"Krios? He didn't…? If he didn't say nothing, I ain't either." Mouse replied, folding his arms.

"When we heard the name Mouse, I didn't think it was the same Mouse. He was a contact on the Citadel when I was active. He and some other children would gather information on my targets." Thane said.

"You used children to gather information for you?" asked Shepard with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Children, the poor. My people's word for them is drala'fa: the ignored. They are everywhere, see everything. Yet they are never seen." Added the drell. He grabbed Mouse by the collar. "You gave another drell instructions for an assassination. Who's the target?"

Mouse looked around nervously as Thane had him by the collar. "I…I don't know. I didn't ask. 'Cause the people I work for? They can make me disappear. I'd like to help you Krios. You always done right by us, but I ain't gonna die for you."

"Look, you know Thane. He wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. Do it for him." Shepard said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Mouse wrung his hands. "I want to. He was always nice to us." He turned to Thane. "But these people ain't nice, Krios."

"Nobody's gonna know you talked to us." I said.

"Mouse, I swear that you won't be named." Thane added.

He took a deep breath and held his hands up. "All right, all right. He came with that holo you took of me. Said he wanted a job." Mouse began pacing back and forth. "I ran through your old contacts to see who might give him a shot. The guy who offered was Elias Kelham."

_Might as well ask him now._

"Hey, you still got that Shepard VI?" I asked.

"Huh? Yeah…" he replied uneasily as he looked at Shepard. "Look Commander, you were dead. It was totally fine to make a VI out of you."

John pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, you give him a copy and we're even. Okay?"

I gave him a big grin. "Sweet."

"Uh, sure. Just so you know, there's three volus patching it all the time." Mouse added.

I nodded. "Thanks man."

Shepard rolled his eyes. "So…tell me about this Kelham guy."

Mouse scratched the back of his head. "Human. Moved to the Citadel about ten years ago. He was little people when you were here Krios. He got big after the geth attack. Lots of the big guys from before got cacked. All in them big, fancy apartments up on the Presidium. Now he runs the rackets at the lower end of the Ward. Shin Akiba. He's seriously bad news."

"Thanks for the info, Mouse." Shepard said. "You did a good job."

Mouse snorted. "Yeah. Hope I live long enough to pat myself on the back. Oh and Krios? Next time…just don't bring the family."

And like that, the kid disappeared into the crowd.

Thane looked lost in his thoughts.

"You alright, Thane?" I asked.

"Mouse knew more about my life than Kolyat ever did." Then Thane snapped into an old memory. "_He smiles up at me, broken teeth and scabby knees. Bare feet black. A dead-end future looking up at me. Worshipping the petty gifts I offer._"

And then, he was back to the present. "I was the only good thing he had back then. But I left him, as I left Kolyat."

"Don't blame yourself." Shepard said softly.

"If I don't, who will? We must all carry the weight of our decisions, Shepard. You of all people know this." Thane replied.

"We should head back to the station." I said, as the three of us made our way back down the stairs.

* * *

**C-Sec Station, Zakera Ward**

"Today's story out of Elysium: The Shepard Memorial Plaza has been named Elysium's hottest wedding location. Under Admiral Hackett's orders, money raised from wedding fees goes to funds for Alliance veterans."

I snickered. "Of all the places to get married…it had to be at a plaza named after you."

John rolled his eyes. "What's so funny about that?"

"I've seen the plaza. It's not bad but I dunno why anyone would get married there. It's not like a wedding in Hawaii." I replied.

"Perhaps it is because of Shepard's ability to bring people together." Thane contributed.

"Heh. Hadn't thought of it like that." I said.

Shepard laughed. "You shouldn't take a shot at my plaza, Mark. Aren't you still getting veterans benefits?"

"Yeah." I muttered. "It's not much but it'll do."

The three of us walked into the station and up to Bailey's desk.

"Gentlemen." He greeted. "You talk to Mouse? Get the name of the guy he's working with?"

"Yeah. I don't think you're gonna like it either." I replied. "It's Elias Kelham."

"Kelham…shit." Bailey said shaking his head. He sighed. "Ah. Look, this is awkward. Kelham and I have a—an arrangement. He doesn't cause too much trouble and…" Bailey made air quotes with his hands. "'Buys tickets to the C-Sec charity ball' from me. In return, I ignore him."

Shepard scowled. "He pays you off. You were so eager to help us out before. What about now? Is it too 'inconvenient?'"

"Look, I said I'd help. It's just—there's gonna be repercussions if I don't handle it right. He and I…give each other space. It keeps the peace." Bailey replied.

I rubbed my forehead.

"I'll get some of my people to bring him in and set him up in one of the private rooms. You can interrogate him yourself." He added. "I'll stay out of sight. If I'm lucky, Kelham will believe that I had nothing to do with it."

Shepard nodded. "Do it. We don't have much time."

Bailey radioed a couple of patrolmen to bring him in. They would be here soon.

I took a seat in front of Bailey's desk while Thane and Shepard waited outside.

"Owen…why didn't you tell me that you made these arrangements?" I whispered.

"Need to know basis kid. I can't exactly tell the whole world about this." He replied.

"Bailey, you know me. I'm not in the business to bring down cops. You could have just asked me for some favors." I said.

He snorted.

"Look, I just don't want to see a good friend and a good cop get brought down because of some deal he made to keep the peace."

Bailey leaned back in his chair. "What exactly are you proposing?"

I turned on my omni-tool and gave him a number. "This is a number for some contacts that work with me. You need intel on someone like Kelham? Call that number and say who you are. You'll get everything you need. Or as an alternative, I'll have them make some persuasive arguments and your streets stay crime free."

"Shit kid. Didn't expect you to be the next Shadow Broker." Bailey replied.

I shook my head. "The difference between me and the Broker is that I don't obey the almighty credit. As for someone like Kelham, I can give you two options: One, the information you need to put him in a cell. And two, to put him in a body bag."

The C-Sec captain rubbed his chin. "As much as I'd like two, I'll have to go with one depending on how this goes."

"Done." I said. "Considering the situation and how fast the clock is ticking, Shepard isn't going to talk this out or beat him within an inch of his life. Now, I don't want to tell you how to do your job but I'd keep tabs on Kelham after this."

"Don't worry. Once Shepard mentioned his name, he practically put himself on our tab list." Bailey replied.

Twenty minutes later, Sergeant Haron and another C-Sec officer dragged Kelham to an interrogation room.

Shepard spoke to one of the officers at the door. "We've got him. Tell Bailey we're ready."

The officer nodded and the three of us stood at the door.

Bailey approached us from the break room. "He'll expect me to get him out of this."

Thane had a ghost of a smile on his face. "Not today…I think."

There was a commotion at the entrance of the station, a man in a suit was arguing with Sergeant Haron and two other officers.

"Captain? His lawyer's here. Bet Elias has his VI set to page him if C-Sec gets within ten meters."

Bailey nodded. "I'll stall him." He turned to us. "Get in there and work fast."

Thane looked at both of us. "We should question him together. Keep the pressure on. Thoughts on how we should approach it?"

"Thane, you appeal to his self interest. I'll put the screws to him, if he needs it. Mark…you stand in the back and look menacing." Shepard said.

I rolled my eyes. "Please tell me that was a joke."

John smirked. "Sorry, couldn't help it. You get to play the bad cop."

I nodded. "Can do."

"Very well. I'll pretend that I'm on his side." Thane added. "But if we waste too much time negotiating, Bailey won't be able to stall Kelham's advocate."

"Yeah. Luckily, I've got a little something up my sleeve." Shepard said as we walked into the interrogation room.

* * *

Inside the interrogation room was Kelham, wearing a fancy green suit, struggling to move as he was strapped into a chair.

"Who the hell are you three?" he asked as we walked in.

"My name's Shepard. I'm a Spectre." John said.

"Prove it." Replied a defiant Kelham.

John pulled his pistol out and pointed it at Kelham's head. "Listen to me limp dick, I don't have to prove a god damn thing to you. Spectres are above the law. We clear?"

Kelham cleared his throat. "Crystal."

"Good." Shepard said in a snide tone. "Luckily for you, I'm not here to kill you. You hired an assassin. Who's the target?"

"Joram Talid. Turian. He's running for office; lives in the 800 blocks."

"Thanks. You won't see us again. And frankly, you're below my pay grade." Shepard replied as we walked out of the interrogation room. I was biting my lower lip, trying not to burst out laughing.

"That may go down in history as the shortest interrogation ever." Commented Thane.

"If only they kept records of that." I added.

The Kelham's lawyer made his way toward us. "Hey! What did you do to my client?"

"Nothing." Shepard replied. "I'm a Spectre. Just had to ask a question."

The lawyer's eyes widened. "Oh…okay then."

Bailey waved at us from down the hall. "So, what's the story? Why'd Kelham hire the boy?"

"Assassination. A turian named Joram Talid. You know him?"

"Joram? Yeah. You might have seen some of his posters around. He's promising to end organized crime on the ward. Thing is, his message is all mixed up in race politics. He's anti-human." Replied Bailey.

"Are things so bad here that you can openly campaign as anti-human?" Shepard asked incredulously.

Bailey turned and looked out at the precinct. "Before the Battle of the Citadel, humans were seen as violent upstarts. Now look: C-Sec is openly recruiting more humans, a human fleet has been guarding the station for months. Most of these people have been here since before we had starships. They see it as a coup."

John sighed. "As much as I like the ideal of democracy, that just doesn't sound right at all."

"No kidding." Bailey added. He turned to a nearby officer. "Sergeant! Get these men to the 800 blocks!"

She saluted Bailey and took us to a patrolcar.

* * *

**800 Blocks, Zakera Ward**

This little adventure was turning out to be better than I expected. All I had on me was my pistol and no armor. Probably one of the few, if only time, that I would be on a mission without any armor and just a pistol. Since we were going to be tailing this Talid guy, I grabbed a few items to look inconspicuous. Mostly, a news datapad and a pack of lufar cigarettes.

After landing at the 800 Blocks, we searched around the area for Talid. He was easy to spot as he wore a fancy suit and had a Blood Pack bodyguard; a krogan at that.

"There he is." Said Shepard. "How do you want to play this?"

"Follow Talid on the maintenance catwalks and tell me what he's doing. The krogan bodyguard should make him easy to follow." Replied Thane. "As for you Mark, you will follow Talid on the ground. If either one of you loses sight of him for some unforeseen reason, the other can still follow."

I nodded.

"You sure you're gonna be fine Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. I can blend in. I'll even have my omni-tool's directional microphone on, in case this guy is as dirty as I think he is."

"What makes you think that?"

"An anti-human politician wanting to end organized crime in the ward? Come on. There's no such thing as a white knight in politics." I replied. "What about you Thane? Where will you be?"

"In the darkest corner, with the best view." He replied simply, folding his hands in prayer.

John and I went our separate ways. He headed up to the catwalks, while I was 60 meters away, reading a news pad.

"Thane, I'm on him. He's talking to some voters." Shepard said over the radio.

"Mark here. I'm in position. Got eyes on the prize."

"Copy that." Replied Shepard. "Thane, you in position?"

"Yes."

Then I saw Talid walking towards me. I got up and headed into the market district. As for Thane, well, I couldn't see him at all.

_No stealth camo at all. Considering how well the hanar trained him, it says a lot about their military abilities._

I pocketed the news pad and pulled out a cigarette.

"He's talking to another voter." Shepard said over the radio.

"I'm following." Replied Thane.

Talid and the bodyguard entered the market district and stopped. My microphone was picking up every word.

"So, you know the drill right?" Talid asked.

"Yes, sir. I go in, get the creds and you look out for any sign of trouble." The krogan answered.

"Good. Let's go."

_Fascinating…let's see where they go._

I continued walking forward, getting enough distance between them but a good enough vantage point.

"Smile guys." I muttered, activating the video recording setting on my glasses.

"I don't have a good angle. What's he doing?" Thane asked.

"They just went into a store called Aquila." I replied. "Making a credit withdraw at a human owned travel agency are we?"

"I see them. Good call Mark." Shepard added.

"Told you…there's no such thing as a white knight politician."

The krogan walked out and ran, followed by Talid. I didn't bother to run after them; that would draw attention. He was heading for his apartment but decided to take a shortcut through a lounge. I continued to follow but Shepard had a better bead on the guy.

"I can't see him." Thane said.

"He's talking to the club owner. Looks like a shakedown." Replied Shepard.

"Yeah. I'm recording all of this. Definite shakedown." I commented.

Talid and the bodyguard made their way to a couple of other krogan in Blood Pack armor. I slipped past them, overhearing a conversation about how Talid thinks someone is following him.

I left the lounge and stubbed out my cigarette.

"Thane, he's coming up from behind me. You got him?"

"Yes. Shepard is a little delayed at the moment but should be back in visual range soon."

I leaned up against a nearby plant checked my omni-tool, pretending to look busy as Talid and the krogan walked by. Bursting through the crowd was a tall drell in a blue and black coat. I saw the M4 Shuriken come up from his right pocket. Screams echoed in the crowd as Talid and the krogan whipped around. Before he could shoot, Shepard yelled out.

"Kolyat!"

Thane's son whipped around and quickly turned to Talid. He fired, hitting the krogan bodyguard with a quick burst, knocking him down. Talid sprinted into the apartment.

"Thane—" Shepard said.

"I saw."

I pulled out my pistol as the three of us ran into the apartment. We heard the footsteps coming from a few floors up, the various shouts of the tenants in the halls. We finally made it to the apartment.

Shepard and I went in first, pistols at the ready. John turned the safety off of his pistol as did I. Thane approached his son with no weapon drawn.

_Hell of a ten year reunion…_

"Kolyat." Thane said.

"This…this is a joke. Now? Now you show up?" His son was clearly surprised, and by the sound of it, not too pleased to see dear old dad.

"Help me drell. I'll do whatever you want!" Talid pleaded as he held his hands behind his head.

The door opened as Bailey and Sergeant Haron stepped in, pointing their weapons at Kolyat.

"C-Sec! Put the gun down, son." Ordered Bailey.

"Get out of my way. I'm walking out. He's coming with me." Kolyat said in a feeble attempt to make demands.

Thane took a few steps forward. "They'll have snipers outside."

Shepard and I glanced at each other and nodded. I put my pistol away.

"I don't need your—"

Shepard shot the lamp to Kolyat's left, distracting the kid. I quickly lunged at Kolyat, grabbing the pistol and hitting the takedown switch. After I did that, I gave him a hip toss, knocking the wind out of him.

"What the hell?" he asked breathlessly.

"Talid, get out of here!" yelled Shepard.

"Yeah. Yeah! I will." The turian staggered out and was escorted by other C-Sec officers.

"Take the boy into custody." Bailey ordered.

"You son of a bitch!" Kolyat yelled at us.

Shepard helped the kid up to his feet. "Your father doesn't have much time left, Kolyat. He's trying to make up for his mistakes."

He was still panting. "What, so you came to get my forgiveness? So you can die in peace or something?"

Thane approached his son. "I came to grant you peace."

He was quiet for some time. "You're angry because I wasn't there when your mother died."

Kolyat snapped back. "You weren't there when she was alive! Why should you be there when she died?"

Thane swallowed hard, looking at the floor. "Your mother—they killed her to get to me. It was my fault."

"What?" the kid asked incredulously.

"After her body was given to the deep, I went to find them. The triggermen, the ringleaders. I hurt them. Eventually, killed them. When I went back to see you, you were—older. I should have stayed with you." Admitted Thane.

In a condescending tone, Kolyat replied. "I guess its too bad for me you waited so long, huh?"

Thane's face softened a bit. "Kolyat. I've taken many bad things out of this world. You're the only good thing I ever added to it."

Kolyat bowed his head, tears streaming down his cheeks.

I looked away, at something…at anything. Something about this just felt…I dunno.

Bailey's voice cut in. "This isn't a conversation you should be having in front of strangers. I'll take you back to the station. Give you a room and as much time as you need."

Shepard looked at Bailey and whispered. "I'm surprised you're letting him do that."

"You think you're the only man who ever screwed up raising a son?" he asked. "Come on. Let's go."

* * *

_So many problems solved and yet so many keep popping up. Will Mark be able to keep it together when he goes back to Mindoir? We can all hope._

_By the way, Mark calling Bailey by Owen...its his middle name (was originally going to be his first name). He just doesn't look like an Armando to me._

_Up next, Kasumi's big heist! One big hint to give, and its only 3 words: Death From Above. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	32. The Heist

_Author's Note: Hey everybody. Sorry if this one seems a little brief; ran out of extra interlude ideas before Mindoir. Also, not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I usually put some status updates on chapters and other stories in my profile. Just FYI._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**C-Sec Precinct, Zakera Ward**

Shepard and I were sitting in front of Bailey's desk, as we had been for the last two hours. Some of that time was spent chatting about random things. Bailey was busy sorting out some paperwork and interviewed Talid.

"You okay, Mark?" John asked.

"Hm?" I was zoned out, staring at a picture of Bailey and his son. "Sorry. Actually, something has been bothering me."

"What?"

"Got a message from my buddy Murph who's checking out the situation on Mindoir. Things are getting worse there. Fifty people got nabbed, bringing the total to 365. That case was the first in weeks." I replied.

John rubbed his forehead and sighed.

I grunted.

"I'll get you there soon. I promise. Kasumi has that party on Bekenstein to go to." Shepard replied with a sigh.

"Yeah I know. I'll hang in. If she needs help, I'm always available." I said.

John let out a small laugh. "How many missions is that now?"

"Let's see…there was helping out Miranda, then Grunt, Mordin, Garrus, and now Thane." I answered.

"If we had the time, I could use a vacation." John tiredly replied. "A few days shore leave isn't enough."

"It'll have to suffice, I'm afraid. The galaxy's going to hell in a hand basket and we're the only ones that can stop it from happening."

"Yeah…damn shame." He said. John turned his head towards the interrogation room doors where Thane and his son were. "They've been in there a long time."

Bailey had just taken a seat at his desk and opened up his terminal. "Eh, the kid's been through a lot. I just went through the C-Sec archives and found some interesting pieces of information. About ten years ago, a bunch of real bad people were killed. It was like someone was cleaning house. The prime suspect was a drell. We never caught him."

"Ten years is a long time. Whoever was responsible for that is probably dead by now." I said.

Bailey took a sip of his already cold coffee. "Yeah. I guess you're right about that, kid."

The interrogation room door opened up and Thane walked out, heading towards us. I stretched as I stood up.

"How'd it go?" Shepard asked.

Thane cleared his throat. "Our problems—they aren't something I can fix with a few words. We'll keep talking, see what happens."

"Your boy shot some people. No one I feel sympathy for, but there it is." Bailey said.

Shepard put his hands on the desk. "We those guys shaking down businesses and threatening humans."

"But he can't just get away with it." Bailey argued.

I could feel a wicked grin come across my face.

"The kid wants to make a difference. Give him community service." Shepard said.

Bailey raised his eyebrows. "Community service for attempted murder? What jury would agree to that?"

"None that I've seen. This would need to stay out of the judiciary. Strictly within C-Sec." Shepard answered with a wink.

"Interesting…I'll think about it." Bailey said as he got out of his chair and shook hands with Thane.

"Thank you, Captain." Said the drell.

"Mark why are you standin' there grinning like an idiot?" Bailey asked.

"Tell me, Bailey, did Talid tell you the full truth of what happened?"

He shook his head. "No. He just told me about the shooting."

I laughed. "Oh this is the fun part." I turned on my omni-tool and forwarded the files to Bailey's terminal.

He sat back down and looked at them. "Son of a bitch…" the captain muttered.

"Plus, Kelham already admitted to hiring a hitman. Which I also recorded. Two birds, one stone." I stated.

Bailey sat back and chuckled. "Mark you are one devious bastard."

I shrugged, still grinning like an idiot. "I've been called worse. Oh and if Kelham gives you any sort of problems, well lets just say after the dirt I dig up on him, no one will listen."

"Thanks kid." Bailey said, reaching over his desk to shake my hand.

"Have a good one." I replied as the three of us walked out of the precinct.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Bekenstein**

After I headed back to my apartment to gather my things, and pick up one very special item, I boarded the Normandy. I'll admit, as much fun as I had traveling around the galaxy with some good friends, I did miss being in that apartment. I barely stayed there aside from my recovery from being held captive at the Lazarus station, and this brief visit to the Citadel.

I had to agree with my best friend: we really needed a long vacation.

Walking into my room on deck three, I saw Watson who was watching something on the large vid screen.

"Hey buddy." I said, putting my things down behind the couch.

"Hello Mark."

"So, have you been fitting in with the crew?" I asked, taking a seat next to him.

"The crew have stayed away for the most part. We believe that they are afraid of this platform." He replied.

"Why, because you're taller than a basketball hoop?" I joked.

"We do not understand how that is relevant. We are geth. Most organics fear us."

"I was joking. Sometimes people are afraid things aren't of a 'normal' size."

"This is also true." He said, still watching the screen ahead.

I frowned. "Why are you watching the news?"

"We were observing the broadcasts of organic beings." He replied simply.

"Yeah, but you know I hate the news."

"We were also curious about the reason for your anger toward these broadcasts."

I let out a humored snort. "All the news ever shows are bad stories. 'Today, a hundred people got blown up' or 'Jerkoff politician denies bribery accusations despite clear photographic and video evidence'. It's not about delivering information, it's about entertainment. You want entertainment? Watch a movie or play a video game. Don't turn real life events into entertainment."

"Do most organic beings share the same sentiment?"

I shrugged. "You could say that. But most people don't really care either way."

"Fascinating." He said, deciding to change the channel to something else. Watson ended up landing on a sports channel.

"We have another inquiry."

"Go ahead, man." I said, barely paying attention to the baseball highlights.

"In the time we have spent with you, we discovered that you have a passion for sports. We have also discovered that among other races, humans tend to place sports higher than many other social aspects. We would like to know why."

"Oh now this I can answer…" I replied, sitting up. "You see sports for us is like a way of life. Remember what I told you about my hatred for the news?"

"Yes."

"We use sports as a way of forgetting all of the bad things going on in the galaxy. If you had a bad week at work, you could always catch a game on during the weekend. Doesn't matter which sport, as long as something was on." I replied.

Watson's head flaps twitched slightly and I continued.

"For some people, they also have a more personal meaning. In the past if a city went through some sort of disaster or anything of the sort, there would always be a team there to lift their spirits up. As for a personal meaning, take my love of the Boston Minutemen and the Celtics. Generations of my family have supported the Celtics. They're as much a part of them as they are a part of me. On top of that, it's the city where my ancestors came from."

"So origins also factor into this as well. Pride for one's home."

"Bingo. I dunno if this comparison would work but…take the quarian fleet. Each ship is unique in its own way. Each person who lives on it, has roots to that ship even after they leave to serve on another ship. Even when they go serve on another ship when their an adult, they will always remember where they came from." I explained.

"And yet the creators continue to search for a world to call their own. We also know of their desire to return to their homeworld, Rannoch." Replied Watson.

"Do you know why they call it 'homeworld'?" I asked, in a knowing tone. I had heard Watson's explanation about the quarians world before. He knew this as well.

"We have explained it to you before."

I nodded. "I know, I was asking rhetorically. Point is, the geth may not consider a planet, a collection of gasses and rock to be a home but technically it is. How do you think the quarians came into existence? How do think all organic life did? It all boils down to origins. The geth came from Rannoch as well. You might not have arrived the way organic life did, through various stages of evolution but you're here."

Watson's head flaps tilted forward and then back. "An interesting explanation. One we have never heard before."

"Glad to be of help." I replied with a smirk.

"What of Mindoir? Where you were born?"

I glanced over at him. "It's my home…my origin. I was the first person in my entire family to be born on another planet. It's my home, and so is Earth. Truth is, if all of these disappearances weren't happening, I'd never go back."

"Why?" Watson asked.

"Too many ghosts…" I said softly. I shook myself out of my dark mood. "Anyway, what else have you done aboard the ship?"

"We have integrated with the Normandy and have also communicated with EDI. We find it unusual to see her 'shackled' while we walk freely."

"Well, I'm sure you know why…'organics fear us'." I said, using the old finger quotes.

"Yes. Yet you and Shepard do not fear us."

I shrugged. "Got no reason to fear either of you. Everyone's just edgy about AI's. Probably the whole sci-fi theory I say."

"Sci-fi theory?"

I sighed. "Remember those old movies and tv shows we watched?"

"Yes."

"For some reason, AI's start out simple, playing chess and all that. Then somewhere down the program evolution line, they come to a conclusion that organic life is nothing but a virus that must be destroyed. Even if said virus created them." I replied.

Watson paused for a moment. "Organics believe that all AI's think like the Reapers?"

"I know…weird huh?"

"Indeed."

EDI decided to chime in. "Mr. Sears, you do not believe that I would be capable of such a thing, shackled or not?"

"Hell no! Unlike most AI's, you've spent more time interacting with us than most have. That's the problem, not enough…uh…'human' interaction." I replied. "By the way, you can call me Mark if you'd like. Mr. Sears sounds a little too formal for my tastes."

"Of course Mark. Thank you for the clarification." EDI said, her avatar disappearing.

"Mark, we would also like to inform you that the M870 Hyperion is complete." Watson finished.

I pumped my fist. "Fuck yeah! Awesome job Watson."

"Thank you."

"Did Mordin show you the readings on the Collectors?"

"Yes. All pertinent data was forwarded to us. The weapon can be used against organic and inorganic beings."

"Groovy."

* * *

Watson and I went up to the tech lab so I could check out this monster of a shotgun. The big guy had to duck down a little bit to get inside the elevator. The good news was that the ship had high ceilings so he didn't have to crouch.

"Did you make any sort of changes to the design?" I asked.

"To account for the ultraviolet generator, we had to extend the frame and chamber." Answered Watson.

Once the elevator stopped, the two of us stepped off and went into the tech lab. Shepard and Mordin were busy talking about the fall of the last Protheans, and the creation of the Collectors.

"Early stages similar to indoctrination. Can guess captured Protheans lost intelligence over several cloned generations." Mordin explained. He put his finger to his chin. "Cybernetic augmentation widespread after word. As Protheans failed, Reapers added tech to compensate. Mental capacity almost gone, replaced by overworked sensory output, transfers. Transmitting data to masters."

"Is there anything we can do to save them?" asked Shepard.

Mordin waved his hand. "No! No glands, replaced by tech. No digestive system, replaced by tech. No soul, replaced by tech. What ever they were, gone forever. Understand now?"

Shepard nodded. "Too bad…"

"Well at least that explains why there was nothing inside of that one you cracked open, professor." I said.

"Hey Mark. Didn't hear you come in." John replied. "Hi Watson."

Watson nodded.

"So professor, I trust you helped Watson and I out on our project."

"Yes. Interesting weapon design. STG once thought of such an idea. Never had the funds or time. Shame." He replied.

"Thanks, doc." I turned to Watson, rubbing my hands together. "So, where is it?"

Watson walked over to the workbench I had used during the design process and picked up a case under the bench. I followed him over as he opened it up.

"Wow." I blurted out. Shepard walked up to the bench and I saw his eyes go wide.

"Good god, Mark! What the hell is that?"

"Say hello to my newest creation: the M870 Hyperion shotgun." I replied, picking up the rather large shotgun. It was actually a little bigger than the Nighthawk if you factored in the large trigger guard and the stock.

"May I?" asked my friend.

"Sure. It's not on or anything." I said, handing it to him.

"It's a little bulky."

I shrugged. "That's because you're used to holding the Eviscerator. I made it to be bulky. It's not exactly your standard shotgun."

John's lips shifted to the left side of his face. "What does that mean exactly?"

"That shotgun fires UV slugs."

He raised both eyebrows. "Ultraviolet slugs?"

I nodded. "See this drum-like object? That's a UV generator. Once its on, every round fired will be bathed in UV radiation. Guaranteed to melt through anything whether it's a Collector or a synthetic."

"Damn. When are you going to try it out?" he asked.

"I dunno…might be a while." I replied.

Shepard gave the shotgun back to me and I went to the armory to put it in my bag. I went back to the tech lab to see if Mordin needed my help with anything. He was explaining his interest in art.

"Personal interest in art negligible. Sang a little. Multispecies productions for cultural exploration. Gilbert and Sullivan. Always had me do the patter songs." Mordin cleared his throat. "But not about me. Cultural artistic exploration reflects philosophical evolution, interest in growth, perspective, observation, interpretation. Suspect you won't see any art in Collector base. Culturally dead. Tools for the Reapers. Worse than the geth."

I brought my hand up to my mouth and coughed. "You do realize there's a geth in the room."

"We are not offended." Watson replied. "It is an organic response."

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know that was important Mordin, but…you sang Gilbert and Sullivan?" Shepard asked.

Mordin nodded and began singing. "I am the very model of a scientist salarian. I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian. I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology) because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology). My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian I am the very model of a scientist salarian."

He turned to us and cleared his throat.

John and I were slack jawed at the performance.

"That…was awesome." I said with complete honesty.

"Damn Mordin." Added Shepard.

"Thank you. Proud to be here Shepard. Thank you again for including me."

Shepard nodded and left.

"Well, that was the highlight of my day." I said.

Mordin snorted. "Don't sing often. A little out of practice."

"Eh. Singing is like riding a bike, you never forget." I replied.

"Hm. Interesting metaphor." Said the professor as he aggressively typed away on his terminal.

"Well professor, thanks again for your help with the Hyperion."

"You're welcome. Now, must continue work. Think I've found Collector interest in humans. Wait. No. Only one heart. Krogan have two. Scratch that."

I chuckled. "Later, Professor Farnsworth."

As I walked out, Mordin spoke. "Name not Farnsworth. Don't understand."

"I'll explain it to you when you're not busy."

Watson and I walked out of the lab.

"Well, I'm gonna go down to the gym and hit something." I said to Watson as we headed back to the elevator.

"Understood." He replied.

* * *

I couldn't remember the last time I practiced sparring. It felt the same as it always did. Striking an 80 pound punching bag with a variety of strikes, pretending to dodge and parry when the bag swung back at you. Truth be told, I probably should have added this into my workout routine.

_Look at you…2__nd__ in the academy in hand-to-hand combat and you barely practice…_

Over the years, I had learned a variety of fighting techniques: Shotokan Karate, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, and Jujutsu. I had yet to master all of them, but I knew enough advanced techniques to get by. I wasn't the top CQC fighter in the academy, that honor went to a guy by the name of Kai Leng. He was a real brooder, the kind you would see in some old Japanese cartoons; the kind of guy that was out only for himself. Of course, he joined up for the same reason all of us did, to protect and serve humanity. He had his commendations and fair share of top secret missions. Then Leng went and blew it. Only the higher ups in the Alliance know what took place but in the end he became infamous as a disgraced soldier, the guy you shouldn't be. To my knowledge, he works with Cerberus, doing the same kind of nasty missions he did when he was with the Alliance.

I hit the bag even harder. Thinking about that asshole Leng, the situation on Mindoir, what happened with Garrus. Hell I even thought about Warren, the shabby treatment he got despite his accolades and accomplishments.

I let loose a powerful high kick, twisting my lower body slightly to shift the momentum to my right leg. The result was a resounding slap and thud from the bag, sending the 80 pound monster flying to the left, almost hitting the bottom of a storage platform above the gym.

"Woah." Said Jacob, as he, Garrus, and Kasumi poked their heads out of the Kodak.

I glanced over breathing heavily. "Whatever the three of you are doing in there, I don't wanna know."

Kasumi chuckled. "We were just going over a plan for the heist. In case something goes wrong."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

"I might need your help. If that's all right with you…" she added.

I smirked. "Hell yeah. Count me in."

Kasumi grinned. "Good. We're going to go over the plan with Shepard in the briefing room. See you there."

Jacob and Kasumi walked towards the elevator while I went back to the bag. Garrus followed me over.

"Mark. I wanted to talk to you." Said the turian. "About what happened on the Citadel…"

I sighed and took off the gloves, placing them on a nearby crate.

"I'm sorry." He finished. "After everything you did for me, I just—I failed to listen to you."

I looked down at the floor. "I should apologize too. I've treated you like an asshole since then. I shouldn't have done it but…well you know. I'm sorry too."

Garrus lightly snorted. "You don't have to apologize. It was warranted. When I looked at Sidonis through the scope, I went over the story you told me. It felt like I was there, watching it all unfold. Then I thought about what my father would have said." He shook his head. "I wasn't myself. I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done."

I nodded. "You're welcome Garrus." I stuck my hand out. "Still friends?"

His mandibles twitched. "Heh. Of course."

"Good. Detective Thunder can't work alone."

"Obviously." Joked Garrus. I slapped him on the back and we walked into the elevator.

"I wanted to ask you something." Garrus said.

"Hm? What is it?"

"When you said that saving the galaxy was pointless to saving me from making a mistake, were you serious?"

I leaned back on the railing. "Yeah…I was."

Garrus shook his head. "All of that for me eh?"

"I take care of my friends." I simply answered.

Before the elevator stopped, Garrus muttered something. "You're a good friend, Mark."

* * *

**Normandy SR2 Briefing Room, Orbiting Bekenstein, Boltzmann system**

Garrus and I walked into the briefing room and were joined by Shepard, Jacob, Kasumi, and Miranda.

"So Kasumi, who are you going to be bringing along for this heist?" Shepard asked.

"Well, just you." She replied with a small smirk.

John scratched his cheek. "That sounds a little…risky. Why not three people?"

"I didn't have enough time or resources to scrape together another I.D. I only had enough for two people: you and me." Kasumi replied.

Shepard nodded. "Okay. That's fine. So what's the plan?"

Kasumi brought up a holographic image of Hock's mansion. "Hock is throwing a party for all of his closest friends. A couple dozen of the worst liars, cheaters, and mass murderers you'll ever want to meet, all bringing gifts as a tribute to the man himself."

I snorted loudly. "Self serving asshole."

Garrus and Kasumi chuckled.

"He sure is." Replied the thief. "Moving on, our tribute will be a statue of your old friend Saren, rendered with loving detail and filled to the brim with our weapons and armor."

"Where is the statue?" Jacob asked.

"Its located at an apartment I rented out. There's also a car I got as well."

"So, we're going into the party unarmed?" asked Shepard.

Kasumi shook her head. "You can keep a pistol with you. The guards won't hassle you over a sidearm. Just keep it concealed."

Jacob leaned on the table. "Oh Commander, I wanted to let you know that before we left the Citadel a contact of mine hooked us up with some new pistols: M5 Phalanxes."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Nice grab, Jacob."

"Thanks Commander. Its too bad though, the Illusive Man chewed me out for picking them up instead of making arrangements." He replied.

I rolled my eyes. "What a dumbass."

"Tell me about it." Jacob muttered.

Miranda cleared her throat. "Kasumi, please continue."

She smirked. "Well, once inside, we'll make our way to Hock's vault door. It's somewhere in the back of the ballroom floor."

"What comes next?" asked Shepard.

"Then we case the security and start peeling away the layers. Once we do that, we find the statue and get our gear." Kasumi answered.

John nodded. "Sounds like a hell of a plan. What are Mark, Garrus, and Jacob here for?"

Kasumi tapped her chin. "Well, in case things go south, it would be a good idea to have backup. Since the shuttle has some firepower to it, that should make for a nice exit."

"Good idea. The three of you are probably the only ones on board who know the weapons systems." Shepard said with a small smirk.

"Does Hock have any kind of anti-air defenses?" I asked.

Kasumi shook her head. "From all the blueprints I've seen, he doesn't. However, he does have Eclipse mercs working for him as security."

"Worst comes to worst, we'll improvise." I said.

"Okay then. We'll head out in a few hours. Good luck everyone." Kasumi concluded.

* * *

**Bekenstein**

Shepard and Kasumi were in their standard outfits, weapons on their backs as we entered Bekenstein's atmosphere. Other than the two of them and myself, Jacob and Garrus were in the cockpit with me. Garrus was at the other tv operators station and Jacob was monitoring a LADAR station. Hawthorne and Goldstein were piloting.

"We're coming up to the apartment, Commander." Goldstein said. "Good hunting sir."

"Thanks. Back in a bit." He said as we made a quick landing, dropping them off before heading into the air to monitor Hock's residence.

"What's our ETA to his place?" I asked.

"ETA to target in 30 minutes." Hawthorne answered.

"Seems a little far away." Jacob muttered.

"Well, our job is to pick them up." I replied. "Besides, I doubt anything is going to go wrong."

Garrus snorted. "It's Shepard we're talking about. Of course something is going to go wrong."

I chuckled. "I doubt they're going to destroy the mansion. It's a heist."

Jacob shrugged. "I dunno. Stranger things have happened."

"Shepard here. We're on our way to Hock's residence. Be on standby."

"Copy that. Big Bear out." I replied.

There was a beeping sound coming from one of the controls nearby. "Hawthorne, what's that?"

"Shit. We're being buzzed by a nearby Alliance base. What do we do?"

I signaled him to hand the headset to me. "Patch 'em through."

Hawthorne pressed one of the buttons on his controls. "You're on."

"Unidentified aircraft, this is Alliance tower 453. Please provide transponder information for immediate ident. now."

I cleared my throat. "Tower 453, this is Alliance Kodiak. Callsign: November Sierra 67-001 based out of Milgrom AFB."

A pause on the other line. "November Sierra we have no record of a Kodiak with that callsign on file."

"Tower 453 we are currently operating under Code Black." I replied. Code Black was jargon for a classified operation; only military personnel knew it.

"Roger that November Sierra. Good hunting." Was the response.

Hawthorne turned off the radio and smirked. "That was good."

"I'm just glad the jargon hasn't changed since I left." I replied.

Garrus and Jacob chuckled and I sat back in my seat.

There was a sharp beeping sound coming from the controls again.

"What the hell is that?" Jacob asked. "Another tower buzzing us?"

"Looks like some kind of early warning system about three clicks from Hock's mansion." Goldstein replied.

"Activating ECM." Hawthorne said.

I radioed Shepard. "John, it's Mark. We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"It looks like Hock's got some kind of early warning system. We might be a little delayed." I replied.

"No problem. We're still figuring out how to crack the security. I'll update you when we're in."

"Copy that." I said, killing the transmission. "Hawthorne, take us to the early warning station."

"You got it." The Kodiak began to descend to a lower altitude. "ETA 7 minutes."

"Load up guys." I said, as I walked into the cargo area to put my armor on.

Garrus and Jacob followed me. "How are we gonna do this, Mark?" Jacob asked.

"We go in silent. I don't want to blow Shepard and Kasumi's cover." I answered.

Garrus nodded and put his weapons into their respective slots.

I brought along everything except the Eliminator. I was hoping to do a field test of the Hyperion.

Jacob and Garrus were amazed when they saw my newest creation. I had to explain some of the features and details about the weapon of course.

"Hey guys, we're almost at the EW station. Get ready to land." Goldstein said over the intercom.

"EDI, what kind of resistance are we expecting?" I radioed.

"Minimal at best. I am detecting only five Eclipse mercenaries operating the station." She replied.

"Good. Any other surprises we could run into?"

"The early warning system is tied into the security station inside Hock's residence. Should any unauthorized vehicles or personnel approach, the station will alert mansion security. I have informed Shepard of the situation and he and Ms. Goto are on their way inside."

"Cool. Thanks for the heads up EDI." I replied.

"Touchdown." Hawthorne said. "Good luck guys."

The three of us stepped off and silently walked down a small dirt path towards the early warning station. Garrus had his sniper rifle out, checking to see if there was anyone outside.

"I've got two outside. Looks like their on a smoke break." Garrus said.

"I see them." I replied, looking through the scope of my own rifle.

"Should we take them out?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to tip their friends inside off. We do this quick and quiet."

I activated my stealth camo as did Garrus and the two of us moved up. Jacob hid in some tall grass, Mattock at the ready.

The two Eclipse mercs were sitting on some crates near the door, smoking cigarettes.

"Did Horton say there was something on the scope?" one of them asked.

"Eh. It was nothing…probably someone making a wrong turn."

"Now Garrus." I said into the radio.

Both of us brought up our knives, slitting both merc's throats before dragging them away.

"Clear." Garrus replied. Jacob moved up to the door where we were. I pulled out my new shotgun and placed my omni-tool up to the door.

"What do you see Mark?" Jacob whispered.

"Three mercs. Two left, one middle." I replied.

Jacob put a flash charge on the door. "Ready."

Garrus and I nodded. "Do it." I said.

Jacob activated the charge with his omni-tool and we burst in. The three mercs were discombobulated and blinded. I fired the first shot with the Hyperion, hitting the merc in the middle of the room. The UV slug caught him square in the chest, causing him to fly backwards before disintegrating in a bright purple/white light.

Garrus and Jacob took care of the other two easily.

"Clear." I said.

"Yeah…" muttered Garrus. The three of us were looking at the pile of ash that used to be a human male.

"Hm. It works!" I exclaimed.

Jacob shook his head. "That makes my incendiary rounds look like garbage."

I shrugged. "They still get the job done." I radioed Shepard. "John, we're at the early warning station. What's your status?"

"We just got the vault password. We're going to go in soon." He replied.

I smirked. "I wonder if the vault's got some kind of random laser grid…but instead of being random its set to some French hip-hop song that you have to dance through."

Kasumi laughed. "I saw the blueprints, there's no grid. But I did have to do something like that once."

"Sweet." I replied. Garrus typed various commands onto the keyboard, attempting to shut down or jam it.

"All right. The early warning grid is down." Garrus said.

"Good job, Garrus. Shepard we're on our way over." I radioed.

"Copy. See you soon."

The Kodiak landed at our position and we hopped in.

* * *

We were five minutes out from the mansion and everything seemed to be shaping up nicely. I changed out of my armor as we made our way to the extraction point. If the heist went off without a hitch, we wouldn't need to shoot our way out.

_But with the way things are going…who knows._

"Shepard to Kodiak! We need an immediate evac!"

"Well, shit." I said. "How much longer?"

Hawthorne punched in a few commands. "Engaging the afterburners. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Take us to 30,000 feet." I said, turning my chair to the gun controls. "Opening all gun ports. Action stations everyone."

"Kinetic barriers and ECM active." Goldstein reported.

Garrus turned on the tv screens as the Kodiak reached 30,000 ft. Hawthorne began the slow left turn as we made our way to Hock's residence.

"Doesn't look like anyone's left the party." Jacob said.

"Yeah that's weird. You'd think that the second things started blowing up that people would start leaving." Garrus added.

"Maybe this is Hock's 'back yard' and no one can hear it." I said.

"Nice place." Goldstein said.

I snorted. "Figures. Weapons dealers always like to show off their riches."

Looking at the screen in front of me, this part of Hock's compound looked like some sort of cargo delivery area. Trucks and crates were scattered everywhere. Cargo elevators were scattered to the left, right, and front and a helipad was located in the top right corner.

Garrus grumbled.

"What's up, Garrus?" I asked.

"It's too quiet."

"Not for long. Thermal images are picking up movement towards the elevators." Jacob chimed in.

Just then, we saw Shepard and Kasumi appear from the compound.

"Oh shit! They've got a gunship!" Goldstein yelled.

"You could have done this the easy way, Goto. Allow me to show you the hard way." Said Hock over the gunship's speaker.

"Well there's Hock." Said Jacob nonchalantly.

"Start the clock." I added. "It's time for us to say hello."

"Bringing the M70's online." Said Garrus.

"Clear to engage." He added.

I pulled the trigger on the joystick and the sound of the M70 Thunderbolt was only a faint buzzing sound to us. Outside the Kodiak, it most likely roaring as the rounds sped at the gunship below.

"Damn it! That thing has regenerative shielding." Garrus yelled.

I shook my head. Shepard and Kasumi were getting swarmed by Eclipse and mechs. I grabbed the joystick at my station, bringing the 50mm L100 cannon on line.

"I say we give John and Kasumi a little breathing room. Firing." I said. I pulled the trigger as the L100 fired away. On the screens, the impacts were seen as mercs and mech parts flew everywhere.

"Nice." Jacob said.

"Lots of little pieces down there." Muttered Garrus.

"Where the hell did Hock go?" Jacob asked.

"He's dipping in and out of ladar contact." Goldstein answered.

"EDI, do you think you can get a fix on him?" I radioed.

"Yes, Mark."

"Uh oh." Garrus said. "Looks like there's about 30 guys coming up one of the freight elevators."

"Oh come on!" John yelled over the radio.

"Keep your pants on, John. We'll get them. Also, you might want to duck." I said.

"What? Why?"

"Switching to the 155." I said.

"Oh fuck me…" Shepard muttered.

"Firing."

There was a small shake as the 155mm mass accelerator cannon fired. With only a few seconds of delay, the round slammed into the freight elevator, killing all 30 mercs inside.

"Okay. That was scary." Kasumi said over the radio.

Hock popped up in his gunship again. "It doesn't matter if you destroy this gunship. I have a whole squadron!"

"It'll be hard to use a squadron if you're already dead." I said over the radio.

"Garrus, you're in charge of the M70. Pepper anything wearing yellow armor."

"You got it Mark."

"Uh, Mark. Hock's flying up to us." Hawthorne said.

"Hock's gunship will be unable to do that." EDI chimed in. "I have placed an altitude restrictor on his craft. At the moment, I am attempting to disable his shield regenerator."

"All right. Good job, EDI." I replied.

Garrus fired away at the mercs on the ground, mowing them all down. I fired a few shots at Hock's gunship with the L100.

"I have disabled the shield generator, Mark." EDI said a few minutes later.

"Thank you EDI! All right, let him have it!" I said.

Hock had run out of mercs to throw at Shepard and Kasumi. Now, he was outnumbered.

"You want to take the last shot, Mark?" Garrus asked.

I nodded, a wicked grin on my face. "Let's bring the rain."

Switching to the 155, I took aim at Hock and fired. The round completely destroyed the A61. It more or less disintegrated after it was hit by the round.

"Coming in for landing!" Hawthorne stated as we descended toward the landing pad.

Kasumi and Shepard were there waiting and they stepped inside once we touched down.

* * *

**Kodiak, En route to Normandy**

Shepard sat in one of the seats, watching Kasumi stare at the graybox. A blue, holographic display popped up in front of the cockpit door. She turned to Shepard a saddened expression on her face. It was probably the only time he had ever seen the normally cheerful thief look like this. Kasumi nodded and plugged the graybox into the blue display. A blue screen popped up in front of Shepard so he could view the message.

John saw the image of Keiji, a fairly tall man with a crew cut and soul patch on his chin.

"Kasumi. If you're seeing this, it's because I'm dead. The information we found is all here. It's big Kasumi. If the Council got wind of this…the Alliance could be implicated."

Shepard saw various slides, one of them looked like a Reaper.

_What's he talking about? How would the Alliance be implicated with a Reaper? They barely even acknowledged their existence._

"Kasumi, I…I encrypted the information to keep it safe. And I uploaded the encryption key to your graybox, so no one could get the whole package. But if I'm dead, and if anyone knows about this…then I've made you a target, my love. I'm so, so sorry."

"Keiji…" Kasumi stammered out.

"I know you Kasumi. You'll want to keep these memories forever. But you don't need some neural implant to know I'll always be with you."

She smiled at some memory she was looking at.

"Please, Kasumi. Destroy these files. There's nothing more I can do to protect you."

"I…I can't do that! This is all that's left!" she shrieked.

"Goodbye, Kasumi. I love you."

Shepard swallowed hard and closed the display. Kasumi turned and looked at him.

John cleared his throat. "Is there…any way we can destroy the information?"

Kasumi shook her head. "No. Keiji's a master at encrypting files. He laced the information into his memories. You can't get one without experiencing the other."

Shepard sat back down and sighed, looking at Kasumi.

"If it means that much to you…keep it. Just be sure to live with the consequences. Okay?" he said softly.

Her smile quickly reappeared. "Yeah, I am. I'll stay off the grid. No one will know I exist."

Kasumi sat down across from John. "I think I want this. Thanks, Shep."

She lowered her head, activating the graybox.

Even if there was dangerous information in there or not, John couldn't bear the thought of seeing someone like her crumble at losing something precious.

Speaking of that, I should tell Joker to plot a course to Mindoir.

The cockpit door opened up and Mark poked his head into the cargo area.

"So, how was the party?" he asked.

John shook his head and leaned back. "Well, the drinks were good."

"Glad you had a good time." Mark replied with a smirk. He looked over at Kasumi. "Is she going to be okay?"

Shepard nodded. "I think so."

"If not, I could send Jacob in here. They seem to get along well." He replied.

"I heard that." Muttered the Cerberus operative from the cockpit.

"Then get in here!"

Sure enough, Jacob walked in and saw Kasumi using the graybox. He took a seat next to her.

It was quiet the rest of the way back to the ship.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

After the Kodiak docked, we stepped off with little fanfare. Kasumi seemed a little less gloomy but still upset. Jacob was kind enough to console her and took her back to her room. Garrus, Shepard, and I took the next elevator up to the armory.

"So Mark did you get to test out your new shotgun?" John asked.

I grinned. "Oh man it was sweet."

He snorted. Garrus spoke up. "I'll admit, I've never seen anything like it. I thought you were using incendiary rounds at first."

"They don't burn that fast. Now you know." I replied.

"A weapon like that could do some serious damage to the Collectors." Added the turian.

"Indeed."

"Speaking of new weapons, we haven't even tested out those missiles you got for us back on Illium." Shepard said. "I'd test them but we're pressed for time."

I shrugged. "We'll get a chance, eventually."

John nodded. "In the meantime, I'll have Joker set a course for Mindoir."

I bit my lip. "Yeah…thanks man."

He patted me on the shoulder as we walked out of the elevator. John went to the galaxy map while Garrus and I went to the armory. My armor and weapons were already stored in my bag which I tossed in the corner. I pulled out a lufar cigarette and started smoking it.

"I thought you were cured." Garrus stated.

"Yeah. But since neurotoxemia is cured this stuff is basically considered to be like any other product." I replied, blowing a puff of smoke.

"Then why do you do it?"

"It calms me down in stressful situations." I said.

"Oh…right. Sorry." Garrus sheepishly replied.

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it."

"Destination: Mindoir. ETA 1 day." EDI said over the intercom.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm heading downstairs. I need a drink…"

"Are you going to be okay, Mark?" Garrus asked softly.

I took another drag from the cigarette. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

* * *

I sat down on the couch in my room, staring into my empty glass of scotch.

_No need to get plastered._

I put the glass down and sat back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling with a cigarette in my mouth.

Watson was sitting across from me.

"We are detecting elevated stress levels inside of you Mark. Are you all right?"

I rolled my head towards him. "No."

"What is the problem?"

"We're going to a place I haven't seen or been to since I was 13." I replied.

"Are you unhappy to be going back?" Watson asked.

I sat up and took another drag. "I really don't know. To be honest, I never wanted to go back after everything that happened. Nothing but bad memories."

"And yet we went to Akuze a year ago." Added the large geth.

I nodded. "This is different. Mindoir was my home. I had family there. I had a few friends there." Taking another drag, I continued. "It was where I came from. Watching everyone you know and love get slaughtered like cattle changes you. I couldn't go back. Not after that."

Watson's head flaps moved slightly. "But part of you wants to go back."

"Yeah. I don't want to see history repeat itself. No child should ever have to go through what I went through." I replied.

Watson was silent for some time. "We will contact any Outer Heaven informants in the area to gather information on the situation."

"Thanks buddy."

The door behind us opened up, revealing Miranda. "Hello Mark." She said softly.

"Hey."

She walked over and sat down next to me on the couch. "Are you—smoking?"

"Lufar…don't worry."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I needed to calm down." I replied, with a small sigh. "Besides, this is nothing new to me. Smoked it for 8 years."

"Hm." She said. Miranda had a worried look in her eyes.

"You're worried about me, aren't you?" I asked.

"I'm trying to get in touch with my contacts to see what they can find out about the situation." She said.

"Yeah, you're worried." I added, deadpanning.

Miranda shook her head.

"Well, I appreciate your concern and you trying to help out. But I've got some people looking into it."

"I want to help you out." Miranda said. "No buts."

I lightly snorted. "You're wonderful, you know that?"

"I'm glad you noticed." Miranda said with a smile.

"Your contacts—"

"They aren't Cerberus, don't worry. My own personal contacts." She cut in.

"That's good…" I replied, taking another drag. "Do you, y'know, want to come with me?"

Miranda smirked. "Of course. You did the same thing for me, it's only fair."

I felt a sly grin come over my face. "Oh, I thought it was because we're together now."

She smacked me in the arm. "You ass."

"Sure, you hide your feelings with violence now. In due time, it'll be less smack more…more…"

Miranda chuckled. "You're cute when you can't finish a joke."

I sighed. "It's tough when I put myself on the spot in front of beautiful women."

She smacked me again.

"Well, at least it wasn't in the face."

Miranda leaned in and kissed me. "See you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay."

She got up and walked out.

"Miranda." I said, as she stopped in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

* * *

_Next up, Mindoir. About the Hyperion's trigger guard, it's basically the trigger guard on the rail gun from MGS2 and MGS4. Just to give you a visual._

_I left some references to COD4...you probably noticed. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	33. Welcome Home Mark

_Author's Note: Here we go, Mark's loyalty mission. I hope you'll enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Mindoir**

I was lying in Miranda's bed, wide awake. She was sleeping soundly after she decided to cheer me up in her own special way. I couldn't blame her. I wanted to 'cheer her up' too.

Yet here I was, staring up at the ceiling at midnight. The stress was getting to me. The fear of going back was getting to me. Everything was getting to me. I couldn't get it out of my head. I slowly got out of bed and got dressed. Sleep wasn't on the top of my priority list right now.

I walked out of Miranda's room and took a seat at one of the tables in the mess hall.

I let out a tired sigh and pulled a lufar cigarette out of my pocket.

It was the graveyard shift, no crewmembers were currently down here. I put my feet up on the table and sat back in my seat, staring blankly at a wall.

_I can't believe it…I'm going home._

The memories floated into my mind with near perfect clarity. The old neighborhood, taking ATV's out into the hills, helping dad with the farm, everything.

My train of thought was broken when I heard footsteps nearby, the sound of heels on the steel floor. It was Samara.

"Good evening, Mark." She said, sitting down across from me.

"Hey Samara." I replied softly, my voice cracking slightly.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

I nodded slowly. "We're going to my home…Mindoir."

The justicar stared at me with the same blank look she gave everyone. "I see."

"There's some business I have to take care of there." I added.

"Personal business, I assume?"

"Something like that. Well, the situation there has some personal importance to me." I said, taking a drag.

She sat there silently, listening. Samara always seemed like the kind of person that didn't want to get involved in other people's personal lives or business. I had always assumed it was part of being a justicar; remaining unbiased, abiding by the Code, showing no emotion. At the same time, she did want to be involved with the crew on a working basis. I'd see her talking to Thane every now and then.

"I do not mean to intrude but, may I ask what importance you are referring to?"

I exhaled smoke out of my nose. "I was a survivor of a massive slaver attack on Mindoir 15 years ago. I found out a while ago that people on Mindoir are disappearing. The total is now up to 365 people."

Samara's eyes faintly flashed in surprise. "I can see how that would hold some importance to you."

I nodded. "To be honest…I'm not sure I want to go back there."

"Why?"

I sighed. "After everything that happened, I wanted to forget. I wanted to run away."

Samara was silent.

"When you see your entire neighborhood in flames, the bodies of friends and family strewn about…I couldn't go back…ever."

"Your parents, they perished as well?" she asked uneasily.

"Yep." I answered softly.

Samara's gaze shifted to the floor and I took another drag.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"You don't have to apologize."

She shook her head. "To have been so young to have experienced that is a truly terrible thing. I have spent most of my life attempting to prevent such things from happening."

I gave her a small smirk. "That's why I want to go back. History shouldn't repeat itself…especially in this case."

"I agree." Samara said. "Many years ago, I chased a dangerous killer to a small village. She had corrupted its inhabitants and I was forced to kill them all. Only the children remained."

I quirked an eyebrow up. "Corrupted?"

"The killer I mentioned was an Ardat-Yakshi."

"Oh…" I replied slowly. I knew what Ardat-Yakshi were; asari afflicted with a genetic defection that causes them to kill while mating. The effect was like a drug. They craved it.

"Damn."

"If there was any other way to have avoided killing them, I would have done it." She replied.

"I believe you. Sometimes we have to make tough and unavoidable decisions. God knows everyone on board has had to do something like that."

We sat in the mess in silence for a few hours, making idle chit-chat before Samara went back to her room to sleep. I wouldn't be sleeping until we solved these disappearances.

* * *

**Orbiting Mindoir**

It had been a long time since I pulled an all nighter. And damn did I feel it.

For the rest of the night, I wandered around the ship, hitting the gym or going up to the armory to clean my weapons. It was around 11 in the morning, the ship was bustling with activity and I was sitting in my room staring at my terminal. I had the door locked, just in case Murph called me to arrange a meeting.

Some of the squad members seemed to be worried about me. Word had spread around the ship about why were going to Mindoir. The overall mood around the ship was dead serious, less joyful than before.

Garrus or Jacob would try to cheer me up with a joke or something but I couldn't laugh. Miranda didn't say anything but the look in her eyes said that she was worried to death.

It was strange to me…was the entire ship worried about me? If so…why? We had to help out other people on the team with their problems. Why treat me differently?

Hell, even EDI was acting different.

I shook my head checked my terminal again. Almost on cue, Murph called.

"Hey kid, I got your message." He greeted.

"Murph. Good to hear you man."

"It'll be better to see me. So, when do you want to do this?"

"I'll meet you in an hour. We'll be landing at the Picard Spaceport." I replied.

"Cool. See you then." He said, ending the call.

_Prep time._

I sighed and slowly got up, heading for the exit. I almost walked into Shepard who was just exiting the elevator.

"Sorry Mark." He said. "So, did you make plans with your contact?"

I nodded. "We'll meet him in an hour at the Picard Spaceport."

"I'll tell Joker to set us down then." He replied.

"Thanks." I said, getting into the elevator. My next stop was the armory.

Stepping out of the elevator was about as awkward as sitting at the breakfast table. Almost everyone in CIC turned to look at me. I mentally sighed.

_Just what I needed…_

I quickly walked into the armory where Garrus, Jacob, and Miranda were busy chatting and doing weapons checks on their gear.

"Oh. Hey everyone." I said softly.

"Mark." Replied Garrus.

The three of them turned to me. I scratched the back of my head. At least this wasn't going to be awkward.

"So…" I started. "What brings you all here?"

"Well, I work here so its only natural." Jacob replied.

"That's true." I added. "Garrus, Miranda?"

Miranda answered back. "We…want to go with you."

Garrus nodded. "You helped us out. We're just paying you back."

I smirked. "I appreciate that."

"What's the plan?" Miranda asked me.

"No weapons for now. I'm getting in touch with one of my guys. He'll fill me in on what's going on, then we act." I answered. "For now, bag your stuff and take it with you."

Miranda and Garrus nodded and Shepard stepped into the armory.

"Getting ready?" he asked.

"Yep." I answered. "We're just bagging our things and taking them. Oh yeah, no heavy weapons."

John raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

"Sure. No collateral damage. That and it'll be a pain to lug those around." I answered.

"Good point." Shepard replied.

"Commander? We just landed at the capital." Joker said over the intercom.

"Thanks Joker." Said Shepard. He turned to me next. "You ready?"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

_Let's go home._

* * *

**Picard Spaceport, New Trondheim, Mindoir**

Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus stepped out of the airlock and onto the platform of the spaceport. I stood at the edge of the airlock and looked at the ground and closed my eyes.

"Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Coming." I replied. I placed my right foot onto the platform, then my left.

_Here's something I'd never imagine myself doing._

The four of us continued down the platform and walked through the crowded center of the port. I was busy looking up at everything around us. The port was an amazing sight.

"Wow." I said. "Last time I saw this place, they had run into budget problems and managed to finish a quarter of the port."

"After the attack, there was a large outpouring of funding for the colony. Both the military and civilian sectors of the Alliance contributed." Miranda added.

I snorted bitterly. "Figures. The only time things change is when something terrible happens."

Mindoir might have been a human founded colony in the beginning, but there was a sizeable alien population. Most of the alien population were asari, but there were some turians, salarians, and even batarians. I had some batarian neighbors a long time ago.

Garrus was the first one to point this out. "Never thought I'd see batarians on a human colony."

"Might seem strange to most people but we never really cared." I said. "Considering the vicinity to batarian space, a lot of them wanted to live here. It was stable, calm. We just treated them like refugees. In fact, you'd be surprised how many of them were refugees."

"Really?" Shepard asked.

I nodded. "Had a batarian family living in my neighborhood. They told us about life behind the 'iron curtain'. Brutal stuff."

"I never thought there were batarians who disliked the Hegemony." Garrus added. "There are. You just never hear about them since the Hegemony controls the airwaves."

Before leaving the port, my omni-tool beeped. It was a text message from Murph.

_SBoston: Hey kid. I've got eyes on you right now. Didn't know you were bringing guests._

_MS: Don't worry. They're here to help out. Where are you?_

_SBoston: Your 11 o'clock._

I looked across the street and saw Murph give a small wave. He was at a café, drinking a coffee.

"Come on. I found him." I said to the group.

We crossed the street and Murph stood up.

"Hey kid." He greeted with a large grin on his face.

"Hey Murph. Good to see you man." I said. Murph walked up to me and gave me a big old hug.

"Welcome home kid." He said softly.

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"Well…" he said trailing off. "You brought some guests with you."

"Hm? Oh yeah. They…wanted to help out." I replied.

Murph chuckled. "Are you gonna introduce me? Or am I gonna stand here grinning like an idiot?"

I shook my head and gestured towards Garrus. "This is Garrus Vakarian."

"Ah…the famous Archangel of Omega." Murph said, shaking Garrus' hand. "Heard a lot of good things about you."

"Uh, thanks. Nice to meet you." Replied the turian.

I gestured towards Miranda next. "This is Miranda Lawson."

Murph's brow narrowed a bit. "Isn't she the Cerberus operative that captured and tortured you?"

She waved her hand. "Captured yes, but I didn't torture him."

Murph folded his arms. "Uh huh. I don't believe this—Mark, she's Cerberus! How do you know she isn't going to compromise this?"

I was about to speak when Miranda cut me off. "I understand your concern, but I'm here to help Mark. I owe him a personal favor. Besides, last I checked there was still a truce."

I sighed. "Murph, if I knew Cerberus was going to mess with us, she wouldn't have come along. And as she said, she owes me a favor."

Murph nodded. "I'll take your word for it…not like a choice anyway."

"Anyway, last but not least—"

"Commander John Shepard." Murph said with a grin. "Mark's told me a lot about you."

John glanced over to me as he shook Murph's hand. "Oh really?"

"Well, a few things anyway. Everything leading up to your…resurrection, we found out on our own." Murph replied. "So, my turn?" he asked turning to me.

"Everyone this Murph." I said, slapping the guy on the back.

"Nice to meet yahs." He replied with a wave. "Come on. I got a place not too far from here."

* * *

Murph's place was only a few blocks from the spaceport, tucked away in a narrow alleyway near a Chinese restaurant.

_He always did seem to get places near Chinese restaurants._

"Ah. Here we are." Murph said as he gestured towards the door. We walked inside and saw a rather average, to run down looking apartment. Some old furniture and a decade old vidscreen mounted on the wall. Datapads and old take out boxes were littered around the apartment.

"Sorry for the mess. Been workin' my ass off these past few weeks or so." He said, taking his scally cap off to rub his head.

"It's fine." Shepard said, taking a seat on the couch. "So, Murph, what have you found so far?"

He sighed. "Well, I brought in virtually all the contacts we had in the area. We've scoured the whole system for information on who could have the resources to pull a job like this. The good news is that we have a lead. As for the bad news…"

"Let's hear the bad news first, Murph." I said.

"The bad news…" he trailed off. "We don't know who's responsible. None of the groups we suspected fit any descriptions. On top of that, the gangs or merc groups we figure that could pull this off don't have the resources."

I sighed. "Then who?"

Murph smirked. "That's the good news. We have a lead."

"Who's our lead?" I asked.

"The local police chief. I used a cover ID to get in and question him about the disappearances. He was very evasive. On top of that, his bank account has had deposits of up to 5 grand every week since the second week of the disappearances."

Garrus scratched his chin. "Why the second week?"

Murph shrugged. "Dunno. Only theory me and some of the rest of the crew have come up with was that they sold the people they stole in the first week. But its all speculation."

I bit my lip. "If he's our only lead, then we should grab him. Theories and speculation aren't going to help us out. We need something solid."

Murph nodded. "That's why I was waiting for you to come. I didn't want to act without your go-ahead kiddo."

"That's fine. Send the word out: Grab the chief. I need to talk to him." I ordered.

Murph went over to one of his terminals to send the message to other Outer Heaven contacts. "They'll have him over here at 2200 hours."

"Now we wait." Miranda said.

* * *

Shepard watched Mark lean against the back door, smoking his lufar cigarettes. He hadn't seen Mark this stressed out in a long time. Shepard decided to talk to Murph. He was sitting on the couch wearing, an old Boston Minutemen t-shirt and jeans, flicking through channels.

"So Murph, how long have you known Mark?" Shepard asked, taking a seat next to the older man.

"I've known him since he was just a little baby. 'Course, we never met until after that terrible tragedy that happened here." He answered. "From what he's told me, he's known you since that day too."

Shepard nodded. "He's been a good friend since then."

"Hm." Grunted Murph.

"So you knew Mark's parents?"

Murph nodded. "Oh yah. Served with his dad Joe back during the First Contact War. I might not look it…" he said, slapping his belly. "But I was with Task Force 1. Mark's dad was the CO. Just a 'Louie' but still a hell of an officer."

Shepard sat there and listened to him.

"He reminds me of his dad so much. That same drive, the insane sniping ability, that wacky sense of humor. It's just a damn shame…the cards he's been dealt."

Garrus and Miranda were sitting nearby, listening. The turian raised a brow. He never could get human expressions.

Miranda noticed and added. "How his life has gone."

"Ya." Said Murph. "I still remember getting that call after that day 15 years ago…I did everything I could to help that kid grow up. Semeyon too. Then Akuze happened, followed by that stint in the hospital and all the crap that followed." He sighed as he turned to the back door where Mark was still standing, looking out at the city. "I helped him get back on his feet. That was probably one of the hardest things for us. All the shit he's been through…the fact that he hasn't completely cracked is a goddamn miracle."

Murph turned to Shepard. "More importantly, you, Shepard. If you and Anderson hadn't come back into his life two years ago, I can't imagine what would have happened to him."

Shepard smirked.

John looked over at Miranda. She might have been good at hiding her facial expressions, but he saw something in her eyes. She had glanced over at Mark several times during the course of the conversation. He internally chuckled. Miranda was definitely interested in Mark; that much was obvious. How much she actually knew about his past was a mystery.

Mark walked over, yawning heavily.

"Kid, when's the last time you slept?" Murph asked.

"Two days." He replied.

"You should get some rest, Mark." Shepard said. Mark shook his head.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead. Or when this ends." He answered.

John sighed.

"Mark, you should at least take a nap." Miranda said to him.

"If I do, I'll never wake up." He replied. "I'll be fine."

"Mark—"

The two of them went back and forth. Murph whispered to Garrus. "What's their deal?"

"Oh, she just likes Mark." Garrus said nonchalantly.

"What?" Exclaimed Miranda. "I do not!"

Mark started to laugh. Murph just raised an eyebrow.

"Miranda that hurts." Mark deadpanned.

"I—I didn't…"

"I knew it." Garrus said. "Joker owes me twenty creds."

Miranda stormed off in a flustered huff.

"You guys had a pool going on me?" Mark asked.

"With the way you two were arguing over the course of the mission, we figured it was inevitable." Garrus replied.

Mark laughed.

_It's good to see them like this…god only knows what's going to happen once the police chief gets here._

* * *

**2200 Hours**

Playing 'hurry up and wait' was a pain. We had landed on Mindoir in the early afternoon and arrived at Murph's place not to long after that. I was bored, but at the same time, I couldn't help but look at how much the colony has changed. The capital, New Trondheim, looked far more modern. Fifteen years ago, it looked like a suburb with a couple of large buildings. The city was now seen as one of the largest trading centers of the Attican Traverse. It was still behind Elysium and wasn't the large agricultural center like Eden Prime, but it was growing. The good news was that despite the advancements, the colonial government wanted to keep Mindoir as 'homely' as possible. That much I appreciated, along with the rest of the local population.

_Not every city and colony has to look like Illium._

There was a knock on the front door, answered by Murph. Four men walked in, carrying another man with a black bag over his head.

_Must be the police chief._

"Put him in the kitchen." Murph said.

The four men nodded at him and at me. They weren't just Murph's guys, they worked for me. They put the chief into a chair and tied his arms behind his back. Judging by his appearance, he was knocked out.

"Who knocked him out?" I asked.

One of the men spoke up. "We didn't hit him, Mr. Sears. We used tranq darts."

I nodded. "Good job."

Murph patted one of the guys on the back. "Good work. I want you guys on standby. Spread the word."

"Yes sir."

The four of them left leaving us to stare at the unconscious man in the chair. Murph dimmed the lights in the kitchen except for the overhead light at the small table in the corner. Shepard, Garrus, and Miranda stood at the far wall near one of the counters that was littered with more datapads and a terminal. I stood just behind Murph, shrouded by the darkness.

Murph leaned over the table and pulled the shroud off of the chief's head. He was snoring lightly.

"So kid, you want me to handle this?" Murph asked.

"Yeah. Go easy. I'll step in after that." I answered.

Murph nodded, pulling some smelling salts out of his pocket and waved them under the nose of the chief.

Something about this man looked eerily familiar. He had a weathered face, a goatee with a heavy stubble around it. He had to have been in his sixties or so; the body of an ex-military man that was giving way to old age.

"Huh…what the-?" the chief said, slowly waking up.

"Hello again, Chief Reynolds." Murph said. "Would you like to answer some of my questions now?"

The chief shook his head. "I dunno what you're talking about! Let me out of here or I swear to god I'll have you arrested!"

Murph sighed. "You know what I'm talking about Chief. You know why people are disappearing here. As far as I'm concerned, this whole thing is on you."

"What?"

Murph folded his arms and leaned back. "Yep. That won't look good in the papers. A police chief responsible for kidnapping 365 people and selling them into slavery. Protect and serve my ass."

The chief's eyes widened. "No! No! I—I didn't!"

Murph slammed his fists on the table. "Stop fucking around! Who's responsible for the kidnappings?"

"If I tell you, they'll take my family!" he shot back. "And the families of every cop in this colony!"

Both men stared at each other, intensity written all over their faces. I put a hand on Murph's shoulder.

"That's enough."

Murph nodded.

He stood up and moved past me and whispered. "Good luck."

I sat down in the chair, getting a curious look from the cop.

_I swear I've seen this man before…but from when?_

I cleared my throat and folded my hands. "This might seem a little awkward but…what's your name?"

The cop's eyebrows quirked up. "Uh, Reynolds. Dean Reynolds."

My eyes went wide and my mouth gaped open in shock. Dean Reynolds…him and his family lived next door to us all those years ago. I even became friends with his son, Dean Jr.

I moved the seat back, edging slightly into the shadows. "Oh my god."

Reynolds looked confused.

"Mr. Reynolds?" I asked softly.

"Yeah?" He looked at me, studying my face. "Do I know you?"

I nodded. "Y-yeah…you're from Cygnus County right?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"I lived there a long time ago…I moved my family to Margaritifer after the attacks." He replied. "Why?"

I took my glasses off. "Because I lived next door to you fifteen years ago, Mr. Reynolds."

He stared at my face, the realization dawning on him. "No…Mark? Mark Sears? Joe and Linda's kid?"

I swallowed hard and nodded.

Dean looked up at the ceiling. "Oh my god." His head sunk to the floor and he slowly started to weep. "All these years…w—we thought you were dead or captured."

I sharply inhaled through my nose. "Me too. I never saw anyone else from the neighborhood. I figured everyone was dead."

He lightly snorted. "Good to know we were both proven wrong eh?"

"Yeah…"

We were silent for a few minutes, the stress of the whole situation seemed to melt away.

"Mr. Reynolds, I'm not here to hurt you. Neither are my associates. We're here to help." I said softly.

"I gathered that." He replied. "It's just…"

"Take your time Mr. Reynolds. Start from the beginning." I said.

He nodded. "Almost a month ago, we started getting these reports of disappearances. Sometimes it would be a few people, other times we'd find entire families just vanish without a trace. Forensics turned up nothing. We thought it was related to all of those disappearances in the Terminus Systems but I wasn't convinced. All I heard about was that entire colonies would vanish in one fell swoop."

I nodded. "Yeah. I can say for a fact that these incidents are unrelated to the Terminus colonies."

Dean continued. "We ran thorough investigations, looking for groups with the power and funding to do this, looking for anything. Unfortunately, we were running out of funding for the cases as they started to grow. Then the Alliance gave us the middle finger when we asked for assistance…again. So we did as much as we could, inquired about anything."

"Did you catch a break?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. But we were getting close to nailing down a suspect. They used some old school tactics to cover up any traces. The suspect was a batarian who was off-world. Then it all stopped…"

"What do you mean? Did the department run out of funding?" I asked.

Dean sighed. "I got a call. The person on the phone said that if we continued then the families of every cop in the department would be next, then my family."

"I see…what about the cash deposits into your accounts?"

"Cash?" he asked.

"Yeah. Five thousand credits every week since the disappearance. You didn't notice?"

"It's not on my statements. I check every day." He replied.

I rubbed my chin and turned back to Murph. "You think someone's trying to set him up?"

"Sounds like it." Murph said. "All the evidence makes it look like the police chief is guilty while the real guys go about their business."

"Son of a bitch." Muttered Dean.

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get these bastards. You have my word on that."

"Thanks kid." He said. Dean sharply inhaled. "I just—after all of these years, we've barely recovered…"

"I know what you mean." I said.

He started to weep again. "I lost three of my five kids that day. We relive it every day…"

I untied him from the chair and he stood up. I gave him a hug.

"I lost my parents, Dean. All these years and still…the pain never goes away." I said silently.

I turned to Murph. "We're done here."

He solemnly nodded. Shepard and the team left the kitchen.

"What are you gonna do Mark?" Dean asked.

"We're gonna find the bastards and we're gonna kill them."

He nodded. "I'll help you too as best as I can. This is my town after all."

I let out a small laugh. "Yeah that's true. Congrats on becoming Chief, by the way."

"Thanks kid." He said, patting me on the back. We walked into the living room and I had put my glasses back on.

"So, what have you been up to all these years kid?"

"Lived with some family friends on Earth and I joined the Alliance not to long after that. I was in the Special Forces for a few years…then Akuze happened." I said, pointing to the scar.

"I'm sorry to hear about that." He replied. "Is that why your eyes are so—y'know?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Murph walked up to us. "Kid, I got an idea for how we can find the guys involved."

"Work your magic, Murph." I replied.

"We search Chief Reynolds call log. Do you remember the exact date when they called?" Murph asked.

Dean tapped his chin. "On the 20th, around ten o'clock or so."

Murph nodded. "All right. I'll have an answer in a sec." He walked off and sat on the couch, checking the terminal.

"Murph?" Dean asked.

"He's one of the guys I lived with on Earth. He's a good guy." I answered.

Reynolds nodded.

"Even with the exact date, kid this is gonna take awhile to sift through." Murph said.

I turned on my omni-tool. "Watson, do you read me?"

"Yes." Came the immediate reply.

"Murph's running a trace on a call. He'll send you the information. We just need an address."

"Copy that." Said Watson.

Murph shook his head. "So you brought along the gentle giant, eh?"

I shrugged. "Figured Shepard could use a giant…man." I kept quiet about having a geth for a friend around Dean…didn't want to spook him.

_God knows he had enough action for one night._

A minute later my omni-tool beeped. Watson had found our mystery caller.

"Transmitting address to you now." Watson said.

"Thanks buddy." I replied.

"We will continue to monitor your progress. Good luck." He said, ending the transmission.

"What's the verdict, kid?" Murph asked.

"Watson got an address: 678 Winnipeg Boulevard."

Reynolds tapped his chin, thinking of who owned a place there. Murph searched for the owners.

"Got the owner." He shook his head. "Walter Konrad, a current Alliance Congressman. He also happens to be on the Board of Trade and Commerce."

Reynolds grumbled. "That bastard! What the hell is he hoping to gain?"

"We're about to find out." I said. "For now Chief, go back to your office as if nothing's happened. Murph, go with him. If there's a sleeper in the department, smoke him out. Take whatever guys you need."

Murph nodded. "You got it kid."

Dean shook my hand. "Thanks Mark. We—I owe you."

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Reynolds." I replied.

The two men walked out, heading for the New Trondheim Police Department. It was just Shepard, Miranda, Garrus, and I.

"Well…" Shepard started.

I weakly nodded. "Yeah."

"You okay, Mark?" he asked.

"Talk about a blast from the past." I replied, taking my armor and weapons out of my bag. "Last time I saw him, he was the leading detective on the force."

I leaned back on the top of the couch and sighed. "He lost three of his kids that day…"

"Mark." John said, trying to snap me out of my daze.

"Sorry John. Got a lot on my plate." I replied with a yawn.

"On top of that, you haven't slept in almost two days." Miranda chimed in.

I smirked. "Also on the plate."

"So, what's the plan?" Garrus asked.

I bit my lip. "We scope the place out, look for defenses, ways in, stuff like that."

We geared up and left the apartment. It was time to see what a congressman has to do with all of this.

* * *

**Zero Hour, Outskirts of New Trondheim**

The four of us sat in a car two blocks away from Konrad's mansion. Unlike the cars you would see on Illium or the Citadel, these were your standard four wheeled cars. There wasn't a dire need of air cars on colonies like this, they didn't have the necessary torque and power of wheeled or tracked vehicles. They were also much more roomier.

"Well, thanks to the blueprints Watson and EDI dug up on this place, we've got a good layout of the security emplacements; cameras, sensors, the works." I said.

"How do you want to do this Mark?" Shepard asked.

I tapped my thumb on my hip. "Hm…okay. Garrus, you'll be positioned here for sniper cover. Also, you're going to tap into the exterior security cameras. You'll be our eyes."

Garrus nodded. "Got it."

"Miranda. You are going to sneak into the garage and cut off their escape route. Also inside of the garage, is a fuse box. Knock it out to take down their power to the house and security grid."

"Okay." She replied.

"That leaves the two of us." Stated Shepard.

"Yep. You get the pleasure of going through the front door. I'll be going through the back. John, your objective is to secure the first floor. I'll take the second floor. Let's try to keep this as silent as possible." I said.

"That could be difficult." Miranda added.

I elbowed John. "Remember Operation Boxer Shorts?"

He let out a short laugh. "Oh yeah."

"It'll be like that." I said before getting back to the topic at hand. "I'm guessing that Konrad will be on the second floor. We take him alive. Questions?"

Garrus held a hand up. "Yeah. What's Operation Boxer Shorts?"

Shepard and I chuckled. "It's a…small training op we participated in." I said.

John added. "We called it Boxer Shorts because we caught the opposition with their pants down."

Garrus shook his head while Miranda rolled her eyes.

I cleared my throat. "All right then. Good hunting everyone."

We got out of the car and got into our respective positions. John and I scaled the back wall of the compound. It was your typical mansion. Fifteen foot high walls with cameras all over the place. It wasn't like breaking into Hock's place, but it was still tight. I noticed that there were regular security personnel in suits, along with some familiar looking mercs.

"Garrus, what does the security look like in the front?" I radioed.

"It's pretty tight. I count five guards in suits near the garage and two mercs at the front entrance. I don't recognize the logo."

"I know who they are." I replied.

"Who?"

I grumbled out loud. "Red Sky."

"You don't sound too pleased about seeing them here eh?" Shepard whispered.

"Ran into those halfwits two years ago on Thessia. Killed about fifty of them. They might have fancy gear but most of those guys are just green." I responded. "Seeing these guys here only confirms what we know. Konrad's the guy we're looking for."

"Should we change the mission parameters?" Shepard asked.

"Kill the mercs. We don't need to create a blood bath here. The other security we can just incapacitate." I added.

"Can do." Miranda chimed in.

I pulled my recon hood on. "Game time."

Shepard hugged the wall and made his way through the shadows to the front door.

"Shepard here. I'm in position."

"Garrus here. Good to go."

"Miranda here. I'm ready."

"Copy that." I said. "Garrus, your up. Take the two mercs at the front door. Miranda, go."

Various acknowledgements came over the radio as I made a silent dash towards the rear entrance, knocking out a few guards on the way.

"This is Garrus. All exterior security has been disabled. Shepard is inside."

"Miranda here. The garage is secure. Killing power to the first floor now."

I began to climb up the back of the mansion and into a room with an open window.

It was pitch black in this room. _Must be a bedroom._

I cracked the door open and slowly walked down the hall. There were two Red Sky mercs around the corner, blabbing about something.

"Konrad's been acting strange lately." Said one of them.

"Because the deadline's been pushed up?"

"No. He's been acting all paranoid and shit."

"Why? He hired us. It's not like anyone knows he's involved."

"Well, I heard from Garcia that some group called Outer Heaven has been scouring the system for the last month. They might be making their move soon."

I took the opportunity to sneak up on both men, two knives drawn.

"You're right." I muttered before stabbing both of them in their necks.

I continued to slowly walk down the hall before heading for another window. I wanted to sneak up on Konrad and whoever else was in there with him.

"Sitrep." I whispered.

"Miranda here. I've rendezvoused with Shepard. The first floor is secure."

"Garrus here. Everything's quiet out here."

"Good job. I want all of you to move to the second floor. Wait at the double doors at the end of the hall. I'll give you the signal when I'm in position." I replied.

I climbed out of the window in the hall and shimmied around to the office's balcony overlooking the backyard. I was in position, but I decided to listen in on a conversation going on inside.

"Sir, I'm not so sure about this…"

"Look Francis, I told you before it has to be done."

"But sir, people are getting suspicious. Even Olack is getting anxious. You know what happens when he gets anxious."

Konrad snorted. "Considering the things I've pulled off to get him this far, he should be on his fucking knees. Him and the rest of the batarians."

_Batarians? Is he—is he selling colonists into slavery?_

"Well, our source in the police department is saying that someone is digging and their getting close."

"Who? That simpleton from the Alliance Intelligence Bureau? We put the screws to Reynolds and he left. End of story."

"No sir…it's not that."

"Then what Francis?" yelled Konrad.

"Some of our outside sources are saying that Outer Heaven is here."

"The hell is Outer Heaven?" asked a dumbfounded Konrad.

"The third largest information network in the galaxy. All I know about them is that they've made Cerberus a laughing stock and that they tend to bring down government officials at the drop of a hat."

He snorted. "Whatever. They haven't found anything yet. That's all I care about. So when does Olack want to meet?"

"Two hours, sir."

"Then we should get ready."

"In position." I said into the radio. "Go!"

I dropped down silently and burst into the office, slamming Konrad face first into his desk. Shepard and the rest of the team took care of Konrad's assistant and one of the guards in the room.

"God damn it! Who the fu-?" Konrad shouted. I grabbed him again and threw him into the wall to my left.

I pulled my mask off. "Hi. Outer Heaven, at your service."

Konrad's eyes went wide. "Do you realize who I am?"

"Yeah. And you're going to answer some questions. Got it?" I was fuming.

His lip curled in disgust and I grabbed his shirt collar shoved him again.

"Got it?" I asked, gruffly.

"Yeah."

"Who are you working with?"

Konrad took a deep breath. "A batarian by the name of Olack. He's part of a consortium of various batarian gangs with ties to the Hegemony."

"Where is he?" I said through my teeth.

He swallowed hard. "You realize what your doing don't you? Hit me again and you'll be behind bars the rest of your natural fucking life!"

I rolled my and punched him in the gut. "Doubt it. Now, where is Olack?"

Konrad coughed out. "An old warehouse district in the Red Hills, five miles from here."

"Thanks for cooperating." I replied sarcastically.

"And thanks to you and your associates, you've ruined our economy for years to come." Konrad spat out.

"The hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm doing this for our colony, for the Alliance! All these years this colony has been in a slow but steady recovery. The batarians are in a similar but worse off situation. That's why I negotiated with Olack."

I grabbed Konrad by the shirt collar and slammed him into the wall again. "That's what this is all about? Kidnapping over three hundred people to sell as slaves; that's supposed to help us recover financially? No one, not even the government you claim to represent would ever consider doing that."

His lips curled into a sneer. "I'll do whatever it takes to save this colony. Even if it means doing something terrible. We _will _make Elysium look like Korlus. The Alliance won't ignore us again."

I could feel my jaw tighten up. "You really have no idea do you. You weren't there fifteen years ago when we lost everything. I saw my family get murdered in front of my own two eyes. I watched friends and neighbors get executed on their front lawns while others got dragged away to be sold off. We'll recover. But not like this. History won't repeat itself this time."

And with that, I pulled my left arm back and hit him with a left hook that could have broken his right cheekbone.

"Mark!" Shepard yelled.

"Saves us the trouble of having to listen to him speak." I said angrily.

I turned around and saw Shepard's face. He didn't look too pleased. Miranda and Garrus just looked at Konrad.

"All of this just to help the colony…" Garrus trailed off.

I snorted and walked over to his desk. "Watson, I'm sending you a cache of data. You ready?"

"Yes."

I turned my omni-tool on, uploading everything from Konrad's terminal to Watson on the Normandy.

"Data uploading." Watson said. While the upload was in progress, we went around the house and tied up any security personnel we saw. We also tied up Konrad and his assistant.

After finishing up that tedious task, I sat on his desk, lost in thought.

_All of this was some idiotic attempt to negotiate with the batarians for some trade agreements? Mindoir was doing fine before, its not like we're in a recession. The local economy has boomed since the attack 15 years ago. Defense industries, construction, military recruiting all went up as a result. Mindoir was better off now than it used to be._

"Mark?"

I looked up and saw Miranda.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

I shrugged. "I dunno."

Miranda patted me on the arm. "It'll be fine."

I simply sighed and got off the desk.

"Data upload complete." Radioed Watson.

"Okay then. Let's get Konrad and his assistant. We're gonna make a little stop before we get Olack." I said.

* * *

By the time we made it to the police station, Murph and his team managed to get the sleeper agent within the department. We dropped off Konrad and his assistant with Murph and Reynolds. We had a good deal of evidence along with a recording I took before we bagged him. It would be another day or so before the charges would be brought and he would be tried. I told Reynolds to keep his officers on standby. The Red Hills warehouse district was going to be turned into a war zone.

I was behind the wheel once again, as we made our way to the warehouse district.

"You were a little rough with Konrad." Shepard said from the passengers seat.

"He was a bit too smug for my liking." I replied. "He needed to be put into place."

John grunted. "I don't disagree but still…"

I let out a tired sigh. "I know John."

"Now you know how I felt when we ran into Harkin." Said Garrus.

"Yeah…but I wasn't planning on kneecapping the guy. Nothing wrong with a punch." I replied.

Suddenly I let out a loud yawn.

"When was the last time you slept?" Garrus asked.

"The night before we helped Kasumi out." I replied. "So…two days."

John shook his head. "Well, when this is over, you're going to get some rest. Captain's orders."

I let out a small laugh. "Uh huh. For now, nothing wrong with running on adrenaline."

EDI radioed us. "Shepard, with Watson's help we have managed to find information on the batarian known as Olack."

"Go ahead EDI." He replied.

"Olack Ruvan. He is considered to be one of the batarian '10 Heads', heads of some of the most dangerous gangs in batarian and Terminus space. He is known for various attacks on colonies throughout the Skyllian Verge and Terminus Systems and had also taken part in the Skyllian Blitz. His group was also responsible for supplying the turian Facinus movement with explosives and weapons." EDI stated.

"Son of a bitch." Garrus spat out.

"You've heard of the movement, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah. A turian separatist group. They destroyed the city of Vallum on Taetrus not too long ago." He answered.

"Guess we can add that to the list of reasons for wanting him dead." I added.

After a long drive, we made it to the warehouse. EDI managed to narrow it down to one large warehouse. The thermal readings were off the chart; exactly 365 people plus twenty batarians.

"Only twenty?" Miranda asked incredulously.

"Yeah…considering the number of people taken you'd think it would be more." Shepard wondered.

"According to other information given to me by Watson, there are twenty members of Olack's gang that are former members of the batarian SIU." Added EDI.

"SIU? Damn." I said.

The Batarian SIU, Special Intervention Unit, was one of their most elite divisions in the batarian military. They had training so harsh that the mortality rate was a mere 18% in some cases. Considering how paranoid they were, what the training and level of training entailed was a mystery. Alliance estimates considered them to be dangerous. They weren't on the same level as any N7, but with their training regimen, they were pretty damn close.

"What about the civilians?" I asked EDI.

"They are all accounted for and currently inside containers. As for the twenty batarians, I have placed their locations on your radar." She answered.

"You're a life saver EDI." I replied.

"Thank you, Mark."

We got out of the car and made our way up to some shipping containers.

"I've got four outside of the doors." Garrus said with his rifle drawn.

"How do you want to do this Mark?" asked Shepard.

I pulled my hood over my head. "I'll take point. The guys at the door are mine. Wait at the doors until I engage the ones inside. Just remember to watch your shots."

The three of them nodded as I turned on my stealth camouflage. I pulled out both of my knives and approached the main entrance. They just stood there, completely oblivious that I had managed to sneak up behind all four of them. It only took a few swift motions and slashes before their bodies collapsed to the ground.

"Entrance clear." I radioed.

Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus moved up to the entrance and crouched near the door.

I pulled out the Hyperion, and used the pump action lever to load it. "Wait for my signal."

"Got it." Shepard replied.

"Just a heads up." I started. "You won't like it."

"Uh…" he started, but it was too late. I was already inside.

The warehouse was massive. Large shipping containers were sprawled around the area, all of them loaded with colonists. The batarians seemed to be oblivious at the moment. I swear that I could hear the sound of wimpering and crying echoing around the building.

"Olack Ruvan!" I yelled out. "Your plan has failed and your little pawns are out of the picture. I don't expect you to come quietly and frankly, I'd rather just kill you."

The sound of Olack yelling from the far side of the warehouse echoed and his men began to attack. Two of them that were closest to me drew their weapons. They were too slow.

A couple of quick shots with the Hyperion and they became nothing but ash. Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus came charging in, laying down fire on some other charging batarians. I decided to take the main path. It went the length of the warehouse and was very wide. I wasn't in the mood to bounce between cover or to have some firefight of attrition.

And so began the death march.

They tried to unload everything they had, an attempt to drop my shields. My sabotage mines changed that as I tossed them with my left hand and fired with my right.

The sound of Shepard yelling at me to get behind cover was nothing but white noise in my mind. They kept charging, trying to flank, and they kept failing. My friends had every angle covered, using everything from tech to biotics to cover me. Then I saw Olack pop up at the end of the long hall with a sniper rifle. He was lining up the shot.

I put my shotgun in my left hand and drew my pistol at a rapid speed. Two shots rang out. None of them were Olack's.

I kneecapped him through a flimsy wooden crate he was hiding behind.

I put the shotgun away and approached him. He was cursing out in batarian.

"When the rest of my allies find out, your life is finished!" He spat out.

I shook my head. "Against the likes of Outer Heaven, I don't think so."

"The 10 Heads will find you human! Your colonies will burn to the ground and we will stand over your corpses."

"Nine."

His four eyes flashed with surprise for a moment. "What?"

I pointed the Judgement at his head. "Its nine now."

With a pull of the trigger, Olack was no more. Just another batarian corpse in some dusty warehouse.

I pulled my hood off as Shepard and the gang approached.

"What the hell were you thinking?" shouted Miranda.

"Told you that you wouldn't like it." I deadpanned.

She shook her head and sighed.

John just looked at me, a worried glimmer in his eyes. If there was anyone who knew about my self-destructive temper, it was him.

I gave him a reassuring pat on the arm and holstered my pistol.

"I say we get some people home." I said.

John nodded. "I'll call the cops."

I walked over to a nearby crate and knocked on the door. There was a response followed by some muffled voices. There was only a simple lock on the door, nothing electronic. One of the dead batarians had a key on him, so I grabbed it and unlocked the door.

"Oh my god." I said breathlessly.

Inside the crate was a various mix of people. Humans, turians, asari, salarian, batarian.

All of them looked malnourished.

A batarian woman spoke first. "Are you—here to rescue us?"

I nodded quickly. "Yeah—yeah. We, uh, took care of the bad guys."

Small cheers rang out as the people came out, tears of joy on some of their faces. Others were just happy. I almost cried when a young asari, who looked like a five year old girl, gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek.

Today, history was not repeated.

* * *

It was one in the morning, local time. Reynolds and almost the entire department showed up to help out. The old man even managed to sneak us out before the media showed up. Of course, we had to file some reports and all of that bureaucratic horseshit. The good news was that we were in and out in less than a few minutes. Now we were on our way back to the Normandy.

The walk back was silent. They wanted to give me some space.

Shepard was the first one to speak up when we made it into the airlock.

"That was a hell of a thing you pulled off, Mark."

I let out a tired snort. "We pulled it off, John."

He nodded. "Yep. Just never do that lone gunman thing again."

I laughed. "I'll try not to."

"But you have to admit, he did look cool." Garrus thoughtfully said.

John and I laughed.

The doors opened up and the four of us walked in. I was surprised though…the entire CIC crew was thanking me. Shouts of, "Welcome back Mark!", "You da man!", and "Way to go Marty Thunder!" were said to me. Even Joker was here giving me a thumbs up.

I was confused as hell as we made our way to the armory.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"The crew just wanted to cheer you up a bit." Shepard said. "It was Kelly's idea."

"Didn't you chip in?" Garrus asked, nudging John in the arm.

"You did too." He added.

I sat down on one of the chairs in the armory and scratched my head. "Well, I appreciate it. Thank you. I still don't get it though."

Shepard chuckled. "You're welcome. Now, go get some rest."

I nodded in resignation. "Okay. But we can't leave yet."

"Why not?" Garrus asked.

"There's one place I need to go to…" I said. "A place I haven't seen since I was a kid."

"Oh." The turian said, the realization dawning on him.

"I'll be heading there at 0700." I added. "None of you have to come, if you don't want to."

The three of them looked at each other and then at me.

"Well, our mission here isn't over yet. So we're still going to help." John said.

I smiled. "Thanks."

After taking off my weapons and armor, I headed down to my room. As much as I wanted to join Miranda, I was still feeling anxious about being here and heading home.

* * *

**Winchester Road, Cygnus County, Mindoir**

I was up fairly early this morning. So early, that I only got about four hours of sleep during the night. I put on my suit: black tie, black jacket, black pants, and a white shirt. I had worn this before on several occasions. This occasion, however, was far more special than the others.

I stepped out of my room at 0630, greeted by Miranda who was wearing a casual outfit; form fitting silk shirt and pants along with her high heels.

"Well, you look very handsome." She said with a smirk.

I glanced around, making sure no one was listening in. "And you look very beautiful this morning."

She blushed a little and still smiled. "So, are you heading out now?"

I nodded.

The two of us stepped into the elevator, Garrus following us in just before the door closed. He was wearing some casual wear as well. By the time we reached CIC, Shepard was waiting. John was wearing the suit he had on when he went with Kasumi.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yep."

* * *

It was a short drive to Cygnus County. My neighborhood was on the outskirts of the town. To my knowledge, they didn't have any future plans to add a neighboring town. Driving through the neighborhood, I pointed out various spots I used to visit. Ray's Music shop was rebuilt. The elementary school was there. Hell, virtually every house had been rebuilt in its exact location. It was as if Cygnus County was preserved in some kind of time capsule.

That is, until we came up to the center of town. There was a large memorial statue with the names of those who had died in the attacks.

Then came the long drive down Winchester Road…where my neighborhood was. We passed various houses which I named off the families that lived there. I could see on the left up ahead there was some fairly tall grass and a large field, in front of it was the Reynolds old house. Then there was the large, unique looking tree.

"Stop here Garrus." I said.

He stopped the car and we all got out.

I could see the remains of a foundation…where the house was.

"This…" I swallowed hard. "This is my home."

The grass had grown considerably but it looked as though someone had kept up with it recently. It was trimmed down to the point where it was only ankle deep.

I slowly walked up to the foundation and ran my hands over the concrete. The memories came flooding back into the forefront of my mind. Summer days of playing catch in the yard with dad. The winter…when mom taught me how to make a birthday cake for dad. Then there was watching the crops grow in the spring, the three of us picking everything we could.

At this point, I could feel the tears starting to trickle down my cheeks. I stood up and slowly walked around. Then I saw the basement ramp and the various cracks on the remains of the floor. There was a dark stain in the corner.

I pointed at it.

"What is it?" Shepard asked quietly.

"That's where they killed her." I answered with a sniff. I stood up and continued past the foundation.

"See that weird rock that looks like peach?"

"Yeah." John said.

"That's where the prothean cave is. Where I got the vision." I replied. "It doesn't work anymore."

I turned and looked at the tree. It was a tree unique to Mindoir. Comparing it to trees from Earth, it was a cross between a maple tree, a pine tree, and a koa tree. Mom said it looked like something out of a Robert Frost poem. That's when I saw what was at the base of the tree: the last resting place of my parents.

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, clutching the roses I had in my hand. For years, I dreaded this moment, never wanting to come back to face this. But much like my return to Akuze, I had to do this. And now, I wanted to do this. I wanted to see them again, face these past demons haunting me for fifteen years.

Shepard, Miranda, and Garrus gave me some space as I approached their headstones. Dad's had the Alliance military symbol engraved in, along with the logo of Task Force 1. Mom was buried next to him, angel wings engraved in hers.

I stood there in silence, staring at them. I tried to plan out something to say to them but in the end, it just couldn't fall together.

Their faces, their voices, everything…it all came back to me clear as day. The tears were starting to trickle down my face, my lips trembled. I wanted to say something…anything.

Instead, I fell to my knees and cried, my arms draped over their headstones.

* * *

John saw his friend fall to his knees, watching over fifteen years of pain and sorrow be let out in an instant. It tore him up. He glanced over at Miranda and Garrus. Both of them seemed just as shaken. Garrus had turned away, the sight of this just seemed too much for him. Miranda's eyes looked glassy.

She might be good at hiding her facial expressions but her eyes…

He turned back to Mark and he clenched his jaw, doing his best not to choke up. Mark always seemed to be so full of life but lived with a dark cloud over his head. He didn't have many friends growing up…too many kids were afraid of his genius, or thought he was messed up or something since they never really saw him around. Shepard on the other hand was Mr. Popularity. People just gravitated toward him. He didn't ask for it…it just happened. Mark was on the outside looking in.

Shepard was Mark's first true friend.

John took a knee next to Mark and patted him on the back. "Just let it out, Mark. Just let it out."

* * *

I let go of their headstones and just stared them.

"All of these years, and I've never gotten over losing you both." I said in a raspy voice. "I've tried…I've tried so hard to do the right thing, listen to everything you've ever taught me. But now…I don't even know. Using blackmail and violence to make the world a better place? That's not what you wanted for me."

Shepard spoke softly. "Mark. I think they would be so proud of you. You haven't blackmailed a single person, you've shed light onto things that people like Congressman Konrad have gotten themselves into."

I sharply inhaled.

"Look at everything you've done. You were one of the most decorated special forces commanders in the Alliance military. You solved crimes and helped innocent people that had no one else to turn to. You helped me defeat Saren and Sovereign. You brought down a corrupt politician and saved almost four hundred people in one night. To top it off, you're helping me fight the Collectors and the Reapers. You've done all of that by following everything your parents taught you."

I let out a small laugh.

"See what good friends I've made?" I said to my parents graves.

I placed the bouquet of roses on their graves and slowly rose.

"I'm glad I got the chance to see you again." I took a deep breath and looked over at the mountains where the sun was almost rising over the peaks in a brilliant blue. "I hope you'll be watching over us. Mom, Dad."

* * *

_And there you have it...Since every character had their own unique song in ME2, I wanted the primary theme for Mark to be based off of 'The End' (from Man on Fire) and 'Old Snake', both by the great Harry Gregson-Williams. The battle song would be based off of 'Antrozous' (from Batman Begins) by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard._

_As far as Mindoir and the capital city name...to me Mindoir sounded Norwegian or from any of the Scandinavian countries which is why I named the capital New Trondheim. I wasn't entirely sure if Mindoir has any sort of Scandinavian origins or w/e...any clarification would be great. Also, if the colony is featured in ME3, all names will be subject to be changed when I make my giant edit later on._

_On a side note, I wanted to dedicate this to my pet bird who died last wednesday when I started this chapter. He was 10 years old._


	34. Interlude 9

_Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry for the extra long delay. Had some difficulty with this chapter for some reason which is why its fairly short. Also, my job has left me tired beyond all belief. Once I get back into the swing of things, I'll be back to normal._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Picard Spaceport, New Trondheim, Mindoir**

I took one last look at the remains of my home and at my parents graves before we left. The drive back to the ship was silent the entire way. As awkward as it normally would have been for me, I preferred it this way. Considering the almost total lack of sleep I had gotten over the past few days, it was now starting to weigh on me physically.

_It's a good thing Garrus is driving us back then…_

I sat back and stared out the window in the back seat. Seeing the old neighborhood like this felt nostalgic. On top of that, the strange homesick feeling I had all of these years just vanished and turned into excitement. I missed the blue sunrises. I missed the fresh air. I missed being here.

Before I knew it, we were back at the spaceport. I shook myself out of my nostalgic thoughts and got out of the car with the others.

Murph and Chief Reynolds were standing near the Normandy, staring at the large ship.

"Enjoying the view guys?" I asked.

Murph chuckled. "Yeah. Hell of a ride you got here, Shepard."

"Thanks Murph." He replied. Garrus and Miranda nodded at the two men before heading into the ship.

The chief decided to speak up. "You know, my office has been getting flooded with calls all night."

I smirked. "I thought you'd be glad that the whole mess was taken care of."

Reynolds waved his hand. "Of course I'm glad…just tired is all. I'd like to go home and see the missus again."

Murph patted him on the back. "You'll get your chance. Right now, we need to decide how to handle this whole thing."

The chief nodded. "Yeah. God knows the media is going to be asking a lot of questions."

I scratched my cheek. "Just say that Outer Heaven took responsibility."

Reynolds raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Might put a lot of heat on you guys."

Murph waved it off. "Trust us. This is nothing."

"I'll mail you a statement soon. When's the press conference?" I asked.

"1500 hours." Replied the chief.

"I'll send our statement then. Just remember, no names. Just say that Outer Heaven was responsible." I stated.

"You got it kid." Reynolds said. He stuck his hand out and I shook it. "I just wanted to thank you again Mark. You saved us all."

I smiled and nodded. "We did what had to be done."

He snapped off a small salute and walked away.

Murph sighed. "Judging by the way you're dressed, I take it you went home?"

"Yeah." I answered. "The neighborhood…its like the way it was. Except the farm."

Murph adjusted his leather jacket. "Yeah. I, uh…took care of the place a bit before you got here. Wanted to make it look nice."

I smiled. "Thanks Murph."

"Anytime, kiddo. You know that land is all yours now."

I nodded. "When we finish up with the Collectors, I might come back here. Rebuild the place."

Murph smirked. "Say the word and I'll swing by with Semeyon. We'll help you out."

"I'd appreciate that." I replied.

Murph turned to Shepard. "Commander, its been a pleasure meeting you. Good luck with the Collectors."

"Thanks Murph." John replied, shaking his hand.

"If ya need anything, gimme a buzz. Later kid." Murph said, walking away with a wave.

"Later." I said, watching him walk away.

"Come on." John said softly. "Let's roll."

I nodded and we walked into the airlock. I took one last look at the city before the doors closed.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Omega**

Heading back to the Normandy felt different. I felt like I had more of a spring in my step. Considering the mess that I had to clean up, there was a good reason for having a spring in my step. The crew looked happy to see me again. For now, I just wanted to head to my room and relax with Watson. I took the lift down to the crew deck and headed straight to my room. I was glad that there was no fanfare on the way.

"Greetings Mark." Watson said as I walked in.

I gave him a tired grin. "Hey big guy. How ya been?"

"We are operating at optimal levels."

I snorted. "I'll take that as a 'good'. By the way, thanks for your help with the mission."

"You are welcome."

I hopped over the back of the couch and sat down, taking my shoes and suit jacket off.

"Feels good to be back." I muttered, laying back on the couch.

"We would like to make an inquiry." Said Watson.

"Go ahead, man."

"Did you visit your home?" asked the large geth.

I nodded. "Yes. Yes I did."

"How did you feel when you returned home?"

I sat up, taking a deep breath. "I can say with absolute honesty that I was never more frightened in my entire life. But…when I saw the remains of the foundation, the graves of my parents…I broke down and cried."

Watson stared at me for some time.

I continued. "John spoke to me, comforted me, as I knelt before my parents remains. I looked around at my neighborhood, my home…and suddenly, I felt completely at home. That feeling of being homesick, of longing…it just vanished."

One of Watson's head flaps moved. "Perhaps, the creators would react similarly."

"I think its how they've felt since that day." I replied. "Might be two different scenarios between my past and theirs but…the pain is the same."

"Understood." Watson said.

"Next time we go back, I'll take you with me." I said.

"We would appreciate that." He replied.

I smirked. "Sorry for not taking you. I wasn't sure how long your holographic camo would last."

"It is understandable. We can only sustain it for so long. However, in time we will adapt and upgrade." Replied Watson.

"That's true." I said, turning on the large vid screen. It was set to Citadel NewsNet, one of the galaxy's largest news groups.

"Good afternoon, I'm Emily Wong. Our top story today is the miraculous rescue of over 365 civilians that were captured on Mindoir. We go to our reporter on Mindoir, Harold Barton…"

I snorted as I watched the report. They went through the details of what happened, including the rescue which Chief Reynolds did a good job of fabricating.

"At the moment, we're still trying to find out as much as we can about Outer Heaven but many of our sources have yet to get back to us. Reporting live from New Trondheim, Mindoir, I'm Harold Barton."

"Thank you Harold." Emily said. "To add to the story, Outer Heaven released a statement given to Chief Reynolds."

She cleared her throat. "We here at Outer Heaven have become enraged at what has become of the Alliance and the Council. Our main goal is to ensure the safety of the galaxy and its inhabitants and we will do so on our terms. The situation on Mindoir before our intervention was unacceptable. Their lack of care is proof of their own ineptitude and failure to listen to their own citizens when they are in danger. Our mission is simple: Protect the innocent, bring all corrupt individuals to justice, and ensure galactic security. When our goals are met, we will discontinue our operations. However, should the galaxy find itself in dark times, we will return. We are everywhere, and we are nowhere. Outer Heaven, on the outside looking in."

I chuckled.

_I guess I made it a little too…nerdy, maybe?_

"An interesting statement." Watson said.

"Yeah. Next time we need to do that, I'll back off on the over the top wackiness." I replied.

I got up and opened up my guitar case, pulling out an old Taylor twelve string acoustic guitar, lined with koa wood on the sides and back; sitka spruce on the top. I sat back down on the couch and started playing, picking the strings with my fingers.

_Feels good to be playing something that isn't a music program._

I was playing 'Patterns in the Ivy II' by Opeth when the door opened up. I didn't bother to turn around as I was too engrossed with playing.

"Been wondering when you would come back."

It was Jack, who took a seat down next to me.

"Did you get bored while I was gone?" I asked with a smirk.

She snorted. "Yeah. Haven't done a damn thing since we went to Tuchanka. Well, other than get some cool new duds on the Citadel."

I glanced over and saw that Jack had on a black tank top and vest along with some jeans and biker boots.

"Nice outfit." I said.

"I was gonna get some sunglasses but all they had was this dumb visor thing. They didn't have anything like your shades." She replied.

I tapped mine. "Well, if you're looking for something like these, I'll give you the name of the shop where I got this pair. Might not be exact since I had some custom work done but still, you might like what they have." I sent her the extranet site address from my omni-tool.

"Thanks." she said, a small amount of appreciation in her tone.

"Anytime."

I leaned back on the couch, idly plucking some of the strings, placing my fingers over the frets to create some harmonic sounds.

"So…" Jack started. "Heard about your little adventure from a few people."

I smirked and shook my head. "Not surprising. A ship this small, word about anyone's personal business is bound to travel."

Jack folded her arms and sat back. "Yeah but this was different. Ship hasn't been this quiet since we went onto the Collector ship. It was fuckin' weird."

I stopped messing around on the guitar and sighed.

_Was the whole ship really that worried?_

"Sounds strange to me." I said. "Dunno why."

Jack shrugged. "Anyway, how did it go?"

"It was—complicated. But, we saved everyone that was kidnapped…all 365 of them." I answered.

"Damn." She replied, taken aback.

"Hmm." I grunted.

"Must have been difficult going back there. It was your home world right?" asked Jack.

"Yes it was my home…and yeah…it was tough." I answered quietly. "Fifteen years since I've been there."

I looked up at the ceiling. "It felt good going back. I didn't even realize how much I missed it until I set foot on the planet."

She stared at me for some time. "So, you're going to be fine?"

I nodded. "I just need a little time to sort a few things out. Other than that, doing fine. Thanks for asking."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, well. Don't go spreading it around or—"

"You'll cut my nuts off or do something sinister to me in my sleep, right?" I asked, cutting her off.

She laughed. "Something like that. Gotta keep up appearances y'know?"

"Uh huh." I replied.

"So the cheerleader decided to tag along." She stated. "She really wants you eh?"

"Yeah Miranda came along. As for the question, I won't confirm or deny it." I replied with a small amount of humor in my voice.

"Of course you won't, pussy." Jack said. "Just say that you two are nailing each other so I can stop trying to pick you up."

Both my eyebrows shot up. "Is that last part a joke?"

The ex-con bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Oh man that was a priceless reaction."

I shook my head.

"But seriously? You're not my type. We're too fucked up in the head." She said.

I nodded.

"I once dated a guy more fucked up than I was. It didn't end well." Jack added while she folded her arms.

"Death by biotics?" I asked.

"You know it."

I chuckled. "Maybe its just me but your stories are gonna end up turning into Zaeed stories."

She scoffed. "Are you fucking kidding me? That old hack hasn't done any of the shit I have."

"Like the space station and vandalism that tied into it?"

"Hell yeah." She replied.

"Well the difference is that your story didn't end with 'and I was the only one who made it out alive'. It just ended with criminal charges." I said.

Jack let out a small laugh. "Bastard."

I put my feet up on the table. "Just one of my many nicknames."

"I'm outta here." She didn't like to get into too many of my back and forth jokes. I assume it was because she wanted to maintain her badass façade.

"Jack…" I said as she stood up.

"What?"

"Thanks for stopping by to check on me and all that."

"Uh huh." She replied softly, turning to make an exit.

Before she walked out, she yelled. "Also, thanks for letting me know that you and the cheerleader are fucking each other's brains out. Someone owes me some serious creds."

I smacked myself in the forehead. _Oh for fuck sake._

* * *

It took me a long time, but I finally managed to finish up all of my drawings. I had made sketches of every single person on board. Bridge crew, CIC, Engineering, Pilots…I drew them all. As for the squad, I wanted to capture something from each of them, something unique about them. We were about two days out from Omega and I was gauging when I would give them to everybody.

_Idea!_

I grabbed the drawings and turned on my optical camouflage.

_Might as well start with this deck._

I stepped out of my room and scoped out the crew deck. Rupert was busy making lunch, Dr. Chakwas making idle chat with him. Other than that, no one was around. I turned on my glasses' thermal vision and saw that Miranda, Samara, and Garrus were still here.

_This could be tricky, but it could be worse._

I made my first stop to Thane's room. I placed the drawing on his table. This sketch was brand new one, featuring Thane and his son Kolyat. Like all of my sketches, I left my autograph in the bottom right corner. I slipped out and headed next door to Kasumi's room, leaving her drawing on the bed. I made Kasumi's drawing a little humorous. It was a drawing of her trying to pocket the crown of the Holy Roman Empire.

I swiftly made my exit and headed for the crew quarters.

I dropped off all of the crew drawings and snuck out. My next challenge was to sneak into Samara's room.

Like always, she was busy meditating. Mentally, I was keeping my fingers crossed that she was too zoned out to have heard the door open. I tip-toed in and placed the drawing on the couch behind her.

_Whew…now to just make it back out—_

"I know you are there Mark." Samara said.

I turned off my camo. "No way! How did you know?"

"I have my ways." She simply said.

"Right…" I drawled out.

"What brings you here?"

"Uh…well, since you caught me…" I picked up the sketch and sat on the floor next to Samara. "I've been working on these for a while now…sort of a gift for everyone I suppose."

Her biotic aura dissipated and she glanced over at me. I tapped the sketch, keeping it hidden.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I kinda wanted it to be a surprise but since you caught me…" I turned it over and handed it to Samara.

She held the drawing in her hands eyeing it with the same unreadable look she gave everyone. Then I noticed something. A small glimmer in her eye, followed the smallest of grins appearing on her lips.

The drawing was from the first time I saw her, floating through the air with her biotics like some kind of superhero. I did embellish the biotic aura for effect but it was still a pretty good drawing.

"This is—it is wonderful." She said softly.

"Glad you like it. I started making this after we picked you up on Illium. I memorized the whole thing. Never seen anyone use biotics like that before. I thought that I'd capture that on paper." I said.

"To have done this in perfect detail is an incredible skill. Thank you." Said the justicar.

"You're very welcome. I know that you don't have many personal items but…I hope you can make a small exception." I replied.

"Yes. I can."

I gave her a small nod and stood up.

"I understand you had a trying time on Mindoir. For what its worth, I believe you did the right thing. More importantly, you saved hundreds of innocent lives." Samara said.

"It was difficult. I'm just glad that its over and done with." I replied.

"Until we speak again."

I walked out of Samara's room, taking a small glance back to see that she was still staring at the drawing. I turned on the stealth camo and continued dropping off my little works of art to everyone.

By the time the evening started, the whole ship was buzzing about their little treasures in the mess hall. Even with my little autograph, everyone was just fixated with their own drawings.

"Holy shit!" Joker yelled out. "Mark, you did this?"

_Apparently he's the only one that noticed my autograph…_

I cleared my throat and smirked. "Yeah."

Everyone at my table, mostly crewmen looked at their pictures. Various complements were thrown my way.

Joker leaned over and showed me his drawing. I made his drawing similar to a scene out of a James Bond movie. He was sitting on a couch surrounded by beautiful women, a speech bubble over his head saying, 'There's More Ohh where that came from'. I felt like adding a cheesy play on his last name, Moreau.

He chuckled. "If I had a fridge in the cockpit, I would totally put it on the door."

"Glad you like it." I replied.

EDI's avatar popped up next to me. "Oh hey EDI."

Joker started to grumble about having to see her again after seeing her for the last ten hours.

"Mark, I would like to thank you for your drawing as well."

"Wait, you made a drawing for that thing?" Joker asked incredulously.

"She's part of the crew too." I said. Joker just rolled his eyes.

"It is a very beautiful piece of art. However, I am puzzled as to why you drew me in a human form." EDI added.

I shrugged. "Nothing wrong with having an imagination. I mean, you're stuck in a quantum bluebox. It would be cool to give you some legs and stuff."

"Can I at least see it?" Joker asked in an annoyed tone.

"I was able to scan the drawing and render it." EDI said. An additional window popped up next to her avatar, showing the drawing.

Joker's eyes went wide. "Hot damn."

I had always imagined EDI as a tall, leggy, platinum blonde. I dunno why…maybe it was the voice.

"You think that's something, look at your drawing." I said.

Joker looked at his again. "Oh for crying out loud…"

I started laughing.

"Why did you put her in my picture?"

"Why not?" I asked with a smirk.

Joker just grumbled again.

"Oh get over it 'Lord Studly'. With the way you two bicker you might as well be a couple." I added.

"I'm leaving." Said the now grumpy pilot.

"Aw…does this mean you don't want to be in the next video?" I asked.

Joker stopped in his tracks. "No, no, no. I want in."

"Wouldn't be a good movie if you weren't in it."

He smirked. "So, when are you gonna make it?"

"In a bit. I might have to round up a few more people for one of my ideas." I replied.

Shepard poked his head out from behind the larger mess table. "Hey Mark, great drawing!"

He held up his picture that I drew. It was of John and I wailing on some guitars in front of a giant explosion.

"Glad you enjoyed it." I said getting up. "I'm gonna go make some home movies. Who wants in?"

Virtually everyone at the table got up.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

The Illusive Man was sitting in his office as usual, looking over some reports from a ship sent to locate the missing science team on the derelict Reaper. He wasn't surprised when a few scans showed no life signs. He would let Shepard and his team deal with picking up the IFF.

_No need to lose any more operatives._

The Illusive Man had even glanced over the mission report involving Mark Sears. He was surprised that Congressman Konrad would have gone so far as to kidnap the people he represented to make peace with the batarians in some sick bargain. Even though he would never say it to Mark, as Mark would deem it as some poor attempt to win him over, he admired his actions.

_I might have a reputation of being a 'results at all cost' kind of person, but even I have my limits._

"Surveillance logs from Bug 43."

Oh how he loathed that statement.

The screen was black, some ominous music playing in the background.

"Krogans! Tonight, we dine in hell!" yelled Grunt.

_What in the—_

Drums began to pound as more shots of various sites on Tuchanka were shown…and for some reason shots of what looked like ancient Greece.

"Tuchanka will burn to the ground!" stated Crewmen Matthews.

Grunt, dressed up in a large robe and what looked like leather briefs held a sword up to Matthews. Matthews on the other hand…was wearing some kind of makeshift salarian 'earmuffs', giving him horns.

"This is blasphemy! This is madness!"

Grunt turned to look at him. "Madness? This is Tuchanka!"

With that statement, he charged headfirst at Matthews.

The next shot was…interesting to say the least. All of the men aboard the Normandy were decked out in the same attire as Grunt, all wearing krogan hats.

"The thousand nations of the Citadel will descend upon you! Our ships, will blot out the sun!"

Mark made his appearance, sporting a shit eating grin on his face. "Then we will fight in the shade."

Mordin was shown next, sitting atop a giant golden throne, a creepy smile on his face.

"Join us. Have many freakish women. Oddly enough, most are lesbians. Or made out of gold. Either way, needs will be satisfied." Stated the professor.

"They will know that 300 krogan stood in the way of a galactic empire!" yelled Grunt.

The last shot of this…trailer, ended with all of the men dropping their shields.

"Bring it fool!" Mark yelled as the trailer faded to the title, "The Far More Interesting Version of the Krogan Rebellions."

The Illusive Man felt a disgusted shiver run down his spine. Unfortunately for him, he was currently out of his favorite whiskey so he would have to suffer through these.

"Tonight on Awesome Cops…" said the narrator. "Granian and Martin have to deal with the chief…"

The shot cut to an irritated Miranda. "What the hell were you two thinking? You almost took out an entire city block!"

_He got Miranda to do this? Are you kidding me?_

Garrus and Mark were sitting down in front of the desk, Mark sporting some tight clothing and a creepy grin.

"It could have been worse Chief! That infant with the grenade launcher wasn't going to stop unless we stepped in." argued Garrus.

"Besides…the kid's fine. So was his mother…" Mark said slyly.

Miranda huffed. "Both of you out now."

Garrus shrugged and walked out, while Mark followed slowly behind and stopped closing the door in front of him.

"Now Chief…" Mark drawled out.

"I don't want to hear it Detective Thunder." Curtly replied Miranda.

He moved over to the desk, propping his leg up on the desk.

"Are you sure Chief?"

"Detective, this qualifies as sexual harassment! Get out now or clean out your desk!" she yelled.

Mark let out an annoyed sigh. "But don't you want to hear my side of the case. It's very entertaining."

Miranda simply rolled her eyes and smirked. "I've been here two years and every time you come in here its always some poor excuse to jump into bed with me."

"Maybe because you're the only woman that's ever resisted my charms."

"Charms? That's what you call walking around in tight clothing and railing anything with a pair of legs?"

Mark shrugged. "It doesn't take much chief."

"So I've noticed."

Then, both of them embraced and kissed suddenly.

The Illusive Man's eyes went wide. _That bastard! Who does he think he is?_

"You've just been 'Thunderstruck'." Mark said, maintaining that same stupid grin.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Just don't spread the word."

"Never do, chief. Vaya con dios."

The next scene involved a poorly choreographed fight scene between Garrus and Jacob.

"You're pretty good Granian. It's too bad you won't make it out alive." Said Jacob.

Garrus pulled out a pistol he secretly hid in his pants. "Wrong again, Mike Hunt."

A gunshot went off, the screen turning black. The next scene was a poorly shot car chase scene.

"Damn it Martin, can't you keep this thing steady?" Garrus yelled, firing out the window of a car.

"That's what she said." Retorted Mark. "Geez. Did Mendoza steal his license?"

"Probably. That would explain why he's upside down right now." Replied Garrus.

The next shot panned over to Shepard as criminal mastermind, Mendoza who was upside down.

"Mwhahaha! Out of my way, I'm a motorist!"

"End of surveillance logs." Stated the VI.

The Illusive Man raised an eyebrow, expecting more of these god awful movies.

_Whew. Hopefully this means I can go back to smoking 2 packs a day instead of 3._

* * *

When we were done making our home movies, I headed up to the bridge. Sure enough, there was Joker, piloting away.

"Hey Mark. Good to see you with a shirt on." He said.

"Yeah I know. Let's never do a parody of ancient world action movies. There are something's that should never be seen."

"You mean like Gardner in leather briefs?" Joker jokingly asked.

I chuckled.

"I'm surprised you kept it short and sweet this time." Said the pilot.

I shrugged. "I'm still dealing with a few things. Maybe next time."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Joker replied. "Heard some of the things that happened back there on Mindoir."

"Hm…" I muttered.

"With all of the people you saved, I think you might have given the Commander a run for his money." Joker said.

"Not really. If someone was keeping score, he'd still have me beat by a lot."

Joker tapped his chin. "You're probably right. Still, that was a pretty cool thing you did."

I let out a short laugh. "Thanks Joker."

I leaned back in the co-pilot's seat as we flew through the massive void of space.

"It's been too long since I've come up here to hang out." I said.

Joker snorted. "No kidding. Last time you had snacks too."

"Well, we've got music this time." I said turning on my omni-tool.

"Oh you're not going to—"

"I am. Feel free to jump in." I replied, turning on the first song in my playlist. That song happened to be 'Deliver Us' by In Flames. As the song started to play, I started playing air guitar and nodded my head in time with the song.

Joker let out a small laugh and joined in. Once the vocals kicked in, I started singing, Joker joined in during the chorus.

We did that for several different songs: 'Check My Brain' by Alice In Chains, 'Anyway You Want It' by Journey, and 'I'm Alive' by Heed.

The CIC crew would throw out various requests as jokes but we ignored them…that or Joker would give them the finger.

I left when his shift ended and went down to my room. Shepard was there, watching the vid screen.

"Hey John." I said, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"Hey Mark."

"Felt like watching some tv, eh?"

Shepard shrugged. "Got tired of doing reports. I needed a break…that and to see if you were here."

I held my hands up. "Here I am."

He snorted as I put my feet up on the table.

"So how are you doing?"

I sighed. "I think I've answered this question several different ways today." I cleared my throat and continued. "I'm glad you helped me take care of that."

"You're welcome." He replied.

I pulled out the picture of my family. "So much time has passed since then. These last few years though, it felt like time stood still. Like they died yesterday in my mind…over and over again."

"I can't imagine how hard that was for you." John said softly.

"You ever try to rehearse something before you do it?" I asked.

John nodded.

"Ever since I asked you to take me back there, I tried to go the things I would say to them. How I would react and things of that nature." I paused and looked up. "But when I saw the remains of my home, their final resting place. Everything just went out the window."

I rubbed my forehead and turned to John. "My parents might be gone but…in a way, I still have a family. You, John. You, your mother, Murph, Semeyon…you're the closest thing to family that I have left now."

Shepard smirked. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother. Guess I had one all these years."

I let out a small laugh. "Yeah…"

"When we were down there, you seemed so…I dunno, cheerful." Said Shepard.

"Well, it had been a long time since I was there. So many familiar faces, places, you name it. It was like I never left, like Mindoir was never attacked. It felt…it felt like I was home again."

I started to laugh, an old memory of the neighborhood popping up in my mind.

"What is it Mark?" John asked, a little confused.

"Oh just this memory I had of the neighborhood. It was on Colonial Day. We had this huge neighborhood barbeque. I was with Dean Jr., Guran who was a turian, and a batarian who we called 'Fry' because no one could pronounce his name right."

John smirked. "Dean Jr.? Chief Reynolds son?"

"Yeah. He was the oldest, about 8 years older than I was. Guran and Fry were about my age." I replied. "Anyway, it was starting to get dark and the fireworks show was gonna start soon. Dean Jr. and the guys come up to me and said they had a surprise. So, we go over the Reynolds barn and there was Dean's brother Bill with this asari named Sheela. Now every asari that you and I have ever seen is smokin' hot. Sheela on the other hand…she looked like she took a nosedive from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."

John and I laughed.

"So Bill's got her shirt off and he's working on this bra and he's trying to get it off when Dean yells, 'Billy you're a young man, don't do it!' And so Sheela hears this and screams and she jumps up and she tries to run out of the barn but she still has this shirt over her head. Sheela goes running right into a wall and knocks herself out. Bill just snaps. He—he starts coming after us, but…at the same time Sheela's over there unconscious. He's gotta wake her up. So Bill grabs her by the leg and he's dragging her. At the same time, he picks up a shovel and he goes after Dean and Dean yells, 'What are you trying to hit me for? I just did you a favor!'. This makes Bill furious. So he tries to swing the thing, loses the shovel out of his grasp and hits a heat lamp that topples over and almost burns the whole barn down."

We both laughed even harder. I gradually stopped and caught my breath. "That was it…the last time I saw those guys. Two days later, the slavers hit."

John looked over at me. "What happened to them?"

I sighed. "Guran and Fry were killed. As for the Reynolds family, Dean Jr. and Beth were the only two kids that survived...out of the five."

Shepard nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry."

I waved my hand.

"Do you think you'll go back?" John asked, changing the subject.

I nodded. "If we make it out of this alive, I'll go back. I want to rebuild the old house again and move there. The Citadel's nice and all but…you can only deal with artificial gravity for so long. Y'know?"

John chuckled. "I don't think I do know. I've lived on ships all my life."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He just laughed harder.

"But anyway, its good to have you back Mark." Shepard said, giving me a pat on the arm.

"Good to be back. And…thanks again."

John nodded and got up. "You should probably go thank the XO next."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, she did go with you." John said with a sly grin.

"You know something don't you?" I asked, playing along.

John simply shrugged. "I'm not sure. All I'll say is, congratulations."

_Oh for god's sake, he knows?_

And with that, Shepard left the room laughing.

* * *

After John left, I went to Miranda's room. I pressed the door buzzer.

"Who is it?" Miranda asked in her most professional tone.

"It's Mark."

The door opened and I walked in. Miranda had walked up to me and waited for the door to close. Once it did, Miranda gave me a big hug and I returned it. She pulled back and smashed her lips into my own. We only stopped for air.

"I've been waiting to do that for the past few days." She whispered.

I smiled. "Well you know the old saying, good things come to those who wait."

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Too true."

We walked over to her bed and sat on the edge.

"I can't imagine how difficult that was for you." She said with a soft expression on her face.

"Comparing that to fighting Collectors, I'd rather fight the Collectors…less challenging." I replied.

Miranda gave me a tired smile and shook her head.

I fell back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Now its over and done with. Saved some people, arrested some asshole, saw my parents again. And ran into some old friends."

Miranda moved over to sit in my lap, looking down at me with a smile on her face. "I'm proud of what you did. You got to face your past head on."

I nodded. "I couldn't have done it without your help, Miranda. Thank you."

She leaned in placing her right cheek against mine and whispered into my ear. "You're very welcome."

"I guess that makes us even now." I replied.

"Not quite…" she said.

I raised my eyebrows incredulously. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I received a very angry message from the Illusive Man regarding your idea to cast me in your home movies." Miranda said flatly, but the humor in her eyes was undeniable.

"Screw him. If he doesn't like it, he should go on the extranet and complain about it." I replied.

"You might have to make it up to me." Miranda said, saucily.

"I intend to. I've got about three days of pent up sexual energy."

"As do I." She replied.

It was the first time in three nights that I felt at peace with the world.

* * *

_There you have it! I'd like to thank Stilphyell for his 300 suggestion. Also I don't own 300._

_I also threw in a Saving Private Ryan reference. I laughed so hard when I saw it in the movie, so I felt like adding it in. There's probably something else I'm forgetting so I'll probably add it in these notes at a later date. So if you get an alert email about this chapter, don't freak out or anything...anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	35. The ArdatYakshi

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay...again. Spending close to 8 hours a day in 90 degree heat for five days a week can take its toll on you. Anyway, we get to take a trip back to Omega. On a side note, I'd like to give a shout out to Stradivarium and his fic 'Moments' which has been very influential to me in regards to the Mark/Miri romance stuff._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Omega**

_I don't think I've slept that well in years._

I woke up at around 8 in the morning, with Miranda wrapped around me. Her soft and well toned legs slowly moving up and down the lower part of my waist.

"The best part of waking up…" I muttered.

Miranda let out a satisfied moan and moved slightly to get comfortable. She was cute when she slept.

I brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Mmm." She moaned, slowly opening her eyes.

"Good morning." I said.

Miranda smiled. "Good morning to you too. I'm not quite awake yet though." She teased.

"I think I can help." I replied giving her another kiss. It slowly became more and more passionate.

"Well…" Miranda said after we stopped for air. "I think I'm awake now."

I let out a small laugh. "Glad to be of help."

She draped her arms over my shoulders. "You're feeling good this morning."

"You could say that." I replied. "Waking up after being up for three straight days…"

"I take it that you slept well?" she asked with some humor in her voice.

"After last night? You bet." I answered. "You?"

She nodded.

"It just makes it better…waking up next to you." I said.

Miranda gently laughed. "That was cheesy."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe. But I was being serious."

She put a hand to my face. "Well, I feel the same way."

"Well that's good." I said.

"So…" Miranda started. "Care for an eye opener?"

"You know it."

* * *

After 'comfortable' wake up call, I made a beeline for the breakfast line. I stood in line behind Zaeed and Grunt.

A large krogan finger jabbed me in the left shoulder.

"Mark. I want to ask you something." He said.

I turned my head. "What's up, biggin'?"

"That movie we did yesterday, I don't get it. What was it?"

"That was based off of this old movie called '300'. It's about an ancient legend from Greece." I answered.

"Hm." He tapped his chin as we moved up in the line. "And the legend?"

"Oh, right. Well the legend starts out with Sparta, this city-state in Greece. The Persian Empire, which stretched across almost the entire Middle East and into some of Eastern Europe, wanted Sparta to surrender themselves to the empire. The Spartan king, Leonidas, kills the Persians messenger and later takes 300 men with him to this area that forms a natural bottleneck. Now these 300 Spartans are going up against what was the largest military on Earth; about a million men."

Grunt made a small mumble of surprise.

"Those 300 guys held them off and did some serious damage until they were all ultimately killed. But in that one moment of defiance, they showed the world that they could stand up to a mighty empire." I finished.

"Sounds like krogan story Okeer put into this tank imprint." Said the young krogan. We grabbed our food and headed over to the large table nearby.

"I bet krogan war stories are like human war stories, only with larger numbers and more bloodshed." I said.

"That's right."

Zaeed snorted. "I've got a few stories of my own, y'know…"

"Not during breakfast man." I replied shaking my head.

"Fine." Zaeed said, rolling his eyes.

Oddly enough, Kelly took a seat right next to me. "Morning Mark."

"Hey Kelly." I said. "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you." She said in her usual sweet tone. "I just wanted to thank you for the drawing you gave me yesterday."

I waved my hand. "You're welcome. But I should probably thank you for…y'know, making the past few days a little easier on me."

"Of course."

Zaeed and Grunt had finished their food up fast and were getting up to get seconds.

I looked around and saw some of the crew give me some friendly waves and stares.

"I don't get it Kel." I said.

"Hm?"

"Everyone's been acting differently around me since we left Mindoir." I said. "I mean, we've gone around helping everyone else out but I'm the one who gets the most attention? Something about that just doesn't sit well…"

She scratched her cheek. "Well…there is a reason."

I turned, raising an eyebrow.

"Frankly, since you've come aboard the crew has loosened up somewhat. A lot of the serious atmosphere sort of dissipated when you started making those home movies." She said with a small grin.

I chuckled. "Even though I use those as a way of sticking it to 'the man'."

"Still, crew morale has gone up since then. Even Shepard is surprised."

I leaned back in my chair. "So, I've become like some sort of beacon of morale?"

"That sounds about right." Replied Kelly. "It probably explains why the crew gave you a warm welcome back."

I smirked. "Even though it was your idea and John's idea."

Kelly simply shrugged. "Even if we didn't encourage the crew, they would have done it anyway."

I simply nodded, taking all the information in.

_So I'm the ship's morale guy now, eh? Interesting…_

"Wow. Never really expected that." I said, taken aback.

"You've done a lot to help. It's only natural that the crew would respond in kind." Replied Kelly.

"Yeah…"

Mordin and Kasumi sat down as Kelly gave me a pat on the arm. She headed back up to CIC to help Shepard file his reports.

"Hi Mark." Kasumi said.

"Morning you two." I replied.

Mordin was scratching. "Curious. Drawing is very good. However, don't know who this is."

The professor passed me the drawing I made of him. Standing next to him, holding some beakers was Professor Farnsworth from Futurama.

I chuckled. "That's Professor Farnsworth."

"So nickname you gave me was based on age?" he asked, sounding a little miffed.

"No, no. I did it because you're always doing some wacky experiments. Like, trying to make some chemical weapons or determining how scale itch made it on board." I replied.

"Ah." Mordin said.

"Trust me, professor. I don't give people nicknames to offend them in any way. More like a humorous observation." I stated.

"I understand."

Kasumi shook her head. "Speaking of drawings, I like what you did with mine. It gave me an idea to steal this someday."

I facepalmed. "Good luck trying to steal the Holy Roman Empire's crown."

"Oh I don't need luck." She replied with a grin.

Jacob and Thane sat down at the table, getting a few whistles from the female crewmembers.

Jacob grumbled. "I've been getting that since yesterday."

"As have I." Added Thane.

I laughed. "Well, it looks like the women on board love you guys."

"Indeed." Thane said. "That may have to be the last time I appear in one of your movies."

"Aww. Don't be a poor sport, Thane." Kasumi said. "It's fun."

I cut in. "Okay. Next time you get to keep your clothes on."

Thane simply nodded, taking a sip of his tea.

"Speaking of the home movies, I thought I was going to be Martin Thunder's rival?" Jacob asked.

"Oh yeah!" I answered. "Damn I almost forgot. Next time okay? I'll just say that Mike Hunt was your evil, estranged, twin brother or something."

Jacob just shook his head and laughed. "Whatever works man."

Thane spoke up. "I appreciate the drawing you left for me, Mark. It was well done."

"Glad you like it." I replied.

"Yeah. Same here, Mark." Jacob added. "Even though, I don't understand why I'm wearing aviators and a captain's hat."

I chuckled. "I just remembered this one time I overheard you talking about this old show, 'The Love Boat' and it gave me a great idea."

"That I would be a ship captain?" he asked incredulously.

"I dunno…it was just funny. That and when you said, 'the prize'. It just clicked." I answered. "Might be a good idea to add for your 'Awesome Cops' character."

He shook his head as Kasumi let out a small laugh, trying to sneak her hand around his back.

Zaeed and Grunt finally came back after being stuck in line.

"Christ kid, you could have taken longer." Zaeed blurted out to Grunt.

"I wanted more."

"If we gave you any more, all that would be left is soy sauce and a salt shaker." Retorted the old merc.

Grunt just grumbled and sat down.

_At least the mornings are still fun._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Omega, Sahrabarik system, Omega Nebula**

I was sitting in my room, checking my messages when the door opened up. It was Samara.

"Hi Samara. What brings you by?" I asked, surprised.

She was silent as she sat down on the couch next to me. I closed my terminal.

"There is a matter I must attend to. However, I may need your assistance." She said.

"Okay. What do you need my help with?"

The justicar looked at the floor. "Do you remember the dangerous criminal I was chasing on Illium? With the information Shepard obtained, I have located her. She is on Omega. She is going by the name 'Morinth'."

I rubbed my chin. "You want me to get in touch with my contacts? We could narrow her whereabouts on the station down to…say…an apartment."

Samara shook her head. "She has been spending most of her time at a club called Afterlife."

"Afterlife." I repeated. "The same club run by Aria T'Loak."

"Yes."

"Wow. Talk about hiding in plain sight." I muttered.

"She has been killing for the last 400 years. Morinth knows how to hide in plain sight." Samara said. "Morinth is an Ardat-Yakshi."

"Hm…" I muttered. "She wouldn't happen to be the same Ardat-Yakshi you mentioned to me before?"

Samara nodded. "Morinth is the same killer I mentioned to you. The one who twisted an entire village."

My brow narrowed. "Shit."

I leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "I'll help you out. But…what exactly do you want me to do?"

"You are an excellent detective. In order to track her down, I will need your skills to do this." She answered.

"Okay."

Samara looked like she was going to say something else but stopped.

"Mark…" she said softly.

"Yes?"

"There is one other thing you should know. This…monster. She is my daughter."

My eyebrows shot up, jaw dropping. The shock of that was like falling into a lake full of ice.

I rubbed my forehead. "Wha—woah."

Samara looked at me with her usual blank expression.

"Do you…have any other children?" I asked.

"Three. And three Ardat-Yakshi are in existence today. It is as it sounds."

I balled my hand up into a fist and held it to my mouth.

_Just…wow…_

"Morinth was always the wild one. She was happy and free…but selfish." Samara added.

"I—I don't know what to say…" I stammered out.

"My daughter's condition is my fault. And my redemption lies in killing her." She stated. "Do not pity me. Simply understand my situation."

I cleared my throat. "I can do that."

"I spent my youth on the move, adventuring. I killed people, mated with people, or just danced the night away. Then my matron days came. I could finally sit back, bask, and enjoy my family. But in one moment, it was all taken away."

"I know that feeling." I said.

"Indeed."

Samara continued. "I sat in a med lab while a nearsighted doctor droned at me. I learned that nothing was as I thought it would be. I gave up all I possessed. I own nothing, claim nothing. All of my knowledge will die with me. Now my purpose is to destroy my own children."

I looked down at the floor. "Moments like that change you forever."

"And I have hundreds of years left to live with that." Samara stopped abruptly. "I say too much…forgive me."

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it."

"Help me find my long lost daughter and kill her."

I slowly nodded. "I'll help you."

Samara bowed her head and left.

_Well shit…_

* * *

**Omega**

After offering assistance to Samara, I headed up to the armory to get ready. Jacob and Thane were there, and by the look of things, were actually having a civil conversation.

"Hello again, guys." I said, as I headed for my locker. Both men greeted me.

"What brings you up here, Mark?" Jacob asked.

"Heading out with Shepard and Samara." I replied.

"You too, huh?" added Jacob.

I raised an eyebrow. "Me too?"

"I am going as well." Thane said.

"Oh okay." I said with a shrug.

I pulled out the Nighthawk and started cleaning it along with the Hyperion. Thane took a seat across from me, doing the same thing with his Viper sniper rifle.

"So, how have things been for you Thane?" I asked, toying with the Hyperion.

"I have been fine. I recently recorded a message for Kolyat."

"That's good. How have things been going with him?"

"It is…difficult. All things worth keeping are." He replied.

"True."

"I suppose the mention of my wife's death took you by surprise."

"You could say that." I said. "But I had a feeling you would explain it when you felt it was necessary."

He bowed his head slightly. "I appreciate your patience."

I returned the bow. "Prying into people's personal lives isn't my thing."

"I kept my work and home life separate from each other. I assumed that it would be enough to protect my family." Said Thane. "There was a memory I've mentioned to Shepard before…"

His eyes flashed. "Laser dot trembles on his skull. One finger twitch, and he dies. The smell of spice on the spring wind. Sunset colored eyes defiant in the scope."

Thane shook himself out of his flashback. "That was Irikah. That was how I met her. She saw my targeting laser as she walked by and threw herself in the way."

"Huh…" I blurted out. "Must have been one hell of an impression she made on you."

A small smile appeared on his face. "She woke me up." The drell assassin went back into the old memory. "Her body trembles. Not fear. Indignation. Her mouth moves. 'How dare you!'"

"Some of us on board have trained to sacrifice ourselves to save others. How often does a civilian step in the way of a bullet to protect someone they've never met?" he asked.

"Probably the same odds as winning the lottery and getting struck by lightning on the same day." I answered.

Thane's eyebrows quirked up slightly. "I thought she was the goddess Arashu. She met my eyes through the scope and my purpose faltered."

"And she goes from blocking your shot to having a son with you?" I ask shaking my head slightly. "Hell of a way to meet someone."

"I had to meet her. The memory possessed and endowed me."

He said it with such…joy that I just grinned at him like an idiot.

"When I met her, I fell to my knees and begged her pardon. She introduced me to the world beyond my work. Eventually, she forgave me. Later, she loved me."

"I guess that brings us to what happened with her…" I replied quietly.

"I let myself become complacent. I thought Irikah and Kolyat were safe. I stayed away too long and my enemies came for them." Thane said.

"Who?"

"Batarians. A slaver ring that was preying on hanar outer colonies. I had killed their leaders. They paid the Shadow Broker to who I was. But they were afraid of me, so they went after her."

I scoffed in disgust. "Spineless bastards."

Thane nodded slightly.

"What happened after that?"

"I returned to my battle sleep. My body hunted her killers…murdered them. I was taught to grant death quickly, cleanly. Them—I let them linger." He answered.

"But your body did that, not your soul." I said.

"I made the choice to go after them. They're the only lives I've taken of my own choice. The only deaths on my conscience." Thane paused for a moment. "You and Shepard are the only ones I've mentioned this too…I wasn't sure I had anyone left to tell."

I took a deep breath. "Facing death with regrets is a tough thing, believe me. In my final moments, I had them. But in this world, anything can happen and anything can change in an instant. Your situation is almost similar to mine."

I paused and smirked. "I dunno if I've mentioned this but…you remind me of me."

Thane raised a brow. "Really?"

I shrugged. "Think about it. We both spent time running around the galaxy trying to make it a better place. We've lost loved ones. The list goes on."

"Hm…" he muttered.

"Well, similar in some aspects…not all." I amended.

"True. Assassins tend to be solitary. I'm learning the virtues of facing death with others." Replied Thane.

"You get used to it. I've been doing it for a long time." I said.

I stood up and gave him a slap on the shoulder. "You ever need to talk or something, let me know."

"Thank you." Thane said.

* * *

I suited up and met with Shepard, Samara, and Thane in the airlock.

"Feels like yesterday I was limping around this place trying to track your ass down." I said to Shepard.

"I know what you mean." He replied with a small chuckle.

"Shepard, I am unable to pinpoint any pattern in the death total on Omega that would point to an Ardat-Yakshi. Due to the obscurity, I suggest you visit Aria T'Loak to find out more." EDI said over the radio.

"Thank you." Samara replied.

"Should be interesting to see her again." Said John.

"You don't sound happy." I added.

John shrugged. "I just hate the music there."

"No argument here."

As we approached Afterlife, Shepard decided to ask me something.

"So Mark, your contacts couldn't find anything?"

"Finding a dead body on this station that fits the COD (cause of death) of an Ardat-Yakshi is like finding a needle in a haystack. Even if it does seem similar, you'd need an asari doctor to give you a straight answer. Otherwise, anyone that dies of a brain aneurysm could be a potential victim." I answered.

"Ah okay."

"But I guess it couldn't hurt to ask one of my guys here. I haven't gotten an Omega update in a while."

This little visit was going to be interesting. Mostly because I had never met Aria in person. I wouldn't be surprised if she had heard of me, considering how fast Outer Heaven had spread…well that and my reputation amongst the asari.

The inner door to the club opened up and the music boomed.

_What a shock, another 'atmospheric' house song. They really need to change it up._

The four of us walked in, making our way to Aria's VIP loft. We walked past Grizz, a turian, who was one of Aria's henchmen. I gave him a nod. Truth be told, he was a friend of Vic's. Grizz wasn't an informant or anything but he did drop a few good tidbits to Vic every now and then. After heading up the stairs, we saw the 'Queen of Omega' herself, sitting on a couch.

"Well, well. What brings the great Commander Shepard back to me?" Aria asked out loud.

"Business…again." He answered with a small sigh as he sat down on the far end of the couch.

"Shame." Aria said. "Sounds like you didn't take my advice when I said that you should find a nice girl to keep you warm."

"It might be a while with the Collectors still lurking around."

Aria tapped her chin. "It's always something, isn't it?"

"Hm." Shepard grunted. "Anyway, there's an asari fugitive hiding out here. She's an Ardat-Yakshi. We need to find her."

Aria's expression turned to one of concern and disgust. "I knew it. Nothing leaves a body quite so…empty…as an Ardat-Yakshi does."

"You haven't taken steps to kill her?" Samara asked.

"Why would I? She hasn't tried to seduce me." Aria snidely remarked.

Omega's ruler continued. "But there was a report of someone that died, fitting the description of an Ardat-Yakshi victim. She was a pretty thing. Lived in the tenements near here. That's where I'd start looking."

Shepard nodded. "Thanks for the tip."

"Good luck finding her. Better luck catching her." Aria added.

I quirked an eyebrow. _Maybe that's just coincidence that she worded it like that._

As Shepard came down the small steps, Aria followed him.

"Just try not to make a mess of my station." She said, looking at me in the eyes instead of looking at Shepard. Aria glanced at me from head to toe.

Shepard and the others looked at us, puzzled.

"So this is the famous Mark Sears…" Aria said.

"And you're Aria T'Loak, Omega's ruler." I replied.

She nodded and kept staring at me with an unreadable expression. "You're a lot more handsome in person."

I smirked. "The feelings mutual."

"Shepard told me that you were the one that found a datapad regarding some merc groups that were going to come after me."

"Really…" I said, turning to John. He bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

_Why do I have a strange feeling that Aria's part of 'the category'?_

"Yes. I was thinking of a special way to thank you. I have a few ideas." Aria said, a wicked grin appearing on her face.

"Another time, perhaps." I said. "I'm pretty busy."

"Shame. Don't be a stranger." She said, with a small wink.

I sighed as the four of us left the club.

"John…you say one word—"

Shepard just laughed as we walked out of Afterlife.

"Interesting." Thane said. "I didn't expect Aria T'Loak to be so…hands on."

I rolled my eyes and grumbled. "First time, I've ever met her and _that_ happens."

"It would seem the legends of the 'attractor' are not simply legend." Samara offered.

"It's still legend as far as I'm concerned." I said, agitated.

"Attractor?" Shepard asked. Samara explained the ancient asari legend to him

Shepard just laughed harder. "I can say for a fact that its not legend."

"Can we just go back to the mission?"

"Yeah." Shepard replied. "Lets go to the apartments."

* * *

Shepard pressed the doorbell to the nearby apartment and it was answered by an older woman, whose eyes were red and blotchy.

"Are you here about my daughter?" she asked uneasily.

"Yes ma'am."

"Come—come in."

The four of us stepped into the small, 3 room apartment.

"Who are you?" asked the woman.

"My name's Shepard and these are my associates. What's your name?"

"Diana. My Nef died about a week ago, and no one seems to care." She answered. "The medics said that it was a brain hemorrhage, but that's not true. It was murder. Someone killed my Nef, my baby."

"We think she was murdered too, and we're looking for her killer." Shepard replied.

"Oh thank you!" Diana said. "It's so hard when no one believes you. I'm all alone now. Are you…with Aria?"

John shook his head. "No. We're here to help. We think the person that killed your daughter is linked to several other murders."

Diana sighed. "No one else on this hell hole station gives a damn that my daughter Nef is dead. If you can do something about it, I'll help you in anyway I can."

Thane and I decided to take a backseat on this one and let Shepard and Samara work on this.

"Did your daughter have a lot of friends?" Shepard asked.

"Not a lot, no. She was shy. Spent most of her time making her sculptures, not hanging out with friends." Diana replied. Her brow creased slightly, trying to remember something. "Something did change in the last few weeks though. She started talking about an asari. Morinth."

She said Morinth's name with such disdain. Samara looked over at Shepard.

"I see."

"I didn't like her." Continued Diana. "She kept dragging Nef out to clubs, and I'm pretty sure she gave my daughter drugs."

"What kind of person was Morinth?"

"I never met her but Nef talked about her like she was a queen. You'd swear there was no one else alive when she talked about Morinth."

"That sounds familiar." Muttered Samara.

Shepard turned to the justicar. "Samara, does Morinth control her victims with drugs?"

Samara shook her head. "She controls them through sheer will. The drugs are just a lifestyle. She loves the club, loves the bass. She's a hedonist."

Diana's eyes widened. "So this Morinth did hurt my daughter? She's the one that…that."

"I will bring justice to the one that did this." Samara cut in.

"We swear to you: Nef will rest easy soon." Added Shepard.

"I hope so. I hope so. Oh, my baby." Diana cried out.

"Did she hang out anywhere in particular?"

"She was always quiet, working here at home. A few weeks ago, she started going out to the VIP area of that club down the street. I think you need a password or something to get in. The change was so sudden, she just seemed…tired and distracted when she wasn't around Morinth."

"What kind of a girl was your daughter?" Shepard asked.

"My Nef had a fire inside of her. She was shy, but she was creative and driven and…the best girl a mother can hope for."

Samara cut in. "She was creative? How so?"

"She was a sculptor. Several galleries were interested in her work. They said it was fresh."

John nodded and bit his lip. "Do you uh…mind if we take a look around?"

"I didn't want to disturb anything. Her clothes, her art, her sculptures. Everything is the way she left it. The way it will always be. My baby is gone…she's gone and nothing will fix that." She said, slowly weeping. Shepard put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you. I'm sorry…I just miss her so much." Diana said.

"It's all right. We've all suffered loss." Replied Shepard.

"I know what it means to lose a daughter. I will avenge her." Samara added.

_Lose a daughter? She must be talking about Morinth._

"Thank you. Please, if it helps you find her killer, look through her things."

"We will be respectful." Samara responded.

Shepard, Samara, and Thane walked into Nef's room. I stayed with Diana.

I sighed. "This job never gets easier."

"You…you've done this before?"

"I'm a private investigator." I replied. "Six years and it never gets easier."

Diana swallowed hard and looked down at the floor.

"But I wouldn't worry. We're the best."

"That's good." Diana replied. "What do you know about this Morinth?"

I sighed. "Your daughter isn't the first victim of hers. The asari with us has been after her for…well, longer than our life spans and our ancestors. She asked for our help."

"I hope you and your friends get her."

I nodded. "We will. My instincts say that we'll get her."

Shepard and the others were in Nef's room for some time, looking for clues. Diana offered me some tea. I stuck around to comfort her. Losing a loved one is never easy and she was still jumpy.

Thane stepped out of the room. "Mark, we could use your assistance."

I slowly rose up from the couch and patted Diana on the arm. "I'll be back."

I walked into the room. "So, what's up?"

"We've narrowed down her location to the VIP lounge at Afterlife and learned some small details. But I don't want to leave until we find some extra intel." Shepard whispered.

"Gotcha." I replied. I got on one knee and looked under the bed.

"You guys did check under here right?"

"We did not." Samara said.

I poked my head out. "You know you usually find some interesting stuff under the bed."

"I'm afraid of the boogerman." Shepard replied flatly, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

I rolled my eyes. "Its boogeyman."

I ducked under the bed and pulled out a datapad.

"What does it say?" Thane asked.

I cleared my throat and read. "Nef, I'm sending you this hologram by the elcor artist Forta. His work is sublime—but don't stare at it too long or you may go mad. I don't want anything bad to happen to you love. I can't wait to hear what you think of the artist Forta."

"Sounds like we have another thing to add." Shepard said.

I glanced over at a sculpture on Nef's desk. "Whew." I whistled.

Diana stood at the doorway. "Nef made that. A man from some gallery offered me four years salary for it. But I'd never part with it."

"I wouldn't either. That's way too nice." I replied.

"Have you found anything?" Diana asked.

"Everything we need. Thank you for helping us, ma'am." Shepard said as we walked out. I gave Diana a curt nod as we left.

"We're going to need to plan our next move." Thane said.

"I know a place." I added. "It should be quiet there about now."

* * *

**Red Star Café, Omega**

It was getting close to the evening hours, and sure enough, it was silent at the Red Star. We walked in, seeing a couple of customers around.

"Hi Mark." Drawled out Valena.

"Hey Val. How have you been?" I asked.

"I've been fine." She said. "Better that you're here."

I chuckled. She always did have a soft spot for me.

_Never would have thought turian women liked me either._

"Is your dad around?"

She nodded. "He's in the back. I'll go get him."

"Thanks."

Valena did her best attempt at a wink before walking off into the back room.

John had his arms folded. "First Aria…"

I sighed. "Don't get me started. She's had a crush on me since she met me."

"That sounds familiar." Thane added.

"Oh not you too…" I said, rubbing my forehead.

"May I ask why we are here?" Samara asked.

I brought my hand up to my face and whispered. "My contact's place. We can plan everything out in the back. I just have to let him know I'm here."

Vic walked out of the store room, wiping his hands with a towel. "Hey kid. Welcome back."

"Vic. Good to see you." I replied with a smirk.

He looked around. "Ah you brought Shepard back with you along with some new friends eh?"

I nodded. "That I did. We, uh, need a quiet place. Need to do some planning."

He waved us in. "Come on."

We stepped into the back room and sat down at a table. Shepard took out a few datapads of evidence we took from Nef's room. The four of us then went over them.

Samara sighed. "This is Morinth's work. She's attracted to artists and creators. Someone with a spark, slightly isolated from their peers. She impresses with sophistication and sex appeal. Then she strikes. The hunt interests her as much as the conquest."

I let out a creeped out shiver.

"Anyone that's successfully killed sapient beings for 400 years warrants caution." Shepard said.

"Indeed. I have not gone up against an opponent like this before." Added Thane.

"Morinth speaks to you on many levels. Her body tells yours that she'll bring unimaginable ecstasy. Her scent evokes emotions long hidden. Her eyes promise you things that you were always scared to ask another. Her voice whispers to you after you are done speaking."

The room fell silent as Shepard, Thane, and I glanced at each other.

"Damn." I muttered.

"She sounds more like a highly evolved killer than a genetic defective." Shepard said, narrowing his brow.

"Yeah. It almost reminds me of those old stories about vampires and stuff." I added. Shepard nodded in agreement.

"The condition has been present since my people huddled around fires at night. Perhaps it is symbiotic, rather than a defect." Said Samara.

"How do we proceed?" Thane asked.

"Storming her den would be a mistake—she will have a hundred escape routes planned. She will go to ground and disappear for fifty years or more. This is the closest I've ever been."

"Then we should lay a trap for her." Shepard replied.

"Yes! Shepard you read my mind." Samara said in an unusually gleeful tone.

She tapped her chin. "Afterlife's VIP section seems her preferred hunting ground. One of you will have to go in unarmed."

The three of us looked at each other.

"Unfortunately, Mark cannot go." She said.

I shrugged. "Considering my strange effect on asari, I'd end up being a huge distraction."

"I'll do it." Shepard volunteered. "Thane, you'll be shadowing me. In case something goes wrong, I want someone to back me up."

"Of course." Said the drell, bowing his head.

"I'll be your eyes and ears on the outside. To back up the back up." I added.

Samara turned to Shepard. "Shepard, you must go in alone and unarmed."

"So, she'll come after me."

"You can draw Morinth out. She'll certainly flee if she catches sight of me. But she won't be able to resist you."

I folded my arms and grinned at Shepard.

"What?" he asked flatly.

"Won't be able to resist eh?"

"Mark, if you went in, she'd probably meld with you the second you walked in." he said.

"Point taken."

Samara continued. "You are an artist on the battlefield, Shepard. You have the vital spark that attracts her. Your power will draw her in."

He nodded. "Let's get to it."

We walked out of the back room, Vic was in the kitchen, cleaning up.

"Hey kid, can you wait up for a second?"

"Sure." I turned to Thane. "Keep in touch okay?"

"Of course." He said as Shepard and the team walked out.

"So, what's going down?" Vic asked.

"Looking for a murderer." I answered.

"On this station?" the old turian asked incredulously. "Don't need to go too far."

I sighed. "This murderer isn't ordinary."

Vic shrugged and waved me back into the storeroom. "Murph sent me something a few days ago. Said to give it to you when you stopped by."

"Hm. I didn't ask him to leave me anything." I said, in a curious tone.

Vic handed me a datapad.

_Hey kid,_

_Thought that I'd get something to cheer you up. After all the garbage you went through back home, Z and I made a few calls to some friends to get you this. I'll say this much about your little gift. One, its authentic. And two, try not to pass out when you see it. Trust me._

_Much love,_

_Murph_

I raised an eyebrow.

_It couldn't be a naked Miranda in that box…too small._

"Do you know what it is?" I asked Vic.

He held his hands up. "Nope. I'm not in the business of opening your mail."

I shrugged as I walked up to the box. Valena walked into the room and stood next to her father.

I took a deep breath and opened it slowly. The top fell off of the box and my jaw fell open.

"By the beard of Zeus!" I yelled out.

"What? What is it?" Valena asked, worriedly as she and Vic approached.

"It's just a set of armor." Vic stated.

"Not just any armor…that's…mmmm." I bit my lip, this was just too good to be true.

"Mark?" asked Valena. "Are you…okay?"

"Ohh dear lord." I moaned out.

Vic sighed. "You humans are strange."

"Mark needs new underwear." I muttered. Valena chuckled.

I eventually stood up and gazed in awe at the armor Murph got for me.

It was Minuteman Battle Armor, the very combat armor worn by the current EUCC World Club Champion Boston Minutemen. The helmet design inspired the creation of the Archon visor and Kestrel helmet but looked more like an old American football helmet. The chest piece was a combination of the Aegis vest and Capacitor chestplate with ammo pouches on the chest and arms. Stabilization gauntlets were in place for the arms and featured forearm protectors. The shoulder pads were larger, and more rounded versions of the Strength Boost Pads, featuring more protection on the top of the shoulders. The leg greaves had reinforced joints and additional ammo packs on the left leg. The entire suit was painted in a black metallic paint with redcurrant digital camouflage patterns mixed in with gold. There was also some gold painted details along the helmet, capacitor pads, and holsters. Last but not least, the Minuteman logo just below the throat: a skull with a large B on its tri-corner hat, sitting in front of a shamrock.

Aside from the outside features, the ones inside this suit were as good as mine, if not, better. The microframe computer was developed by some of the best minds at MIT and featured a combat exoskeleton system so advanced, that the Alliance deemed it to be highly classified. For something like that to get out in the open would present some serious problems as military R&D was still trying to figure it out. I did hear murmurs that it was secretly field tested against some asari commandos, turian special forces, and the STG…even a few Spectres and the system not only outclassed them, it made their military manufacturing companies make some serious changes.

_MIT eggheads making some of the galaxy's best military minds tremble in fear…freakin' sweet._

I ran a hand over the suit. "Simply amazing."

Vic let out a sigh of relief. "For a second, I thought I was going to need a mop to get you off the floor kid."

"I'm fine now…just the initial shock was…well, it was surprising."

Valena looked at it as well. "I've never seen this before. Looks expensive."

"Minuteman Battle Armor. Worn by members of the EUCC's Boston Minutemen." I replied.

"Oh that sports league you and Murph are always raving about." Vic chimed in. "Nice grab if I do say so myself."

I nodded in agreement. "Let's see if it fits."

I took off my custom armor and tried on the Minuteman. "Oh yeah. This feels good."

Valena laughed. "You look very dashing in it Mark."

"Thanks."

Vic rolled his eyes. "Do you really have to hit on him in front of me, sweetie?"

"Yes." She replied.

"Spirits…just like your mother."

Valena laughed at her father.

"Mark? We're getting set up. Be ready in five minutes." Shepard radioed.

"You got it." I replied. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I gotta go. I'll be back to get my armor in a bit."

"See you later kid."

"Bye Mark."

I nodded and walked out wearing my brand new Minuteman armor, leaving my custom armor in the storeroom.

* * *

**3 blocks from Afterlife VIP**

"In position." I radioed as I stood on a street corner, leaning against the window of an electronics store.

"In position." Thane radioed, the sound of thumping music in the background.

I was staring at the club entrance and saw Shepard and Samara walk by. I gave them both a nod. The two of them came over.

"Lookin' sharp, John." I said with a smirk.

"Thanks. Kasumi got me this for that heist we did."

"Hmm."

"Speaking of looking sharp." He started. "Is that what I think it is?"

I grinned. "Oh yeah. Murph got me this."

Shepard let out a low whistle. "Wish I had one. The Illusive Man sent me an autographed Edmonton Blood Dragon suit when we were at the Citadel."

I snorted. "Figures that he would like them. Freakin' bandwagon jumper."

John shrugged. "Anyway, we're heading over."

"Good luck…to both of you." I said.

And like that, they were off.

_Time to play hurry up and wait…_

I pulled out a lufar and lit up. Shepard kept his comm. link open so we could listen in, in case something bad happened.

He was pretty busy inside the VIP section. John helped out an undercover reporter doing a piece on Omega's gangs by giving her the evac codeword. He knocked out a turian that was trying to take a dancer home for some 'fun'. Shepard capped it all off with a dance with another asari and schmoozing the bartender to give everyone drinks on the house…which worked spectacularly.

"My name is Morinth. I've been watching you. You're the most interesting person in this place."

_Here we go._

"Thane, do see them?" I asked.

"Yes…hm, this is interesting." He said in a curious tone.

"What's up?"

"Morinth…she looks exactly like Samara." Replied the assassin.

I raised an eyebrow. "But she is Samara's daughter so there would be _some _resemblance."

"Not like this." My omni-tool beeped and I opened the new window. It was a picture Thane took.

"Woah. Its like their identical."

"Indeed." He said before we went back to radio silence.

Shepard and Morinth's conversation was pretty much driven by Shepard as he highlighted everything we learned about Morinth from the clues in Nef's room. I was cringing the entire time.

_This is the strangest, most avant-garde way to pick up a woman that I've ever heard. I don't even think they're talking about anything._

"Do you want to get out of here? My apartment is nearby, and I want you alone." Morinth said to Shepard.

_Huh. Wonder how it would have went if it was me instead of Shepard. Oh right. Death by mindfuck…in the club._

Morinth and Shepard left the club and were walking down the busy streets. I held my position as Samara would be tailing both of them.

Just have to remember that Thane and I are here as backup for them.

I waited for Thane, keeping an eye on Samara.

"Let us go, Mark."

"Holy shit!" I silently yelled out. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long." Thane said mildly.

I sighed. "Fine let's go. But don't do that again."

A small smirk tugged at his lips. "Of course."

We walked through the crowded streets, following behind Samara at a safe distance.

"You actually enjoyed that." I said flatly.

"Perhaps. However, this is not the time to discuss such things." He replied.

"You're right."

Samara walked up to an apartment complex and traveled up several flights of stairs, before coming up to Morinth's place.

"But you…who are you? Oh, no. I see what's going on here—the bitch herself found a little helper." Morinth said.

_Going down to the wire now._

Samara burst into the room.

"Morinth!" she yelled, followed by a crunching sound.

"Mother…" Morinth spat out. I turned my omni-tool on and placed my hand to the wall. She was pinned to the window.

"Do not call me that!"

"I can't choose to stop being your daughter…mother."

"You made your choice long ago."

Morinth released a large biotic wave, causing Samara to stagger back.

"John, get the hell out of there!" I yelled into the radio.

"What choice? My only crime is being born with the gifts you gave me!"

"Enough Morinth!"

"I am the genetic destiny of the asari. But they are not ready to reveal this, so I must die."

"You are a disease to be purged. Nothing more."

There was a pause as both mother and daughter were fight off each others biotic attacks, furniture was flying around the room and luckily Shepard was standing far from it.

"I'm as strong as she is—let me join you!" Morinth said. It was the only chance she had left at survival.

"I am already sworn to help you Shepard. Let us finish this." Samara said.

The choice for me was already obvious. I just hope we got here in time…

Shepard stared at Morinth for some time before grabbing her arm. She had no chance at trying to fight off both of them with all of her energy focused at her mother.

"End of the line Morinth."

"And they call me a monster—" she was cut off by a biotic throw, causing her head to slam against the bottom of the couch. Samara swiftly walked up to Morinth and grabbed her by the neck.

"Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess." And with that, a single biotic fueled punch slammed into Morinth's head, killing her instantly and with a sickening thud.

Thane and I came in, guns drawn just in case. Shepard noticed us and shook his head. It was over.

"I am ready to leave this place and get on with my life. Are you ready to go as well?" Samara asked, still looking stoic as ever.

"Yeah…" Shepard answered, a small crack in his voice. The four of us walked out, leaving the carnage behind us in that apartment.

"Are you going to be okay?" Shepard asked Samara.

"Shepard, what do think I will say? What can I say? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters." She said, softly. "There are no words. I will try another time. For now, show mercy for a broken warrior and let us leave."

"Of course."

I sighed as we walked out of the apartment complex.

"Sorry for acting like an idiot earlier." I blurted out. "Just trying to lighten the mood earlier…with jokes and stuff."

"There is no need to apologize. I understand your reasoning." Samara said. It was the last thing any of us said as we made our way back to the Red Star.

* * *

_I decided to add an 'alternate' armor set for Mark after getting an excellent question from Freeride600 about adding an alternate outfit. If you have any questions, concerns, etc. feel free to ask because there's a good chance that I probably haven't thought of it or considered adding it._

_Anyway, Samara's mission is done. Our next stop is Pragia to help out Jack. Why? Let's just say I had this underlying feeling about Mark and Miranda's relationship. There hasn't been much conflict as of late. That and I kind of wanted to get it out of the way. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing._

_PS: To bluemarlin, thanks for all of your reviews. I try to send a reply to everyone that reviews but I can't reply to yours. So big thanks for all of your reviews and for reading._

_PPS: The same goes for all of you that have added, followed, read, reviewed, and so on. (I just didn't want to leave anyone out since all of my readers are precious)._


	36. Subject Zero

_Author's Note: Once again, sorry for the incredibly long delay. The hardest part of this chapter was the pre-mission filler and conflict...which you'll see. I apologize in advance for the excessive amount of references and blah, blah, blah. I wanted to add some filler before doing Jack's mission. Anyway, on with the next chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Red Star Café, Omega**

The four of us returned to the Red Star, tired from chasing Morinth down and killing her. Samara was still her usual and stoic self. There was no need in trying to comfort her; she had enough to deal with. It was late and the Red Star was closing up for the night.

"Welcome back." Vic said, leading us inside as he closed the door. We took a seat at the counter.

"Hey Vic." I replied tiredly.

"So, did you find this killer?"

Shepard nodded.

"That's good. One less murdering psychopath on the station." He mused. "You guys look beat."

I snorted. "You could say that."

"You want anything to eat or drink?" Vic asked.

"If its no trouble." I replied.

He waved his three fingered hand. "Its no problem. We make so much damn food there's bound to be leftovers."

I glanced over at the others. "Anybody want some food?"

"Yes please." Thane said.

"Yes. Thank you." Shepard and Samara replied.

Omega's restaurants were mostly alien operated. Of course, since humans were new to the neighborhood, most of the foods they tried to replicate didn't turn out very good. Something like beer could end up tasting like dirty water and moldy bread…or it could just make you violently ill. Vic's place on the other hand, was far better. He had people humans, asari, and turians working in the kitchen. It was the best place for food on the whole station. Some ingredients were hard to get considering how far away we were from Earth. But having connections can help.

I propped my head up with my hand and rubbed my forehead. It had been a long night.

"Does anyone know what time it is?" I asked tiredly.

"It's late." Shepard answered flatly.

"Real original, John." I sarcastically replied.

"It is 22:15." Thane added.

I grumbled.

"So Mark, how's that Minuteman armor treating you?" John asked.

"To quote a wise man: It's like being hugged by a velour child."

He chuckled. "Zapp Brannigan wasn't wise."

"But he was hilarious." I added.

"This is true."

Vic told us what he had for leftovers. Most of it was human food as he had seen an increase in human customers. John and I just got a couple of cheeseburgers. Thane and Samara chose some asari dish that I couldn't pronounce.

"Thanks Vic." I replied.

"You got it."

The four of us ate in relative silence. Vic took a seat at the counter and turned on the vidscreen.

"So Vic, how do you and Mark know each other?" Shepard asked.

"Friend of a friend." Replied the old turian.

I chimed in. "Vic and Murph used to work in the intelligence department for their respective governments."

Vic nodded. "Yep. Used to work in the Hierarchy's Military Defense Agency. Murph worked in the Alliance Intelligence Bureau. Kept the back channels open to stave off any sort of conflicts."

"You were spies?" Thane asked.

"We did some spy things on occasion. Nothing like you'd see in the vids though. Most of it was intelligence gathering and shadow diplomacy." He answered.

"Shadow diplomacy?" questioned Shepard.

"We negotiated terms without any real government representation. It would just be our handlers and us doing the talking, trying to figure out what each side is doing. Personally, I think its way more efficient than the bullshit I've seen in the last two years."

Shepard snorted. "Can't say I disagree."

"Mm—hmm." I added. "What's up next for us?"

"Going to Pragia to help Jack." Replied Shepard. "I need to get a large bomb for that as well."

I raised an eyebrow. "How big are we talking about?"

"Enough to completely destroy a facility."

I scratched my chin. "We do have the Trident missiles I got."

"Trident missiles?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah. A little something I cooked up before we landed on Illium. Its got enough of a payload to take on a Collector ship and things larger than that." I replied.

"Huh. We haven't tested those out yet have we?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"We should do that before we leave. Good thing there's a large asteroid belt in this system."

"Well as long as you don't do it near the station." Chimed in Vic.

"Of course." Replied Shepard. "Well, thanks for the food Vic. We should head out."

"Anytime, Shepard. Mark…see you around."

"You too Vic."

We finished our meals and I went to get my custom armor. It was late and we had a big day ahead of us.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Omega, Preparing to depart to Pragia**

Back on the ship, I was busy storing all of my gear. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough space in my bag to store my new set of armor.

_No problem. This would look pretty sweet in my room anyway._

I decided to wear it down to the crew deck and take it off there. I got a few whistles from some of the crewmembers. I guess I wasn't the only EUCC fan on board.

I walked into my room, seeing Watson on the couch playing video games. At the moment, he was close to the end of Metal Gear Solid.

"Hey buddy." I said.

"Hello Mark. Welcome back." Watson replied.

"So I see you're close to the PAL code input part."

"Indeed. We have found this game to be intriguing." Said Watson. "It provides an interesting viewpoint in regards to 21st century nuclear arms policies."

"Oh that's not the half of it. This series has a killer story." I replied.

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. I had let Watson go through most of my old video game library. I just told him that it might provide some insight to organics. Of course, he explored other games like 'Galaxy of Fantasy' and other modern games.

"So you received Murph's gift." Said the large geth.

"Oh yeah. Freakin' brilliant. I'll have to get him something nice in return."

Watson continued to watch the cutscene unfold on the screen, as did I. Liquid Snake was discussing his plan to Ocelot. They were preparing to launch the new nuclear weapon at a nuclear test site in China. He would then sell these plans to various countries and factions around the world and hope to get over a billion dollars in ransom from the United States. Add in the fact that he received some serious weapons from Colonel Gurlukovich and the potential for over a thousand troops, Liquid would turn a small Alaskan island into 'Outer Heaven'.

"An interesting plan. However, the name of Liquid Snake's plan—"

"Outer Heaven?" I asked with a laugh.

"Your inspiration?"

"That's one reason." I replied.

I glanced over at all of the 'alternate' drawings I had hanging up on the wall. All of them were of the squad and crew. I dubbed this section of the wall, 'Mount Lushmore'.

I took off my armor and set it aside. "Well, you know where I'll be staying for the night. Good luck finishing the game."

"Thank you." Watson said, as I headed out.

I stepped out into the empty crew deck and silently made my way towards Miranda's room. I pressed the doorbell on the holographic display.

"Yes?" Miranda asked.

"It's Mark." I whispered.

"Come in." she replied in a sultry tone.

I walked in and saw her laying on the bed, reading a book. She must have been anticipating my arrival as she was only wearing some lacy white panties.

"You must be really into that book, if you're wearing that." I commented.

Miranda bit her lip. "I was just waiting for you."

"I see." I replied, as I made my way to the side of her bed. She put the book down and we kissed.

It didn't take long before it got more and more passionate.

"I've been waiting for this all day." Miranda said, breathlessly.

"Me too."

* * *

The two of us lied back in the bed, breathing heavily. It never ceased to amaze me at how Miranda could just switch herself on and off. Then again, I did the same thing when I stepped in and out of her office.

I rolled over on my right side and ran my fingers through her hair.

She gave me a tired smile. "That feels good."

"Among other things, I'm sure." I replied.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You and your terrible innuendo."

I smirked. "You can put up the lame joke face all you want, you know you love it."

She simply sighed. "I swear you're starting to embrace Martin Thunder's persona."

"If I did, I'd spend more time walking around the ship having sex with every woman on board." I replied.

"If you did, I'd have to kill you with my mind." Miranda said dryly.

"I can only think of one woman in this galaxy I'd rather be with. Luckily for me, she's right here." I added.

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Good because the one man in the galaxy I'd rather be with happens to be here too."

I smirked and kissed her on the lips.

"So, what were you up to today?" Miranda asked.

"Helped Samara out with some personal stuff." I answered.

"Ah yes…finding her daughter, the Ardat-Yakshi."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you knew about it?"

"She wanted to contact an information broker on Omega to try and track the ship. I set up the link for her." She replied. "I kept it a secret."

I nodded. "I see."

"So how did it go?"

I rested my head back onto the pillow. "We completed the mission…but it didn't end well."

"I see…" Miranda trailed off.

"I've seen so many cases as a detective. But that…that was twisted." I said softly.

"I don't think its going to get any easier. We're going to Pragia." Miranda propped her self up and rested her head in her hand.

"What's on Pragia?"

"An old Cerberus facility." Answered Miranda. "I don't even know the details about it."

"Did you ask your boss?"

She shook her head. "I tried to. He hasn't responded back yet."

"Hm…" I muttered. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Miranda shrugged. "I imagine Jack will ask you to tag along with her."

"What makes you think that?"

"You and Shepard have helped everyone out so far. Well, you weren't physically there to help Jacob but you gave the team advice." She replied. "Maybe she'll ask you tomorrow."

"Maybe." I said with a yawn.

"I must have really worn you out." Joked Miranda.

I rolled my eyes. "That's only a small part of it. Spending all day running around Omega, getting hit on by Aria, and helping a comrade can take its toll."

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"What's wrong?"

"Aria hit on you?" Miranda asked angrily.

I sighed. "Don't worry, I didn't play along. You remember that story I told you and the others about when Shepard talked to the Council?"

Miranda tapped her chin. "Something about asari being randomly attracted to you?"

"That's the one."

Miranda groaned. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Something similar happened when you helped me save Oriana."

"Told you it wasn't crazy."

She shook her head and kissed me. "As long as you don't go off—"

"Why would I do that when I've got the woman of my dreams right here?"

Miranda rolled her eyes and lightly blushed. "What am I ever going to do with you?"

* * *

The following morning was nothing but routine. Wake up, give and receive a 'wake up call' to/for Miranda, sneak out, and go through my usual morning duties. I felt like I was in a bit of a daze this morning. Pragia was about a day or two away from Omega. The only plus was that it was a straight shot to the system, any other route and we'd be close to a week out in travel time. I was lost in my own thoughts when Garrus took a seat next to me in the mess hall.

"Hey Mark."

"Hm? Oh. Hey Garrus." I said.

"What's up?"

"Oh just thinking about something. I think we're going to test the Trident missiles today." I replied.

"I've seen the launchers before. But I've never heard of Trident missiles before."

I sat up in my chair. "It's little creation I made after we picked you up. It took awhile to get them built. I've only done simulations, no actual field tests. Anyway, the primary missile cruises to the target at supersonic speeds. About 200 meters from the target, several smaller, high velocity rockets launch out of the sides. Like missiles within missiles."

"Wow." Garrus replied, impressed. "I'd be surprised but you've built so many different things lately its lost its luster."

I chuckled.

"Hey, that was a cool drawing you made for me. But…I don't get it." Garrus said.

"Glad you liked it. What part didn't you get?" I asked.

"Why I'm wearing all black armor with a white skull on it?"

I smirked. "Oh that…well after hearing about your escapades on Omega, I immediately thought of an old superhero we have called 'The Punisher'."

Garrus raised an eyebrow. "The Punisher?"

"Unlike most superheroes, he didn't beat up the bad guys, he killed them. The Punisher used all sorts of methods: torture, extortion, kidnapping…he even killed an island of mercenaries with a nuclear weapon."

It was Garrus' turn to laugh. "You're comparing me to a guy like that?"

"Well the difference is, your nicer. The Punisher was a real hard ass."

"All the same, thanks." Garrus said.

"You're welcome."

EDI's avatar popped up to my left. "Mark, the Commander has requested you to come up to the bridge for weapons testing."

"I'm on my way." I said slowly rising out of my chair.

I gave Garrus a small wave and walked into the elevator and ascended to the CIC.

_Fingers crossed that this goes off without a hitch._

I walked through the CIC, giving various waves to the crew as I went to the bridge. Shepard and Joker were in the cockpit, having a conversation about EDI.

Joker's chair was turning randomly.

"What the-?"

"Problem Joker?" Shepard asked.

"No. It's nothing I—oh very funny EDI, real nice. Stop it." Grumbled the pilot.

"You did insist on manual control, Mr. Moreau." EDI replied.

I laughed. "Glad to see you guys are having fun up here."

"You know it." Joker said sarcastically.

"Is everything set?" I asked.

Shepard nodded. "Just waiting on you."

"Cool." I sat down at the gunnery station in the cockpit. "Lets find ourselves a nice big asteroid to shoot at."

"How about Omega? That's a nice big asteroid." Joker dryly added.

"Funny."

"I try."

I scanned around the screen before setting my sights on an asteroid the size of small freighter.

"Locked on target. Opening missile ports." I said. The launchers themselves were located a little further up from the main gun ports. The loading mechanism was inside the main battery.

"All systems are in the green." Added Joker.

"Fire when ready." Shepard said.

I nodded and took a deep breath. The indicator on the screen was flashing a lock.

"I've got tone. Fox 1."

The Trident flew out of the launcher like a bullet, I felt the smallest of thuds as I was fired out.

"Distance to target 15,000 meters." EDI stated.

About 3 seconds later. "Distance to target 1000 meters."

"That's insane." Joker muttered.

"Time to missile separation in 3…2…1." I said.

Like clockwork, the side panels flew open and over fifty miniature rockets flew out, curving in several directions at breakneck speeds before slamming into the targeted asteroid.

"Target is destroyed!" I yelled out. "Fuck yeah!"

Shepard let out a whistle. "Now that was something."

"I'm just trying to figure out how it closed a 15k gap in under 5 seconds." Joker said.

"Technology baby. It's a beautiful thing." I replied.

"I'd say that's a success." Shepard said, patting me on the back. "Nice work."

"Thanks."

I turned to leave the cockpit and was followed by Shepard.

"So what's your geth buddy been up to? He hasn't left your room in some time."

I shrugged. "If I told you what he's been up to, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me." Shepard said.

I took a deep breath. "He's playing through all four games of the Metal Gear Solid series."

John stood still in the CIC, blinking twice at me. "Could you say that again?"

"You heard me." I said, folding my arms.

Shepard just looked confused. "Why?"

"I suggested it to him. He wants to learn more about human culture. I figured that I'd start with video games." I answered.

John laughed.

"Laugh all you want man, it's effective. Besides, we kick total ass at Galaxy of Fantasy."

"I don't doubt it." John just shook his head. "Joker, set a course for Pragia."

"Aye-aye." Joker replied over the intercom.

EDI's voice followed. "Destination: Nubian Expanse, Dakka System. ETA: 2 Days."

"Well at least it's a straight shot from Omega to Pragia." I added.

"Yeah."

A wicked grin appeared on my face. "I know how we can pass the time."

John grinned as well. "Home movies. Yes!"

* * *

**Unknown Location**

It was one of the few times of the day where the Illusive Man had some time to himself. And time to himself meant time with him and a beautiful woman. Today, it just happened to be Skyball champion Brooke Karrigar. They played furiously for a few hours, the Illusive Man managing to get his fifth consecutive perfect game. After the match, they decided to have a 'rematch' of sorts in his office overlooking the massive dying star.

"Well Mr. Smith, that was quite the rematch." Remarked Karrigar, who was buttoning up her shirt.

"Indeed." The Illusive Man replied, as he took a drag of his cigarette. Of course with all of his sexual liaisons, he had to use a cover name. The only thing that didn't change was his nickname: Jack. "We should do this again sometime—"

"Incoming transmission." The VI said cutting in.

The Illusive Man sighed internally. _Back to work, I guess._

"I'll show myself out." Brooke said with a wink. "Bye Mr. Smith."

"Bye Brooke. I look forward to our next match." He replied in a low tone.

She giggled and walked out.

The Illusive Man tapped the display in front of him.

"Surveillance logs from Bug 43."

His hands clenched into fists and he cursed.

A deep and soft voice began to speak. "They're known throughout the galaxy as the sexiest men alive. Musicians without an equal."

The screen faded to Shepard, doing a 'come here' gesture with both hands.

"His balls have balls."

The camera then cut to Mark, wearing nothing but boxers, playing a saxophone.

"Simply looking him in the eye will make you rock solid."

Shepard pointed at himself and did a goofy dance.

"With their combined powers, they are…Sears and Shepard."

It was simply an opener for their music video…a cover of George Michael's 'Careless Whisper'. Mark was wailing on the saxophone in his underpants, 'dancing' around like he was humping the thing. Shepard was lip-synching like a champion. The entire background was a sunset over a beach, occasionally cutting to Jacob with Kasumi or Kelly.

When it was all over, the Illusive Man just felt like crying.

_Why does he have to torture me with this? Why?_

"Tonight on Awesome Cops! Detective Thunder reunites with an old rival."

It cut to an agitated looking Mark staring down Jacob.

"Detective Thunder, this is—" Miranda started.

"Rick Bolivia." He said darkly.

"Martin Thunder." Jacob replied. "Been a long time. You still look like a '70's pedophile."

Mark looked down smugly. "You've been wearing the same towel since I met you. Still taking that 'oblivious douchebag' medicine?"

"Calm down you two!" Miranda yelled, getting in between both men and the camera zoomed out. Jacob _was _wearing a towel…with a badge on it. "You're going to work together whether you like it or not!"

Jacob looked up and down at her, checking her out. "Fine. Speaking of fine…"

"Stop right there." She spat out. "One more word and you're gone."

"Don't bother, Rick. Been there, done that." Mark said.

Jacob and Miranda had shocked expressions on their faces.

The next scene cut to Mark and Garrus sitting around a table.

"So, what's the deal with you guys anyway?" Garrus asked.

Mark folded his hands and took a deep breath. "The year was 2176. I was the king of the world…the adult film world which is bigger than the world."

The screen went into a flashback sequence. "I was on the set with Stephanie Broadchest. She was good for an older gal."

Turns out, that 'older gal' was Dr. Chakwas.

"We'd just finished shooting when 'he' came along."

"You mean Rick Bolivia?"

"Yeah. He stole all of my moves and got praised by everyone. He even took my signature move…"

Garrus shook his head. "He destroyed your rep eh?"

"Yeah. That's how I became a detective. Left the biz and here I am." Mark replied.

The next scene was a massive shootout with a bunch of thugs. Jacob was pinned down.

"Martin help me out here!"

"Why should I? You destroyed my career!" Mark yelled back. "You stole everything I had!"

"What?"

"You heard me Bolivia!"

Jacob looked shocked…and he was still wearing the towel. "You were my hero, man! You're the reason why I got into the business!"

Mark had a touched expression on his face. "I—I was your hero?"

"Yeah. I studied your every move. Even your signature move—"

At the same time, they both said, "The Genital Monsoon."

The Illusive Man cringed. _Where the hell does he come up with this?_

"Then why are you a cop?" Mark asked.

"So I could work with you man!"

Mark nodded. "Let's take out these guys eh?"

After the dust settled, the three 'cops' walked out.

"Does this mean we're friends?" Jacob asked.

"Better than rivals. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on you."

Jacob thoughtfully nodded. "That's what she said."

Both men laughed as they walked away from the massive burning building, with Miranda screaming obscenities at the officers.

The next video was with Thane and Jacob, standing in the cargo bay.

"Are you sure about this?" Jacob asked.

"I believe we should. It's only fair." Thane replied.

Both men danced around in a circle, holding up their hands. They were wearing boxing gloves.

"Are you going to ring the bell?" Thane asked.

Jacob chuckled. "Fine. Ding, ding."

They danced around again before throwing punches at each other. The screen went from an actual photo to a piece of art; the song 'Eye of the Tiger' playing.

The Illusive Man crumbled further.

"End of surveillance logs."

_I've spent half a million credits trying to reconfigure this system…and for what? All of this garbage. I need another smoke._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Pragia**

After filming, I went down to the hangar deck to practice my hand-to-hand combat. I walked in, giving a few waves to the crewmen down there. Thane and Samara were down here as well. I started stretching out when both of them approached me.

"Hey Thane, Samara. What's up?" I asked.

"We were preparing to spar. The two of us finished practicing." Samara answered.

I nodded. "Well, I trust both of you won't try to put a hole in the ship."

"Our biotics will not be used. This is a simple practice." Thane said.

"Cool."

"Would you care to join us?" Thane asked.

"Uh, are you sure?" I was a little confused.

"Yes." Answered Samara. "I have heard that you are quite skilled at martial arts. Mr. Krios—Thane has also remarked on your abilities."

"Oh…okay." Well, Thane saw what I did to stop his son. "So how are we gonna do this? Free for all or two on one?"

"Two on one." Thane answered.

"I just need to warm up first." I said.

_Two on one eh? I hope I'm not the one._

I started warming up by hitting the punching bag a few times.

"I'm good. So, what's the match up going to be like?" I asked.

Samara and Thane looked at each other. The justicar decided to speak up first.

"It will be the two of us versus you."

My eyes widened. "Uh…"

"We already know each other's tendencies in combat. You are an unknown." She said.

Thane held a hand up. "We will not go full force. Only if you are ready."

_Okay…just calm down. Its not full force._

I took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

We stepped towards the larger, more open area of the hangar. From the look of it, I would be fighting Thane first while Samara would stand off to the side and wait.

I got into stance and waited. Being a southpaw, I'd probably throw both of them off…at least, that was my one hope.

"Ready." Thane said.

"Ready." I replied.

We slowly circled around before Thane got things started. I remember watching him drop from a ceiling duct when we picked him up. His strikes were fast and silent. I could dodge and block them but it was a hell of a challenge. After trading strikes and dodges, he backed out, letting Samara jump in. As if facing the galaxy's best assassin wasn't enough, facing a justicar with centuries of battle experience would be something else.

_Just take it easy, its only practice_.

Samara and I circled around. She looked like she was waiting for me to get things started.

_Fine by me…_

I started the fight off slow, going for an outer leg kick off the bat. It didn't take much to get her going as she sprang into action after that kick. The justicar sent a flurry of kicks and punches my way. Out of the twenty or so strikes I took from her, I blocked/dodged nine of them. Samara's speed and flexibility were too much.

I took a kick to the side of my chest and back up.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I nodded. "Care to go full force?"

Samara and Thane looked at each other.

"If you're sure…" said Samara.

"Yeah. Let's do it."

* * *

Shepard was in his room, stuck doing over 3 weeks of backlogged paperwork. Kelly had accompanied him, as she didn't have anything else to do at the moment.

The commander was beat. "Kelly, please tell me we're done."

She gave him an apologetic smirk. "Sorry. We've still got to go through the engineering reports.

John whimpered. "I don't remember getting this much paperwork when I was in the Alliance. I was a soldier for god's sake."

Kelly gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. "We'll be done doing these reports soon. Engineering is only one left."

"Sweet."

The redhead giggled and sorted through some files. "It's a shame we had to go from making some silly videos to going back to work."

"Yeah. I guess I should thank Mark for doing that. It takes the edge off." Shepard replied, as he sorted through some engineering logs.

"I'll admit that his ideas are getting more…unusual."

"He's a strange guy. That's what makes him great. Without him, this probably would have been mundane and depressing." Said a thoughtful Shepard.

"I won't argue that. He seems to be earning everyone's trust now—"

She was cut off by Joker over the intercom. "Hey Commander. Just wanted to let you know there's a huge sparring match going on in the hangar deck. Mark's facing Thane and Samara."

John blinked hard in disbelief.

"Oh my…" Kelly muttered.

"On my way." Shepard replied as he got up and darted out.

"Shepard, wait!" yelled the yeoman. "We're not done…oh never mind. I should see this."

* * *

_Okay. In hindsight, this was a bad idea._

Our fight had gone on for almost twenty minutes and I was getting drubbed. Thane and Samara's attacks were flying in at light speed. My main focus wasn't attacking or defending, it was counter attacking and focusing on using my surroundings. I had managed to get the drop on them once or twice by launching off a support pillar with a flying kick. Other than that, I had to spend most of my time trying to counter a strike by throwing them down or countering with a strike of my own.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that a large crowd was gathering in the hangar deck to watch our little sparring contest. I was getting worn out now. They knew my tendencies now and were waiting for the right opportunity to finish the fight. Both of them were standing side by side, waiting for me to strike. If I was going to turn the tables, I would need to do something unorthodox…and potentially dangerous. I started to step back slowly, Samara was getting ready to come at me with another attack.

_Now or never…_

I whipped my sunglasses off and threw them at Samara. She stopped in mid stride and caught them looking at them in shock. I took the opportunity to punch her in the gut and roll over her back, all while I grabbed my shades out of her hand. I quickly put them back on and by the time my feet touched the ground Thane was coming at me. I punched him square in the forehead. Bad idea. With his scaly skin, it was like punching a bag full of razorblades. I guess it had some effect as he staggered back. Both of them had regrouped and were focused on taking me out…again. I managed to dodge them using whatever adrenaline I had left before Samara kicked me square in the sternum, sending me flying into a crate about five feet back.

Various 'ooh's' and 'ahh's' echoed around the hangar deck as I slowly rose up, shaking the cobwebs off. Thane and Samara approached quickly to help me up.

"Are you alright?" Thane asked.

"Whew! That was a hell of a kick." I answered. "I guess we'll call that a match, eh?"

"Indeed."

Shepard, Jack, and Zaeed walked up to me.

"Geez Mark. Are you nuts?" John asked.

"Hey they offered a challenge and I accepted."

He snorted and shook his head. "You crazy bastard."

"Kid, that was the best non-fight I've ever seen." Said the old merc. "One for the highlight reel."

"It sure felt like a real fight." I muttered.

"Okay people. Show's over." Shepard said, clearing everyone out. I took a seat on a nearby crate and grabbed a towel. I was sweating buckets. Miranda and Jack were still nearby, glaring daggers at each other.

"Hey, if you're having a staring contest, can you at least move it over here so I can get in on it?" I interjected.

Miranda huffed and shook her head. "After all of that, I doubt you could handle a staring contest right now."

"I have insane stamina Miranda." I retorted with a sly grin.

She rolled her eyes and left. Jack chuckled as she took a seat next to me.

"You really like pushing her buttons." Said the ex-con.

"I do more than that." I replied.

Jack just shook her head. "You better not go into detail."

"Don't worry. I won't."

She looked down at the floor, swinging her legs back and forth. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Jack took a deep breath. "I'm sure you've heard about where we're heading."

"Some planet called Pragia." I replied.

"Yeah. That's where I was raised by Cerberus. They did all sorts of crazy shit to me and the other kids there…"

I scratched my chin. "You want me to tag along?"

She shrugged. "If you want to. I figured that you might want to see it."

"Well, you asked for my help. I'm not gonna turn down help from a friend." I replied.

"Thanks." She quietly murmured.

"You're welcome." I said slowly getting up off the crate.

* * *

**Teltin Facility, Pragia, Dakka System, Nubian Expanse**

The last day of travel was fairly uneventful. I spent most of the time playing video games with Watson or playing Skyllian Five with the crew. I neglected to tell them that I once won a Skyllian Five tournament on Elysium. I scored a cool five thousand credits but since I was a generous guy, I gave most of it back. They needed to have some money if we ever got shore leave again.

As it turns out, Shepard decided to bring Miranda along for this mission. I wasn't sure why, but considering that she was the most loyal Cerberus operative on the ship, it was probably to open her eyes.

I wasn't going to disagree. She still hadn't seen some of the things they had done. Especially what they did at Teltin. Jack managed to tell me about her experiences there. They were…horrific, to say the least.

I was up in the armory, getting ready for the trip down to Pragia. I decided against wearing the Minuteman armor. I didn't want to ding it up or anything. It was far too valuable.

_Maybe later._

Miranda walked into the armory to gear up as well. She took a seat next to me at the workbench.

"I have no idea why Shepard elected to bring me along." She muttered.

"He wants you to see what all of us see." I vaguely replied.

Miranda snorted as she picked up her new Kassa Fabrication Locust. Kasumi and Shepard picked them up at Hock's mansion and managed to duplicate several copies for the team. It was a cool submachine gun, but I had no real use for it. I had enough weapons on me as it is. But I wasn't going to turn down a free weapon, so I snagged a copy.

The two of us were silent as we finished gearing up. We headed down to the shuttle where Shepard and Jack were. John forgot to mention to the ex-con that Miranda would be coming along.

"What the fuck, Shepard? Why is the cheerleader coming along?" Jack asked.

"Because I asked her to. It used to be a Cerberus facility so her expertise might come in handy."

"Believe me, I didn't come along by choice." Miranda said flatly. The two women stared each other down again.

"Cut the shit, you two." Interrupted Shepard. "Mark, you get the bomb?"

I nodded. Last night, I brought down one of the Trident missiles and disassembled it. I took all of the warheads and lumped them together inside a crate and lined the inside with some unrefined element zero to cause a larger explosion and burn away any traces of the base; almost like thermite or napalm.

I stuck the 80 pound crate onto a lift and placed it inside the shuttle.

Jack looked at the crate. "Is that the bomb?"

"Yep. Should be more than enough to take out the base." I replied.

"Nice."

"All right. Let's get going." Shepard said.

* * *

We breached the atmosphere and flew straight into a massive storm. It was raining by the bucket load.

Jack sighed as she looked out the window. "I forgot how much I hate this place." I looked past Miranda and saw the facility as we made our approach. "See the landing pad? Has to be on the roof, or the vegetation would overgrow it in a few hours."

I raised an eyebrow. "Plants on steroids eh? Good thing its raining. There's enough dirty eezo in this thing to burn all the vegetation around here in a 10 mile radius."

"Shouldn't be too bad then if its raining." Jack shrugged.

EDI joined in. "Shepard, I am picking up thermal signatures everywhere except for your landing zone."

"Strange…something's distorting the sensors." Replied the commander.

"This was a secret Cerberus facility." Miranda added.

Jack snorted. "Yeah. They build their equipment to last, assholes."

John shook his head. "That's not what's strange. If they wanted to keep this place secret, why is there a gap at the LZ?"

"Good point." I said. "Maybe someone moved in and messed around with something in there."

"Or maybe the local wildlife decided to move indoors instead of hang around on the landing pad." Said Miranda.

"We won't know until we land." Concluded Shepard.

As we got closer, Jack looked a little antsy. "It was a mistake coming back here, Shepard."

"Calm down, Jack." He said quietly. "We'll be in and out in no time."

She took a deep breath. "Yeah. Okay. Let's get on the ground."

Hawthorne and Goldstein put the shuttle down gently and the doors opened up. It was pouring outside. I put my recon hood on and left the bomb in the shuttle. There was no point in having to lug it around, especially if there was company waiting for us.

I turned on my AV recording device once we stepped out. Part of me had a feeling that I was going to need this as further evidence against Cerberus.

"Let's just get in there and plant the bomb in my cell. I want to watch this place burn." Jack said as we walked down the ramp and into the facility.

Inside the first area of the facility was some kind of 'processing center'.

"What the hell?" I muttered.

"I never saw this room. I think they brought new kids in these containers." Jack replied. "They were messed up and starving, but alive…usually."

"Unbelievable." Shepard said.

Behind the dirty glass panes was a large conveyer with dozens of crates on it, including some that were in our current room.

_Looks like they had no shortage of subjects…_

I glanced over at Miranda who was looking at the same thing. She noticed my glance but said nothing.

Shepard pointed his Revenant at the door nearby. "I heard something. Over here."

I crept up to the door and scanned the next room with my omni-tool. "Empty."

I opened the door and walked in. The noise we had heard was from an active console. It was an image of a Cerberus security officer.

"The Illusive Man requested operation logs again. He's getting suspicious."

Another voice replied. "When we get results, he won't care what we did. But if he knew—"

"He won't find out."

Shepard turned off the console.

"Sounds like this facility went rogue." Miranda stated.

Jack angrily snorted. "You'd like to think that wouldn't you? He didn't say what they were hiding from the Illusive Man."

"Rogue, eh? We've heard that before." I said, nudging John with my elbow.

John grunted in response as we headed into the next room. There was virtually nothing left of the ceiling as most of it was broken open by a giant tree. Broken catwalks and large crates were strewn about.

"I remember escaping to this room. Fighting here. I saw sunlight through the cracks in the ceiling." Jack reminisced.

"Shouldn't have been too hard with this ceiling." I muttered.

She let out a short laugh. "Only a half dead guard between me and freedom. He was begging for his life."

Off in the distance, we all heard the sound of growling varren.

"Ah the local wildlife." I said sarcastically. "I hope hunting season is open."

"Bet your tight fucking ass it is." Jack replied as she charged forward. She used her biotic shockwave to hit all four varren. Miranda hit one with her biotic slam while Shepard and I gunned the rest down.

We walked up to an area with some broken cement barriers littered around, an old bloodstain in the middle.

"This looks like an arena." Shepard said.

"That's right. They used to stage fights here. Pit me against the other kids. I loved it. Only time I was let out of my cell." Jack replied.

"What were they studying?" asked Miranda, surprised.

"Hell if I know." Jack spat out. "Maybe that's how they got their kicks. I never understood anything that happened here."

"How often did they do this?" asked Shepard.

"I was in a cell my whole life. Sometimes they took me out and made me fight. Filled me with drugs, other stuff. Time gets funny in a cell."

"I know that all too well." I muttered. "Did other kids die in the fights?"  
"I was a kid, filled with drugs. I got shocked when I hesitated. Narcotics flooded my veins when I attacked." Jack said in a relaxed tone.

"Wait, they actually rewarded you for attacking?" John asked incredulously.

"I still get warm feelings during a fight."

The way Jack said it sent a small shiver down my spine.

"Let's keep going." Shepard said.

"Hell yes." Replied Jack.

We passed into another wrecked hallway littered with rusted crates, broken tiles and ceilings, and weeds growing out from all sides. Rainwater continued to pour through the gaps in the ceiling.

John found yet another console nearby and activated it.

"Security Officer Zemkl, Teltin facility. The subjects are out of their cells! They're tearing the place up! Subject Zero is going to get loose. I need permission to terminate—I repeat, permission to terminate!"

In the background, all I could hear was the sound of gunfire and the screams of children.

The Security Officer put his hand up to his ear. "All subjects besides Zero are expendable. Keep Jack alive!"

Jack shook her head.

"Understood. I'll begin the—"

Jack shut the terminal off. "That's not right. I broke out when my guards disappeared—I started that riot."

"Things might have happened that you didn't see." Shepard replied.

"The other kids attacked me. The guards attacked me. The automated systems attacked me." She held her arms out angrily. "That doesn't leave a lot of room for interpretation."

"Maybe they were afraid you." I said with a shrug.

"Maybe…"

We walked down the stairs to the next level of the facility. Jack noticed the pile of dead brown varren at the base of the steps.

"This place is supposed to be empty. Who the fuck shot that varren? That's a fresh kill."

"Head on a swivel, everyone." Shepard added. I switched over to the Hyperion. Who knows what could be lurking around the corner.

The next room looked like a morgue…and a perfect ambush spot. The yells of nearby vorcha indicated that we weren't alone here.

Gotta be Blood Pack.

"In front of us!" Miranda yelled. Two vorcha wielding flamethrowers slowly advanced toward us.

"Need a light boys?" I yelled, popping out of cover to tag both of them with my shotgun. Both vorcha disintegrated, their fuel tanks dropping to the ground. A krogan and a vorcha came through the door, jogging past the fuel tanks. They were too slow as Shepard unloaded on both tanks, burning both of them alive. Three more vorcha came out of the left side of the morgue and walked right into our line of fire. Jack and Miranda used their biotics on all three of them, killing them with the sheer force of their biotics.

Silence fell over the facility once again as we looked around the room.

Jack was the first to speak up. "Why did they need a morgue? This was a small facility."

"Maybe it was because they went through a lot of subjects." I said. "I can't imagine what kind of experiments they did here."

Jack snorted. "Bullshit. I had the worst of it and I made it out alive."

"Not everyone's the same." Shepard replied. "You said it earlier when we first came here, that they brought kids in the containers and there were a lot of those containers."

"Hm…" Jack muttered as Shepard opened the door.

"Since this was a biotic experimentation facility, they probably tested all sorts of chemicals on the kids here. Some might have had a violent or allergic reaction. Guess we won't find out until it's over." I said.

Jack looked around as we walked down another hallway. "It's so strange being back here. I feel like…I'm pissed off. I'm a dangerous bitch. But then I'm a little girl again."

I glanced back at her. "Shit, it's complicated. Let's just go plant that bomb."

"We will, once this place is clear." Shepard replied.

I heard some small growling sounds up ahead. "We've got trouble up ahead." I whispered.

"Weapons ready." Shepard replied.

As we came to the end of the staircase, two vorcha popped out, ready to fire. Jack and Miranda were already prepared with their biotics as they pulled them over the railing and right into our line of fire. Three varren came charging up the hall at us. Shepard and I made short work of them.

This hallway was different than the others…there were rooms with bunk beds, sinks, and toilets. They were holding cells; about 8 on this floor and 8 above us.

Even Miranda seemed disturbed by this.

"They kept children here?" she asked incredulously.

"Wish I could say that this is the worst thing I've seen Cerberus do to kids." I replied. "On one of their facilities on Akuze, they were testing chemical weapons on children."

"Got an excuse for that cheerleader?"

Miranda gritted her teeth.

"Knock it off." Shepard said in an annoyed tone.

We entered into the final area of the facility. An area Jack knew well.

"This…it's a two way mirror? My cell's on the other side—I could see all the other kids out here. I screamed at them for hours and they always ignored me."

"Hm. Sounds like they tried some kind of psychological tactics against you." I said.

"What makes you think that?" asked Jack.

"You said earlier that they made you fight. Probably to try and make your biotics stronger. Biotic discipline is also mental. Maybe if they isolated you they could try and make you stronger."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Never thought about that."

"I don't think the other kids ignored you. Maybe your cell is soundproofed." I added.

"Definitely reminds me of those bases we took out two years ago." Shepard said.

Miranda sighed.

_It might be a tough pill for her to swallow, but these are the facts._

Jack cut into my thoughts. "I must have come through here when I broke out, but I don't remember it. This is a bad place."

"Yeah." I said. "Looks like some kind of lab…"

There were full body chairs with restraints attached. Lab terminals and rusty tools were strewn around.

"EDI, I want you to data mine this terminal. See what you can find." Ordered Shepard.

"Yes, Shepard."

Miranda stared at a security console and pressed the button. Shepard and Jack walked over to it.

The image of a Teltin scientist appeared. "Entry 1054, Teltin facility. The latest iteration of PergNim went poorly. Subjects One, Four, and Six died. No biotic change among the survivors. We lowered core temperatures of surviving subjects, but no biotically beneficial reactions occurred. As a side effect, all subjects died. So we'll not try that on Zero. I hope our supply of biotic-potential subjects hold up. We are going through them fast."

The log stopped and Jack turned around. "This is bullshit! They weren't experimenting on the other children for my safety!"

"You can't blame yourself for what they did to other kids." Shepard said to her.

"You don't get it, Shepard. I survived this place because I was tougher than the rest. That's who I am."

"I do get it. You're a tough woman, Jack and a strong biotic. They did all of this to make sure that you survived so they would keep getting results. You move on, harder and tougher."

Miranda went through the rest of the terminal and found only one more log that worked.

The same scientist from before popped up. "It's all fallen to pieces. The subjects are rampaging, and Zero is loose. We're shutting Teltin down…what a disaster." The projection of the scientist shifted over to a monitor and then back to the terminal. "We'll infiltrate and piggyback onto the Alliance's Ascension program. Hopefully, that will—who are-? Zero, wait!" The log ended as the scientist flew backwards.

"Shepard, they started somewhere else." Jack said.

I shook my head. "Ascension is an Alliance Program. It's a school for biotic kids, savants, and so on. They don't torture kids there."

Jack looked back at me and then at Shepard. "A lot of this…isn't the way I remembered it."

"There were a lot of things going on that you couldn't have known about. It's not your fault." Shepard said, patting her on the arm.

"I was a dumb kid then…" she muttered. Jack shook her head. "Come on. We're getting close to my cell. The place I came from."

I pulled the Nighthawk out of its holster and kept it at the ready as we opened the door.

On the other side was a squad of five Blood Pack mercs…one of which was a krogan battlemaster.

I pulled out a damping mine and kept it at the ready.

"Hey Aresh. It's Kureck. Yeah, the intruders are here. You want them dead, we have to talk credits." Said the battlemaster. "You promised us lots of salvage but this place is a waste."

There was a pause as he put his hand up to his ear. "Fine—we'll put 'em down. Then I'm coming in there, and we're going to talk salvage."

We drew our weapons. "You're in the way." Shepard said.

"Get them!" Yelled Kureck.

I threw the damping mine at the vorcha wielding flamethrowers, both of them were killed when the tanks on their backs blew up. Shepard focused his fire on Kureck while Jack went up the middle. Miranda followed me down the left flank. I switched back to the Hyperion in mid-sprint when I saw a krogan heading down the stairs. Miranda tagged him with a throw, sending him into the wall. It left me an excellent opening to finish him off. That just left Kureck, who we all took out together with a combination of firepower and biotics.

"Only room left is my old cell. Whoever Aresh is, he's in there." Jack said as we headed for the door. "I want to plant the bomb there anyway. Might as well do it on his corpse."

We slowly walked to Jack's old cell. I didn't pick up any unusual signs or any indication of a trap or surprise attack so I holstered my shotgun. The four of us walked into Jack's cell.

"Come out. We know you're here." Shepard said.

Aresh came out from hiding behind a bookcase.

"You must be Aresh." Jack said flatly.

"Yeah and you're breaking into my home. I know you, Subject Zero." Replied Aresh.

He looked like hell. A patchy beard, worn out and dirty clothes. He looked tired and burnt out…dirty too.

"So many years have passed, and I thought I was the only survivor."

Jack pulled her Phalanx on him. "My name's Jack. How the hell do you know me?"

In an annoyed tone, Aresh replied. "We all knew your face, Jack. They inflicted horrors on us so their experiments wouldn't kill you." Aresh's face took on a sinister grin. "You were the question, and I'm still trying to find the answer."

"Hmph." Shepard said. "He was drawn here like you."

"I hired those mercs and came back here almost a solar year ago. We're rebuilding it, piece by piece." Aresh said. "I'm going to find out what they knew—how to unlock true biotic potential in humans. I'm restarting the Teltin facility." Aresh turned around and raised his arms up. "It will be beautiful."

Jack was pissed…to say the least. "I wanted a hole in the ground—he's trying to justify what happened by using it!"

John looked at the disheveled man in front of us. "You'd do this to other kids? Wasn't this forced on you?"

"Some were bought from poor families on Earth or kidnapped from the colonies. Others ended up here the way I did: batarian pirates." Replied Aresh. "They did horrible things to us. They must have had good reasons."

"There's no reason good enough! Are you nuts? You lived it!" Jack shot back.

"This place was essentially a prison. How did you get out?" Shepard asked.

"We all attacked at once when they took us to the lab. They would have put us down but…Jack got loose." He answered.

Jack's eyes flashed.

"When I came to, it was all over—the guards, the scientists, and the kids were all dead." Aresh turned to Jack. "And you were gone."

"I stopped it. All of it! Maybe the others did have it bad but what you're doing is just messed!"

"Everything they did must have been worth something!" Aresh shot back.

John took a deep breath. "We can blow the place up but that still leaves him. What do we do with another you?"

Jack's eyes narrowed onto Aresh. "That's easy."

Aresh stared blankly at the floor. "Leave me here. This is where I belong."

"Fuck that!" Jack hit him with a biotic throw that sent Aresh careening into the wall

"Jack!" Shepard yelled, grabbing her by the arm, preventing her from unleashing another attack. "Jack, look at him. He's trapped in his past. You need to move on from yours."

"He wants to restart this place! He needs to die!" she shot back struggling against his grasp.

"He's crazy, Jack. He's not a scientist and he'll never be able to restart this place. Do want to be trapped in your own past? I thought you were stronger than that."

Jack looked vacantly at Aresh. "Get up! Get out of here!"

Aresh got up and bolted out of the room.

"He's not worth chasing. None of it is." Jack said.

Shepard nodded. "You did the right thing Jack."

"Maybe." She said, looking around her old cell. "This place was my whole childhood. Give me a few minutes to look around."

"Go ahead."

I took my recon hood off and stuck it onto my belt.

"Nothing's changed, but it's all different." Jack said.

I glanced over at Miranda who seemed to be looking around the room as well, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Jack led Shepard around the room, stopping at a nearby desk. "I used this table for everything. It was like my best friend, I'd crawl under it to cry. I was pathetic."

They walked up to a tiny bed near the window. "Sometimes I dream that I'm back in this bed being tortured. I used to tie the sheets around my wrists and try to rip them off. I want to stop coming back here."

Next was the large window. "I thought that room out there was the rest of the world. I'd pound and yell. Never did any good."

They turned and walked out of the cell, Miranda and I followed.

"See the scarring on this wall here? That's where I killed my first man. One of the guards tried to stop me. Instead, I stopped him."

She turned to Shepard. "Okay, no more wallowing. Let's blow this place to hell."

* * *

We traveled all the way back to the shuttle to get the bomb. Not that I was complaining. The team escorted me back to Jack's cell where I armed the 80 pound crate.

"Okay. Here's the remote detonator I rigged up. If it fails, I've got it tied into my omni-tool so I can set it off." I said.

"This thing better not fail." Replied Jack.

I smirked. "Well, I made both of them. I'd be surprised if they failed."

She managed to let out a small laugh.

On both trips, we didn't find any other mercenary or Aresh. The latter was probably running his ass off.

_Hope he can sprint like a champion, everything inside of five miles is going to be a smoldering crater._

We got onto the shuttle and made our way back to the Normandy. Of course, we had to climb like hell to avoid the blast.

Jack was flicking the remote trigger flap over and over again. Shepard gave her a look and she jammed on the button. John bashed on the door to let Hawthorne and Goldstein know what was coming.

Behind us was the roar of the bomb. We were out of range, but the air shock managed to give us quite the jolt.

After the excitement was over, she sat back in her seat. Probably the most relaxed I had ever seen her.

* * *

I had finished putting all of my gear away when I noticed Jack shooting Miranda some dark looking glares. After everything we had seen today, I had a bad feeling about what was going to go down. I was just hoping that Jack wasn't going to take it out on Miranda. She came along and assisted. Besides, Miranda wasn't responsible for her childhood.

I went down to the mess hall to get something to eat. Ten minutes later, I saw Jack go into Miranda's office…

Shepard was already on the crew deck and he waved me over quickly. I had a damping mine at the ready, just in case.

"Touch me and I'll smear the walls with you, bitch!" Jack yelled as she tossed a chair at Miranda.

Miranda managed to divert it away with her own biotics.

"Enough! Stand down, both of you!" Shepard yelled, as he got in between both women.

"The cheerleader won't admit what Cerberus did to me was wrong." Jack said through her teeth.

"It wasn't Cerberus, not really. But clearly, you were a mistake." Miranda spat back.

"Screw you!" Jack yelled, jabbing a finger in her face. "You have no idea what they put me through. Maybe its time I show you…"

"I said cut the bullshit!" Shepard yelled. It was probably the loudest I'd ever heard him yell. It even caused both women to jump back.

"You two have been at each others throats since you two have come on board and it's pissing me off! We've got enough problems as it is and I don't need your bullshit right now! You've seen the Collectors and what they can do. We don't have the fucking time to be fighting each other!" Shepard yelled out.

_Definitely got that from his mom._

"I'm not asking you to be friends. Just work together! That's all! If you can't fucking do that, then I'll toss your asses off. No questions asked and this is your only warning." He was fuming. Literally fuming.

It even shocked Jack and Miranda. I'd seen John like this about a dozen times. The most recent time was two years ago when he chewed out the Council…which I then followed up with my own verbal rampage.

Miranda cleared her throat. "I can put aside my differences. Until the mission's over."

Jack looked over at Miranda. "Sure. I'll do my part. I'd hate to see her die before I filet her myself."

With that, Jack left. Shepard looked at both of them before leaving.

Miranda went to go pick up her chair when I waved her off. She took a seat behind her desk, while I picked up the chair.

"Well, I certainly didn't see that coming." Miranda said with a sigh.

"Oh I did." I replied. "It doesn't take much for 'Cape Fear' to get going."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Cape Fear?"

"My nickname for Shepard's rage."

She simply shrugged. "So what was the initial sign?"

"When John waved me over, walking like a man on a mission. If there's anything he has a zero tolerance for, its crewmen fighting each other." I said.

"I see."

I moved over to the side of Miranda's desk and leaned on it. "So what brought Jack in here?"

"She wanted me to admit that it was Cerberus who did it to her. They were rogue, plain and simple." Miranda replied.

I raised an eyebrow. "Plain and simple?"

"Yes." She said, her brow slowly narrowing.

I shook my head. "Not from what I saw. You saw it too."

"Here." Miranda said, giving me a datapad. "This was from the Illusive Man, saying that Teltin was going to be shut down soon enough. It had gone dark for too long."

I glanced over it. It basically entailed everything Miranda had said. Teltin had gone dark, falsified reports, subject disappearances, strange expenditures.

My gaze narrowed and I shook my head again. "How fast did it take the Illusive Man to reply to your original message?"

"What does that—?"

"How long?" I repeated.

"Ten minutes."

I laughed. "Ten minutes. We're out in the ass end of the universe and he sent this in ten minutes? He just had all of this stuff at the ready. I call bullshit."

Miranda looked angry. "That facility was rogue. We have safeguards in place for a reason. Cerberus would never condone an experiment like that."

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Really? Blowing up Eldfell-Ashland tankers over colonies is something they would condone? Testing chemical weapons on civilian populations is something they would condone?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Miranda asked. "Are you taking Jack's side?"

"You've known my position on your organization from day one." I shot back. "You're the ones who tried to kill me eight years ago. Remember?"

She was exasperated as she stood up, flinging her arms up. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you."

"We've had it before Miranda!"

"This time is different!" she shot back. "You're letting your own preconceptions—"

"My preconceptions? These are facts! I've shown you pictures that I took on Akuze from your own facilities! Cerberus has a rap sheet bigger than Sovereign!"

"I wasn't responsible for any of that!"

"I know you weren't!" I yelled over her. "I know! But you can't give me that 'rogue' facility bullshit when Shepard and I have taken out our fair share of Cerberus facilities. If that's the case then your whole organization is rogue!"

Miranda had balled her hands up into fists. "You're so focused on living in the past that you can't see what we're doing here and now! All you ever mention is Akuze! I don't care about Akuze or the people that died there! It's in the past!"

My mouth gaped open in shock. _She had the audacity to bring that up?_

Miranda seemed to have caught her mistake as well. "Mark, I—"

"Shut the fuck up." I said.

"Mark—"

"What did I just say?" Miranda had gone too far. "You actually have stones to tell me that? Let me tell you something bitch. I relive that _every fucking day_! The people I lost? That's blood on your hands. You can say that you weren't involved but when you wear that uniform, you're already guilty by association. And you lecture me on the past? You're still up in arms over your idiot father!"

I had awakened a sleeping dragon once I said the 'b-word'. She reared back and slapped me silly. It took everything I had to not flinch.

"You still don't get what I'm trying to do for you Miranda." I continued. "I'm trying to show you the real Cerberus. When he gets the chance, the Illusive Man will cut you loose and replace you with another Miranda. He's done it before…and he'll do it again."

Another slap. I could see the tears slowly welling up in her eyes.

"Get the hell out of here." She stammered out. "Now."

"Fine." I said flatly. I turned to leave the room, never looking back.

But at the same time, I felt like breaking down. The woman I had grown to love over the course of this trip wasn't listening to me. Sure, I admired her incredible loyalty and I'm sure she knew she wasn't blindly loyal…but she was acting like it. I did everything in my power to show her the truth but she didn't want to hear it. Maybe it was my fault. I didn't know. She probably hated me now. I walked into my room, and didn't leave for the rest of the day.

* * *

Miranda didn't cry often. She had tried to avoid emotional attachments and ties to other people. But somewhere along the way, a man like Mark Sears managed to work his way into her heart. She grew to love him. He was intelligent, funny, and ruggedly handsome…an old soul. Miranda once said that when she made a mistake, it was serious. She once believed her mistakes were all that she could take credit for. Then Mark came along and changed that. Now…she had to take credit for this mistake.

_Stupid, stupid! Why did you have to bring it up?_

Miranda locked her door and fell onto her bed, crying. It wasn't just what she said, but what Mark said. He actually called her a bitch. Sure, she had been called that many times before. But when Mark said it, she crumbled on the inside. Despite their feelings for one another, there was the elephant in the room…she was with Cerberus, and he wanted to destroy Cerberus. This was going to happen sooner or later but Miranda didn't want it to happen like this. She was afraid now. The man she loved probably hated her now. As for Cerberus, she didn't know what to think. Miranda saw Teltin first hand. Her instincts said rogue, but her mind wasn't sure. Cerberus pushed the ethical envelope all the time. Hell, she did it bring back the galaxy's greatest hero in Commander John Shepard. Teltin was another story. Akuze was another story. She was lost…and the one person that could make it right probably hated her.

* * *

_Trouble in paradise. That was probably the hardest part for me to do. I did the best that I could to create some sort of conflict between Mark and Miranda and have it be balanced and not one sided._

_Anyway, we'll see what happens next._

_As for the references...let's see:_

_Rocky, MGS1, Resident Evil 5 (the sparring part), Seinfeld...I don't own them. Yeah. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	37. Interlude 10

_Author's Note: Woo! Okay lets see what happens with our ass kicking hero today. Not a whole lot of action this time as its an interlude. Will Mark and Miranda make amends? Will all of Springfield tremble before the might of Sideshow Bob? Read on folks!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

I've never really had a heated argument with someone that I cared about before…ever. It was an entirely different experience for me. Watson didn't even say anything to me after I came in. He was busy blowing through more video games. Watson had already beaten the entire MGS series in less than a day. The large prime only devoted 5% of his total programs into playing the games. That in itself was just scary.

I sat silently, watching him play a Zone race in Wipeout. He was approaching the Sub-Sonic stage.

"Something is troubling you Mark." Watson stated.

I shook my head. "Nah. I'm fine."

The large, gun metal gray geth turned to face me, he was still playing the game. "In the two years this platform has stayed with you, we can perfectly recall over 243 instances where you have answered with that response. All of them were not truthful."

I snorted. _Got me there big fella._

"Glad you kept track."

"Are you okay?" Watson asked.

I shook my head. "Got into a fight…with Miranda."

Watson sat still for a few seconds. "Our apologies. However, we had predicted this outcome would be inevitable."

"I hear ya. We just avoided it like the plague and now…now it's come out in the worst way possible." I said, quietly. "I'll be right back."

I got off the couch and briskly walked to the freezer in the mess. I grabbed a bucket and filled it with ice and headed back into my room. It was time to do the one thing most people would do after a bad day: get drunk.

_JW Black Label and Coca-Cola…game on._

I walked back into my room and started mixing the scotch and coke.

"Hey Watson. Wanna play Galaxy of Fantasy?"

"We would like that." The geth looked down at my glass. "You are going to drink that?"

"Yes. Nothing wrong with drinking and playing video games. Crazy shit will go down." I said, taking a sip.

And thus began our night of gaming. I had no intention of sleeping, I just wanted to try and feel better.

Watson and I played through most of our gaming library. We spent a solid five hours playing Galaxy of Fantasy. The rest of the night was spent on classics. I was pretty much bombed out of my mind. Then again, I was too drunk to care.

* * *

**0700 hours, Normandy SR2, En Route to Migrant Fleet**

Shepard had spent most of yesterday cooling off after the conflict between his XO and Jack. Of course, the bad news kept on rolling in. A distraught Tali went to his quarters, telling him that the Migrant Fleet was charging her with treason. John spent no time in setting the next course: The Migrant Fleet. Their current position indicated that they were in the Raheel-Leyya System out in the Valhallan Threshold. It was going to be a long trip. After going through his morning routines, Shepard went down for breakfast. The crew seemed to be in good spirits for the most part. Unsurprisingly, Jack was absent. The convict tended to get her food first before disappearing into her little hideaway. Shepard waited in line with the rest of the crew.

_Just because you're the CO doesn't mean you have to hold yourself above everyone else._

He smirked at his mother's old quote. John thought about his mother often. Her response to her only son coming back from the dead was…something of an angry shock. The first sentence in her reply to his email was: Where the hell have you been?

She managed to calm down and was pleased that Mark was along for the trip. She always considered him to be like a second son. John felt the same way; the younger brother he never had.

_Speaking of which, where is he?_

John looked around the crowded mess hall, searching for his friend, but to no avail.

"Next!" yelled Rupert.

"Oh…" muttered Shepard. "Morning, Mr. Gardner."

"Morning, Shepard. What can I get you?"

John shrugged. "How about today's special."

Rupert chuckled. "You got it, Commander."

The mess sergeant was putting together a tray. "Rupert, have you seen Mark around?"

Rupert turned around with the tray and gave it to Shepard. "Sorry, sir. Can't say that I have. Enjoy."

"Thanks, Mr. Gardner." Shepard said as he walked over to the table where Garrus was sitting.

"Hey Shepard." Said the turian. John nodded in response.

Thane was listening to one of Zaeed's war stories. Jacob was being silently ogled by Kasumi. Mordin and Dr. Chakwas were having a discussion about…science; something Shepard didn't have the expertise for. Samara was chatting with Tali. The only people Shepard didn't see were Mark and Miranda.

He internally laughed. _Sleeping in late as usual, eh? I guess some of Mark's habits must be rubbing off on her._

Shepard was finishing up his breakfast when the blaring sound of 'Fear' by Heaven and Hell came from Mark's room. Everyone collectively turned around. Mark's geth friend Watson came walking out and the door locked behind him.

The massive geth walked up to Shepard.

"Uh, good morning Watson."

"Good Morning, Shepard-Commander. How are you?" asked the geth.

"Fine…thank you." John replied, a little taken aback by Watson's question. "How are you?"

"This platform's systems are functioning within normal parameters."

_Guess that's the closest thing I'll get to a 'fine'._

"What brings you out here? You usually spend a lot of time in there." Shepard said.

"We have been playing video games with Mark since last night."

John let out a small laugh. "So, Mark has been playing video games with you?"

"Yes. He told us that we will better understand organics by playing these games."

"Oh I see. That's good." Shepard rubbed his chin. "Were you listening to music in there?"

"No. Mark was."

A small alarm went off in the back of John's mind. He stood up and signaled Watson to follow him to the sleeper pod hallway.

"Watson, is there something wrong with Mark?" Shepard asked, in a serious tone.

"We believe there is. Last night he came into our room, upset." Watson's head flaps twitched. "Are you aware of his current…ties to the XO?"

Shepard nodded. "Tell me what happened."

"According to Mark, they 'got into a fight'. His solution was to stay up all night and drink along with playing video games."

John rubbed his forehead. "Damn it."

"I should note that despite his inebriation, both of our Galaxy of Fantasy characters levels jumped 10 levels in only five hours."

Shepard shook his head. "He really does play better when he's drunk…"

"Mark lost five straight races to us in a game called, Wipeout."

"…Except in racing games." Finished Shepard.

"Yes."

Shepard nodded. "Thanks for telling me, Watson."

"You are welcome. Much like you, we worry about Mark's well being. Unlike most organics, his response to stress is…self destructive."

"I know." Shepard replied. "Can I talk to him?"

"We would advise caution. Lack of sleep and excessive drinking have made Mark less willing to talk. We left after the activation of his musical archive. Mostly due to the loud volume." Watson added.

Shepard patted the geth on the arm. "Thanks for letting me know. I've got to take care of this."

"Of course."

Shepard's first stop would be Miranda's office. Much like Mark's room, her door was locked. Shepard pressed the button.

"I'm busy." Was the answer given in a flat, but angry tone.

"It's Shepard. We need to talk. Now." The commander said with finality.

The door indicator turned green and the door opened. Shepard walked inside.

Miranda's office didn't look any different than it had before. A breakfast tray sat off to the side as she was busy doing paperwork at a furious pace.

"Miranda."

"This better be about business, Commander." She said, not looking up.

"It is. It's about what happened yesterday—"

"I thought we were done with that scuffle with Jack—" Miranda cut in.

"No it's about Mark."

Miranda stopped and gave Shepard a steely gaze. "What goes on between us is our own business."

Shepard placed both of his hands on the front of her desk. "No. Now it's my business. Last time I checked, this is my ship and the two of you are part of my crew."

Miranda sat there in a staring contest with Shepard.

"Look, I just want to know what happened. Because right now, my best friend of fifteen years has been drinking and playing video games all night."

Her eyes flashed slightly and she cleared her throat. "This happened a little after Jack and I had our 'disagreement'. I gave Mark my opinion, he gave his. Eventually we blew up at each other and said things we didn't mean to each other."

Shepard nodded. "Not very specific."

"Those are the facts. The details are irrelevant." Miranda stated coolly.

_Looks like she's reverted back to her old self…more or less._

John sighed. "Let me guess. He started on his whole anti-Cerberus thing, you shot back with some pro-Cerberus thing and it just de-evolved from there."

Miranda blinked. "Sounds about right."

"Okay then. Just wanted to know." Shepard took his hands off the desk.

"Out of curiosity, how long have you known? About the two of us?" Miranda asked.

Shepard smirked. "I knew it before the two of you did. I saw the way you were checking each other out after we saved Oriana."

She raised an eyebrow. "You saw that?"

"Yeah. When you put me back together, you left an extra set of eyes in the back of my head." John replied with a grin.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You're not going to put a stop to it?"

"Oh hell no. I know the two of you well enough to know it won't interfere with your jobs." Shepard said, still keeping that grin on his face. "Besides, you make each other happy and as far as I'm concerned, the two of you are perfect together."

Miranda looked away for a brief moment, the smallest of smiles popping up on her face.

"I've known Mark for a long time. It might sound strange now but…he cares about you…a lot. Everything he's trying to do…he's trying to do for you. What it is, I don't know. But I know him well enough to know that it's something good."

She looked down at the floor. "Thank you…Shepard."

He nodded his head and walked out of her office.

_One last stop._

* * *

"Ohhh we're halfway there!"

"WOAAAHHHHH LIVIN' ON A PRAYYYYEER!" I sang out after Bon Jovi.

Staggering around on the couch, wearing only jeans, and singing old songs…it was great.

"Uh oh…" I said, trying to get my balance on the couch. Once I finally balanced out, I went into the 'crane' pose.

"Oh yeah. I got yer kung fu right here. Kyyyyaaahh!"

I fell over when I tried to do the crane kick and landed backwards onto the couch.

"You win this round you padded bastard."

I heard the sound of the door opening up. "Watson? Is that you? Be careful. The couch has become sentient."

"Hmph. I'd laugh but that would just encourage you."

I pulled myself up. "All right! It's John! Welcome."

Shepard sniffed the air. "Good god. This whole place smells like scotch."

"Not jus' any scotch. Black label! Enjoy the smell of twelve years baby." I slurred out.

John rolled his eyes. "I do. It's better in the bottle than on you."

I shrugged and sat up.

"Can you turn the music off?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "Fine…"

I turned off my music playlist and sat back on the couch.

John sat down next to me and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Watson spoke to me this morning."

I let out a huge throaty, belch. "Oh. What'd he want to talk about?"

"You."

"Ugh…is' about last night eh?"

"Yep." John said.

"So you know 'bout the whole thing uh?" I asked with a sigh.

"Everything except your side of the story." He quietly replied.

Fatigue was starting to set in. My all night drinking and gaming binge was coming back in full force. "I'm gonna need a coffee."

"I'll be right back." Shepard said with a smirk.

_So, he already talked to Miranda eh? Great. She probably didn't say a damn thing._

* * *

Miranda finished up the last of her paper work and stepped out of her office to drop her tray off. She saw Shepard making a large cup of coffee.

"I take it that's for Mark." She said.

Shepard's head snapped to his left. "Yep."

She smirked.

"You'd be surprised how fast he can snap out of a drinking binge. I guess I have that effect on him." Joked the commander.

"You seem to have that effect on a lot of people." Miranda replied.

John snorted. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." Miranda said as she watched Shepard go into Mark's room.

Curiosity got the better of Miranda as she slowly walked up to the door of his room and leaned on the wall nearby. She silently turned on her omni-tool and placed it next to the wall.

* * *

"Mmm…hazelnut." I muttered, as I slowly felt the caffeine kicking in.

"Better?"

"Much. Thanks John."

Shepard gave me a pat on the back. "Start from the top."

I took a deep breath. "Well, it started a little after you left. I wanted to know what Jack was doing before we intervened. Miranda explained her side to Jack; saying it was a rogue cell, plain and simple. I disagreed."

"And it snowballed from there." Continued Shepard.

"Yeah. Hell, she said all the intel she got from the Illusive Man came within ten minutes of her asking. We might be the most advanced ship in the galaxy but our communication connection isn't that quick."

Shepard's brow furrowed. "You think the Illusive Man knew in advance?"

"Of course. He crossed the T's and dotted the I's. It's only natural that he'd claim 'plausible deniability' and say they went rogue."

"I believe you, Mark. After seeing Teltin, and all those other places two years ago, its enough."

I sighed. "I just wanted her to open her eyes."

"I know. You've had nothing but good intentions the whole time. Miranda knows that."

"If she does, then why won't she listen to me?" I asked softly.

John looked up at the ceiling and back at me. "Miranda owes Cerberus a great deal. They took her in when she had nowhere else to go. Just like how my mother and I took you in and Murph after that."

I bit my lip and nodded. "Personal motives are always a powerful thing."

"That they are."

"But just because someone is kind enough to take pity on a poor soul, doesn't mean they're always a saint, y'know? Like Warren and the Reds?"

Shepard snorted. "Yeah. Different set of circumstances but I get it."

The two of us sat quietly for a moment. "I just…I love her. I don't want to see her get hurt and have that weigh over her head for the rest of her life."

Shepard grunted.

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening." I said.

"Hm. I know she feels the same way. She didn't say it but I could tell."

"Really?"

John nodded. "Yep."

I smiled. "That's good."

"So, you're taking a 'white knight' stance?" Shepard asked with a smirk.

I chuckled. "No. Been watching old Japanese cartoons."

"Which one?"

"Naruto."

"That would explain your determination." Shepard said with a laugh.

"Just because it's a cartoon doesn't mean the message is all muddied up. I look out for my friends and loved ones." I replied back.

"You certainly do."

I closed my eyes and let my head hit the couch cushion. "I really want to sleep."

"After the night you had, you should get some rest." Shepard said.

"I'll be quick in case we got another mission."

John shook his head. "Won't be for a few days. Get some rest Mark."

I nodded. With a cheesy grin, I replied. "You got it Commander."

Shepard rolled his eyes and walked out as I slowly drifted off.

* * *

Miranda stood outside the room and closed her eyes. He still cares about her. Mark still loves her.

She felt her heart skip a few beats. Of course, Miranda had to slink away before Shepard opened the door and quickly walked into her quarters and locked the door.

Taking a seat by the couch near her bed, Miranda bit her lip and closed her eyes. She was happy to have heard him say that. However, the hard part was still to come. That would be their first face-to-face meeting.

Miranda loathed it at first, but she wanted it as well. This lingering mess was already stuck in their minds. They just wanted to bury the hatchet and go back to the way things were.

She wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

* * *

**6 Hours Later**

I was wearing nothing but a loincloth and wielding a giant, crystalized sword. I had to save the princess of some far away land from the evil krogan warlord, Lord Urvan.

_Hm…this princess is pretty hot. Kinda looks like Miranda._

She was wearing nothing but tattered cloths and was held in chains by the krogan warlord.

"What do you think you can do now, Grognak? Your troublesome interference with my plans of galactic domination end here!"

I narrowed my gaze. "Not today Urvan because…I…HAVE THE POWERRRR!"

"Fuck yeah!" yelled Jack.

I let out a groan, the pain of being slapped in the calf snapped me out of my wild dream.

"Wh—what the? How'd you two get in here?" I asked groggily. Grunt and Jack were sitting in a couple of chairs, watching Captain Cosmic on the vidscreen.

"Great. You woke him up." Grunt said, annoyed.

Jack shrugged. "Whatever. He had to wake up sometime."

I slowly sat up. "How did you get in here? I had the door locked."

"Oh that? I unlocked it." Jack replied with a triumphant grin.

"You did?" I asked incredulously. "I re-wrote the door protocols."

"Kasumi helped out." Grunt added. "Now quiet down! Garr the krogan battlemaster is coming back!"

Jack slapped the krogan in the bicep. "Thanks a lot you fucking lizard. I was trying to convince him that I did it."

Grunt just growled at her.

"Calm down." I said with a sigh. "I've got a wicked hangover right now."

"Sorry." They collectively replied.

I waved my hand. "So what brings you two to my room?"

Jack pointed at Grunt. "Biggin' over here wanted to watch Captain Cosmic."

"There was no other vidscreen we could use." She said with a shrug.

"Not even the one in the mess?"

"Yours is bigger."

A dirty grin appeared on my face. "That's what she said."

Jack grumbled. "I hate it when you do that."

"That's—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll turn you into a splat on the wall."

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. She rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless.

"Why does this place smell like booze?" Jack asked.

I shrugged. "Got drunk and played video games last night."

"Sounds like fun." She said flatly. "You and your giant robot have fun?"

"Probably. I forget what happened up until Shepard walked in this morning." I answered.

The ex-con leaned in. "You don't seem like the 'spur of the moment' drunk to me."

I shook my head. "I'm not."

"You and the cheerleader have a falling out?"

I just quirked my eyebrows, no verbal response was needed. I was too busy watching Grunt play around with his Garr the Battlemaster figure while watching Captain Cosmic.

Jack sighed. "I guess that's my fault…"

"It's not. Its just that the two of us just wanted to avoid that discussion altogether. Its only coincidence that we had that discussion after the two of you almost tore the ship a new one."

Jack just nodded. "Are you gonna go talk to her or some shit?"

"Soon."

"You better do it. She's been acting more bitchy than usual."

I let out a short laugh. "Anything to make your life more easy, Jack."

"Damn straight. By the way, that drawing you made for me was awesome. How did you manage to get _all _of my tats on there?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked in a dry, sarcastic tone. "I watched you while you slept."

She gave me a half-hearted punch to the arm. "Fucker."

"In all seriousness, I memorized them."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Damn."

"It wasn't too hard to find any sort of patterns. I just started with the big tats and moved on."

Jack's drawing was probably the hardest one. I had taken every tattoo she had on her (the ones I could see anyway) and made a picture out of it. Embedded in the middle of the picture was a subliminal picture of Jack. I wanted her to blend into the massive tapestry of her tattoos; mostly because they were cool as hell.

She nodded with an impressed expression on her face. "You only got most of my ink. It's tricky to see the rest when you wear pants all the time."

"I did fit in maybe one or two tats that you had on your legs. That one time where you basically stripped off all your armor—"

"Oh yeah. I do that all the time." She replied with a sly grin.

"Those were the hard ones to remember."

"I should ask you to make me a one someday."

"I'm not a tattoo artist." I said. "I could make a drawing or something."

Jack shrugged. "Whatever works."

Grunt let out a yell as Garr laid out another hapless opponent.

I held my head. "Ahh! Hangover!"

"Sucks to be you." Jack said smugly.

"Did you see that? Garr did the Ultimate Smash!" said the gleeful krogan.

"He's good, but he's no Stone Cold Steve Austin." I replied.

"Who's that?" Grunt asked.

"This pro wrestler from the 1990's. When he smashed his enemies, the ground shook."

The young krogan was intrigued. "I'll need to see it to believe it."

"Tell you what, I'm gonna grab a shower and something loaded with caffeine. Then I'll introduce you to Stone Cold."

Grunt nodded as he turned back to the vidscreen. Jack got up as well.

"I reckon I should head back down. I gotta polish my gun."

As the two of us left, Grunt yelled. "That's what she said!"

* * *

After a shower and several energy drinks later, I was back in my room, introducing Grunt to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

"I don't get this professional wrestling." Grunt said.

I looked over. "What don't you get?"

"They aren't killing each other. They're not even hurting each other."

"True. It's an act." I said.

The young krogan grumbled.

"But just because its an act doesn't mean they aren't getting hurt. Every time they hit that mat, they're landing on plywood."

"He's bleeding!" Grunt pointed at the screen. It was a match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold.

"That's not fake either." I said. "They make a small cut on their forehead with a razorblade."

Grunt nodded as he looked on.

"That's what makes these guys good. Everyone knows its an act, but if they can make you think otherwise for a split second, they've done their job. Kinda like a magician."

"I think I like this."

I smirked. "Told you that you'd like it. Stone Cold was the man!"

"He's good I'll admit that." Grunt replied.

"Oh yeah."

"…Garr's still better than him." Finished the young krogan.

I shook my head. "If you say so…"

"I do."

"Oh man, here comes the stunner!" I yelled. "Got it!"

"That was great!" Grunt said, pumping his meaty fist.

I sat back on the couch watching the old wrestling matches.

"So you and Miranda are fighting?"

I raised an eyebrow. _Must have been listening to Jack and I the whole time._

"Yep."

"How come you're not going over to her room to finish it?"

I sighed. "Not that kind of fight, biggin'."

"Well I had a feeling something was going on with you two before. I could smell it."

I gave the young krogan an incredulous look. "You could smell it…?"

"Yeah. Just when the two of you are near each other. Smells strange…I can't describe it."

"I'll take your word for it." I replied, sighing. "You must be getting antsy. Haven't seen you fight since Tuchanka."

Grunt shrugged. "I got some advice from Clan Leader Wrex and the Shaman. Most of it was confusing at first but now I get it. It was all about saving your fury for the battle and to stay calm. I'm just waiting now."

"That's great, Grunt. You're learning." I said with a grin.

"Yeah. I even spent some time looking up human battles after that movie we did." The young krogan said with a nod.

"Really?" I asked, interested. "Anything in particular?"

"Some ancient battles. Twentieth Century warfare was better. More violent."

I nodded. "The introduction of automatic weapons, NBC weapons (Nuclear, Chemical, Biological), precision guided munitions, the list goes on."

I chuckled.

"What?" Grunt asked.

"You probably know this already but, by the time the krogan developed nuclear weapons, humanity was still in the Bronze Age."

"Bronze Age?" Grunt asked. "What's that?"

"It was a period of ancient history where humans began to mine and use bronze and other metals for crafts or weapons." I replied. "You already know about 20th century combat and that we didn't create nuclear weapons until the early 40's."

He simply nodded. "Except your homeworld isn't a dump."

I shrugged.

"I read a few books by this guy Hemmingway." Grunt said, breaking the short silence.

"Ah. Good author."

The krogan grunted. "Not sure what else to find out about humans though."

"Anything in particular?"

"Views on war and combat."

I smirked. "Look for Sun Tzu's 'Art of War'. It provides some good insight for combat. It's been used as a reference for our militaries for centuries."

"I'll have to read that." Grunt said as he stood up. "I'll see you later Mark."

"Later Grunt."

I looked at the time and saw that it was almost 3 in the afternoon.

_Still too early. I need more time to think about what I'm going to say._

My next stop would be the tech lab.

* * *

Miranda was still at her desk, busying herself with work. Part of it was a coping mechanism for stress, but for the most part, there was a lot to do. On occasion, her mind would drift to the conversation she eavesdropped on between Shepard and Mark. Even if she didn't change her mind, he'd still love her and fight for her. It was a strange concept for Miranda, one she had never really experienced before.

_I guess that's what makes Mark so…interesting. He's willing to do anything…for me._

She smiled at the thought.

Miranda looked back down at the terminal in front of her, reading an extranet message regarding news about Eldfell-Ashland Energy. The company had existed since the early part of the 2100's and grown in 2137 after successfully extracting helium-3 from Saturn's atmosphere. Since then, the company has been a force in the energy industry. The article itself was old, dated back to 2170.

_Eldfell-Ashland Freighter Explodes over Yandoa_

_COLEMAN CITY, YANDOA- At approximately 0630 hours local time, an Eldfell-Ashland freighter exploded over the colony. The freighter was carrying over 800,000 tons of dust form element zero. Meteorological reports indicate that the element zero is spreading quickly over the atmosphere. There is no confirmation of deaths at this time, but there is a possibility that the crew of 20 on board the freighter were killed in the explosion. Yandoa has a population of 5 million._

Miranda scratched her jaw and looked at the next article, written a month later.

_Death Toll Rises in Yandoa_

_COLEMAN CITY, YANDOA- Nearly a month after the explosion of an Eldfell-Ashland freighter over Yandoa, the death toll has risen sharply. The freighter crew of twenty was killed in the explosion and no colonists were killed in the initial blast. However, the cloud of dust form element zero that has now enveloped the entire planet has begun to claim several casualties. At the moment, the death toll has passed 500. Many of the causes of these deaths have been from severe respiratory infections, liver, kidney, and heart failure, and several different forms of terminal cancer. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with a flood of new patients arriving. Some who enter the ER leave with a diagnosis of terminal cancer and a few days to live. Some of these colonists never leave, either. At the maternity ward here in Coleman City Hospital, the news is far more tragic. Of the 87 children born recently, 50 of them now have severe birth defects and tumors. 37 of them are not only perfectly healthy, but now show a new 'biotic' potential._

Miranda sighed as she read the articles. They got worse and worse. It wasn't just Eldfell-Ashland, it was other energy companies as well. Their tankers were blowing up over other colonies too.

_Mark's theories seem to have some truth to them. But…_

She shook her head. Sure Cerberus had a dark reputation. They had been called terrorists, among other bad names. But if these accidents were Cerberus operations…

Miranda shook the thought out.

_No. This isn't us._

In the back of her mind, Miranda heard another voice.

_How do you know? You've seen all of Shepard's mission reports involving Cerberus from 2 years ago._

The voice was Miranda's own. She was arguing with her own thoughts.

_Those were from Cerberus' military division. How was I supposed to know?_

_You weren't. Just like those 'accidents' over those colonies. Just like Akuze. Plausible deniability._

Miranda let out a frustrated groan.

_What about the mission we're doing now? This is what Cerberus does._

The other voice scoffed. _Whatever helps you sleep at night. For every 'good' thing they've done, there are four failures._

_I'm done having this conversation…_

_It doesn't matter. It's always going to come up. Sooner or later, you're going to have to open your eyes and face the facts._

She sat back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. "Of all the times to have an argument with myself…"

* * *

I went into the tech lab and found Mordin running scans on Watson.

"Hey guys." I said, uneasily. "What's going on?"

"Ah Mark. Good timing. Was running experiments with Watson." Said the professor.

"By the looks of things, I think you mean experiments on Watson." I said, folding my arms.

Watson turned. "No. Professor Solus was assisting us with this."

The large geth pointed to a pair of modules on the table.

"What are those?" I asked.

"These are Nanocrystal Shields or Hard Shields. All mobile platforms are equipped with these." Replied Watson.

"Sweet. How do they work?"

"Most modern kinetic barriers use standard mass effect technology to stop mass accelerator rounds. Several years ago, we were able to develop better shielding by adding composite nanocrystals into kinetic barrier generators." Explained Watson.

I nodded. "Sounds like they must have a beneficial effect."

"Indeed." Mordin chimed in. "Shielding technology still beyond anything I could understand. Well, for now."

"The benefit of the shielding is a reduction in shield damage. Incoming projectiles would be stopped by the nanocrystal wall, leaving kinetic barriers relatively unharmed." Watson said.

I smirked. "I like the sound of that. How many more can we crank out?"

"Only the two." Mordin said, lowering his head. "Shielding is difficult to replicate. Unknown variables, lack of materials."

"This one is for you." Watson said, handing me the module.

"Thanks. Is the other module for you?" I asked the geth.

"No. It is for Shepard."

"Good thinking. With his hard charging style, these shields are right up his alley." I said with a smirk.

"Hm. Excellent deduction." Mordin replied, tapping his chin. "Coupled with redundant field generator, Shepard should run into less problems."

I laughed. "Ah we shouldn't dump on him too much. He does good work."

Mordin nodded in agreement. "Yes. Has done an excellent job building team, helping them with problems. Should be ready for anything now."

"Yeah." I trailed off. "Any other science projects you're working on?"

"Watson and I finished replicating redundant field generators for whole squad." Mordin replied.

"Cool."

"Well, must continue studying Collector data. Talk later?"

I nodded. "Sure thing."

I gestured to Watson as we walked out of the lab and into the connecting hallway between the armory and lab.

"So, I take it that you don't need the new hard shields?" I asked.

Watson shook his head. "No. This platform was already equipped with them. We used our shield module as a template for the two copies."

"I guess I should thank you for that."

"You are welcome."

I shifted my eyes back and forth. "What's the progress on the 'Four Horsemen'?"

"Infiltration was a success. It will take some time before the programs integrate and have control."

"Good." I said with a curt nod. "Do you have an estimate?"

"The 'Four Horsemen' should have total control once we are ready to travel to the Collector Base."

I scratched my chin. "Hm. Rough guess is about a week and a half to two weeks."

"Yes."

"Oh yeah. Thanks for helping me out last night." I said. "Sorry for putting you through that."

"It is no trouble. We have been around you long enough to understand how volatile you can get when depressed."

I chuckled. "Yeah. I guess I get a little carried away."

"Perhaps. Your emotional response is different than most organics. We have observed other responses from various crew members aboard the ship."

The two of us cut through the armory, waving to Jacob as we walked into the CIC and looked at the galaxy map. Of course, everyone made a few glances over at Watson. The good news was that they were less afraid of him.

"Valhallan Threshold eh? Don't think I've ever been out there." I said.

"The Valhallan Threshold contains several 'wasteland' systems. The Micah system contains several planets that form the 'eezo trail'. To our knowledge, the quarian migrant fleet is in the progress of mining Farlas for element zero. Israfil, the fourth planet has a small colony of only 1,006 people."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Talk about a frontier system."

Watson continued. "The Paz system is home to only one planet: Garvug. It was given to the krogan due to their ability to survive in harsh environments. The planet is now nothing more than a frozen, polluted wasteland. The only inhabitants are collectives of krogan and vorcha. Several Citadel Space companies reside there as well, attempting to restore the environment or use the planet for its resources."

"I thought I remember hearing something about Garvug a while ago."

"You would be correct. State forces run by Hailot Wrund are currently fighting corporate forces comprising of: Binary Helix, Guanghui Solutions, and Sonax Industries. The fighting seems to be intensifying as Wrund is currently in hiding." Watson replied.

"Hope we don't go there." I said, looking at our ETA to the Threshold. "3 days…could be worse. What about the system we're heading to?"

"Raheel-Leyya. There are no planets, only binary stars. Both are blue giants. Recent intelligence indicates the Migrant Fleet is located there."

_The Migrant Fleet? We're going there?_

"Hm." I mumbled. "I wonder if we're going there."

"A possibility."

"I'd ask Tali but I get the feeling this isn't because she's feeling homesick." I added as we went into the elevator.

"A personal motive for returning?" Watson asked.

"Sounds like it. I mean, we've had to divert a few times to help out someone on the team." I said with a sigh. "I've got a strange feeling about this."

The lift went down, its destination: the crew deck.

"Are you going to make amends with Ms. Lawson?" asked the geth.

"I'm still trying to prepare myself for what may or may not happen."

"We wish you good luck."

I snorted. "Thanks buddy."

* * *

I got off the lift and went into my room. I needed to do some cleaning…serious cleaning. It took some time, but after an hour and a half, it was spotless.

I took a deep inhale. "Mmm…citrus fresh."

Taking one last look at my Minuteman armor hanging on the wall, I walked out. I hadn't talked to Kasumi in a while so I decided to check in on her.

The door to her room opened up and inside was the master thief herself and Tali. Tali was sitting in Kasumi's usual spot on the couch, her legs curled up to her chest.

"It's just—I don't know what to make of this! The Fleet accusing me of treason—oh Mark!" Tali said, shocked as I stepped into the room.

"Hi." I said, taken aback. I turned over to Kasumi. "Did you slip her something with caffeine?"

The thief chuckled. "No. I'm trying to help her relax."

Tali huffed and shook her head. "The Admiralty Board is accusing me of treason."

Both of my eyebrows shot up. "What the hell? Why?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. They won't tell me, especially on an unsecured channel."

"Shit." I said, taking a seat next Tali. "That would explain why we're heading to the Valhallan Threshold then…"

"How did you know?"

I shrugged. "Watson and I checked out the galaxy map and he filled me in on the systems. He mentioned something about the Fleet being near some binary star system."

Tali grumbled at the mention of Watson. More so after mentioning that he knew where the Migrant Fleet was.

"I don't trust it." She said.

"I know you don't trust Watson." I replied.

"What if he sabotages us?"

I lulled my head back and sat forward. "No he won't do that."

"How do—"

"Tali, Watson's saved my ass in more ways than one. Hell, I'll go on record and say that he's the reason I'm alive and talking to you right now." I stated. "I'm not asking you to like him. I'm asking you to take my word for it: Watson can be trusted."

The quarian let out a worried sigh. "If you say so."

I gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. "He's been with me for the last two years. Besides, machines don't lie."

Kasumi let out a small laugh as she handed Tali a drink. She proceeded to sit to the right of me.

"This trial is just stressing me out. Father is going to have to recuse himself from the trial. I just…I don't know."

"Well Shepard's going to be there with you, maybe Garrus. Hell, you know I'm good at yelling at people so I could join in." I remarked.

Tali managed to laugh a little. "You would come along to help?"

"Well, if you want. It's up to you."

She gave me a playful shove. "Of course I want you to go. You're my friend. Besides, its fun watching you shout."

I shook my head and smiled. "John's better at it."

"Speaking of which…" I said, turning to Kasumi. "I never asked either of you how the party at Hock's went."

Kasumi giggled. "Oh it was nice. I got to wear this white and gold qipao, very nice by the way."

I groaned. "Dang. Missed out on seeing you without that hood on."

She laughed again. "Oh who knows, I might have to wear that dress again if we make it out of this mission alive."

"So what, you never take that hood off?"

"Sometimes…mostly if my head feels stuffy." She replied.

I rolled my eyes at the quip. "What was the vault like? Did you have to dodge a bunch of randomly timed laser beams that somehow synced up to a French hip-hop song?"

Kasumi burst out laughing, leaving Tali confused.

"Oh no, no, no. It was very nice. We only had to deal with the security for the access elevator."

"Oh." I replied flatly. I thought that it would have been a little more complex…or exciting.

"But I did have to do something like that once." Kasumi said, tapping her chin. "Glad to see we have a similar taste in movies."

"That must have been sweet."

She nodded. "As for what was in the vault, we found all sorts of goodies. There were some quarian stone tablets, Michaelangelo's David, some Egyptian statue, and Lady Liberty's head."

"He had quarian stone tablets?" Tali asked.

The thief nodded. "Yeah. It was kind of surprising to find that. I was thinking about going back there some time to swipe a few things."

"Not the tablets." Tali added in a flat tone.

"Oh I couldn't steal anything like that."

"He stole the Statue of Liberty's head?" I asked.

"Yep."

I slapped my leg. "Those maniacs…they blew it up! Damn them all to hell!"

Tali was left confused at the old reference again. "Sometimes I wish I had a translator for everything you say."

I laughed. "It's a reference to an old movie."

She shook her head. "It's a wonder your head doesn't fall off from all of that information."

"Oh I manage. I store the rest of said information in other body parts." I dryly quipped.

Turning back to Kasumi, I continued. "Then after all of that, we got the two of you out in a blaze of glory."

"Yep. My ears were ringing for about a day after the heist. Still, thanks for helping out."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you thank Jacob personally?"

She blushed and slapped me in the arm. "Yes. Now shush."

"Joking of course. But thanks for letting that slip." I said, grinning like an idiot.

Kasumi rolled her eyes as I stood up.

"Well, it was nice talking to you both. I gotta take care of a few things. See ya later."

"Bye Mark." Both of them said as I left the room.

* * *

The evening had finally arrived and I was more than ready now. As for what was going to happen, well, hopefully it would be positive. Here I was, standing at Miranda's door. I don't get scared very often, but my legs were involuntarily shaking.

_Hope I can make inside without tripping over myself._

I took a deep breath and pressed the call button on the door pad.

"Yes?"

"Can I…uh…can I come in?" I asked in a shaky voice.

Silence on the other end.

_Uh oh._

Then the doors opened up and I slowly walked in. Miranda was sitting in her chair on the left side of the room, looking out the window. She wasn't wearing her usual black uniform but was wearing her gym clothes. All I could see were her long, well toned legs. She took a deep breath and got out of the chair to face me.

We stared at each other for some time.

I sighed and stared at the floor. "Spent all day going over this speech I made up in my head. Here I am…and I don't know what to say."

Miranda's lips quirked into a brief smile for a second. "Me too."

"Well, I guess I'll start this off…I—I want to apologize for what I said to you." I started. "I called you a few bad names, brought up some touchy personal things and…I shouldn't have done that."

Miranda swallowed hard. "I'd also like to apologize. What I said to you was just…I brought up something that was incredibly traumatic for you and I just…" She stopped briefly, trying to think of how to finish her apology.

I finished it. "You got lost in the heat of the moment."

"Yes. Perhaps I've been too dead set on my own beliefs that I can't see the faults in them." She walked over to the couch on the right side of the room and sat down.

"Hey, everybody's own views and ideologies have faults in them. There's no such thing as a perfect belief. To me, perfection is only an opinion, not a fact."

Miranda quirked an eyebrow.

I waved my hands up. "Not an insult."

She shook her head. "I know."

"But if you want my opinion, I think you're perfect." I said with a smile.

Miranda returned it. "Thank you."

"I admire your loyalty to your group. Its something I shared when I was in the military." I said. I held out my arms. "So, are we still good?"

"Yes." She scooted over and we hugged.

"There's just one thing I want to clear up. Just so you understand where I'm coming from." I added.

"What is it?"

"It wasn't just what happened on Akuze. There was an…incident. About 3 months before the siege on Torfan." I said. "When you looked up my files, you saw something about me staying at a military hospital. Right?"

Miranda nodded. "I saw a mention of it but no real details."

"I see." I cleared my throat. "What I'm about to tell you is known by only six people. Two of them are on this ship."

"Okay." She said softly.

* * *

**3 Months before Siege of Torfan, 2178, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Earth**

_I hadn't said a single word to anyone since I woke up here nearly a year ago. And yet, I was the most famous guy in here. Strange how that worked out. No, it wasn't because of my lack of speaking. It was because I was the first guy who went up against an unknown life form and survived. I survived 4 days of being hunted down by giant acid spitting worms._

_Fifty good men and women died in that span of 4 days. And I survived._

_Karma can be a real bitch sometimes._

_Every night, I have nightmares from the attacks on Mindoir and now the addition of Akuze is just making things worse for me. I feel like I'm walking on a tightrope made out of dental floss._

_To add to that, I've got some kind of poison floating around my entire body; contracted it from those fucking worms on Akuze. My body is in pain all the time. Its like having an intense workout where you can feel the lactic acid build up inside of you. Only this is about a hundred times worse. On top of that, I have to wear sunglasses now. I discovered the hard way what happens when I don't. Regularly lit rooms are like staring into the sun for me now. I can only see in pitch black or nighttime conditions._

_I leaned back in my bed and glanced over at the empty bunk which used to be occupied by Joe Ramsey, my roommate. He killed himself two weeks ago._

_One of the nurses came in to tell me that I had a visitor. She didn't look to pleased about who it was. That could only mean one person: General Issac Hennessy._

_If there was any sort of officer that would make a soldier commit fratricide, it was him. He considered soldiers to be expendable, a means to an end. That's probably how he ended up getting his unit killed on Shanxi. He was the one defending the capital…and the one who threw General Williams under the bus after Hennessy failed._

_How a guy like that ended up in the military was beyond me. Some people thought that he had good connections. Others suspected that he knew where the Alliance kept all of its skeletons…he probably put most of them in there. All the higher ups saw were his results. Sure, they would complain about the loss of drones and soldiers but it would only be a note in his file._

_And now here he was, spending his free time harassing the vets here at the hospital in some sick attempt to get 'the good ones' combat ready for some crazy invasion of some place called Torfan._

_Since I was the most famous one here, and the only N7 that wasn't crippled in some way, I was his target. He'd been coming and going over the last two weeks._

_Hennessy was sitting at some table in the empty visitors room, only a few orderlies and a doctor nearby._

_"Good morning you mute piece of shit."_

_I only met him with silence._

_"Now I know you're not gonna give me an answer, so here's what's going to happen. I'm dragging your sorry ass with me to Torfan, whether you like it or not."_

_One of the doctors sighed heavily. He'd dealt with this for the same amount of time as I had._

_"General, I keep telling you, if you take him out there he will die. He's in no condition—"_

_"Save it, peacoat. This man's a soldier." Hennessy spat out before turning his gaze on me. "He doesn't need to follow doctors orders. He follows mine."_

_I stared blankly at him._

_The general's face contorted into an annoyed expression. Apparently his attempts to drag me to hell for the last two weeks were starting to get to him._

_"I'm taking you. That's it."_

_Another stare._

_"God damn it, soldier answer me!"_

_When I gave no reply, he smacked me._  
_The orderlies tried to step in but were waved off._

_Hennessy snorted. "Piece of shit. Maybe I was wrong to come here after all. A man who's too weak to save his own family, too weak to save his own unit. Hell you can't even talk."_

_My breathing became more and more heavy. He crossed the line._

_"If Goodson was a good soldier that followed orders, your ass would have been dead on that shitty rock. I told him not to go, but no…he had to save his precious little troops. It's better off being dead than being like this…a weak commander with no unit, no family—"_

_Whatever rant he planned on finishing was ended instantly with a heavy left hook. I could feel his cheekbone shatter as I laid that left hand into him. The second punch knocked him out cold, damaging the rest of his face. The orderlies and doctor were all over me, holding me down to administer a sedative. They had to. Any longer and I would have killed the bastard with my bare hands._

_When I woke up, I was back in my room. It was only a matter of time before the MP's came running down here to drag my ass to the stockade for hitting a General. Then again, I got a medical discharge after Akuze so I'm just a civilian now or rather, a veteran._

_As much as I tried not to think about it, his words stung. The dreams that played over and over in my head refused to stop and everything began to spiral out of control. Then it hit me. All of this misfortune I've had, all of the people who have died around me, all of the missions I had undertaken without a serious injury…all of this pain. Yet, nothing could stop me. No force in this universe could kill me. Except for one thing._

_I was tired of living like this. The physical pain, the mental anguish, all of these strangers giving me their pity. It was sickening and it needed to stop. Maybe my dreams would stop, maybe the screaming would stop. Everything had come together._

_At 5 in the morning, everything was ready. I took my bed sheets and slung them around a water return pipe on the ceiling. I tied everything tightly, and formed a noose. I slung it over my head and took a few deep breaths. Then…I jumped. The world slowly fading away, only the faint sounds of someone screaming…wait. What?_

* * *

"When I woke up, they told me that the nurse had forgotten to drop off my meds. The yelling I heard was that nurse. I was legally dead for 30 seconds." I said, turning to Miranda.

Her eyes were glassy, as if she looked like she was going to cry.

I snorted. "Karma huh?"

"I can't believe you tried to do that." She said, in a hushed tone.

I simply shrugged. "It changed my perspective on things. I realized that even if I was living on borrowed time, I might as well keep the promise to my unit. That and Anderson helped me out."

"Councilor Anderson?" Miranda asked.

"Yep. Next to Shepard, I was one of his top protégé's. It was only natural for him to help me out."

Miranda still looked at me in disbelief.

"I wanted to tell that story to you. So you would understand. People can't just throw away a life or lives for the sake of a goal. It doesn't help anybody."

She looked at the ground and then at me.

"Miri…I love you with all of my heart. And I'd never do anything to hurt you in anyway." I said, changing the tone.

Her expression lit up.

"Did—did you call me Miri?"

I nodded. "It's got a nice ring to it."

She let out a small chuckle. "Only use it in private."

"You bet."

"Mark. I love you too. And I'd never do anything to ever hurt you…ever."

With that, we embraced and shared a rather passionate kiss. I picked her up and carried her over to her bed where we started tearing each other's clothes off.

"I wanted to save this—for—a special occasion." I said in between Miranda's kisses.

"Mmm…what would that be?" she asked saucily.

"This." I said as I put my hands on her chest and began to manipulate her biotics.

About an hour and a half later, Miranda was laying on top of me, panting heavily. She didn't have the strength to roll over.

"My god, Mark. How did—I didn't know—"

I let out a small laugh. "Now you know. Biotics can be used for more than just throwing people around."

She bit her lip. "I can see why you saved that."

"First time makeup sex. Can't go wrong with that eh?"

She laughed, bringing her hand up to my cheek. "No but lets never have a fight like that again."

"Agreed. A whole day without Miranda is a bad day indeed." I said as she rolled her eyes.

"I missed you too." She said dryly.

* * *

_All right! Together again!_

_Oh yeah and I added another jillion references again...sorry got carried away._

_Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	38. Treason

_Author's Note: Well that was quite a while eh? Sorry but there was so much going on during Tali's mission that it took a long time for me to get down. Then I had to add a few things. Just a heads up, I did a bit of a time skip from the last chapter to Tali's LM, just to let you know. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Migrant Fleet**

I was woken up at around six in the morning by Miranda who managed to kiss me awake.

_You'd think after last night she would be sleeping in…_

She was right on top of me, smiling. Her hands resting on my pillow next to my head.

"Mmm?" I gave a grunt in surprise. "Good morning to you too."

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

I smiled at her. "Of course. I'm just a little surprised. Thought we'd be sleeping in."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I was feeling…excited for some reason this morning."

"Excited?"

"Yes. After last night, I just…I felt like we finally got that issue off of our backs. The whole lingering argument about Cerberus. It feels good." She said, still smiling.

I wrapped my arms around her shapely figure. "I'll say. I'm feeling pretty good right now." I wiggled my eyebrows.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You ass."

"It's so easy to push your buttons."

"Only when you act like an ass." She retorted.

"You know you like it."

She giggled. "I do. But getting back to the topic at hand…"

I sighed and took my hands off, holding them up. "I know, I know. It's partly my fault for avoiding the topic of who we both work for. Honestly, I'm glad we managed to discuss it like adults. But more importantly, I'm glad we're back together again."

"Me too." She replied, as she kissed me on the lips. "It's my fault too. I brought up some uncomfortable topics and insulted you. I shouldn't have done that."

I shrugged under her. "We're both sorry. Either way, its over and done with."

Miranda nodded and rolled off of me as I sat up, she still held onto me. "You know, I finished reading that book your ancestor wrote."

I looked at her, both eyebrows raised. "You went through it that fast? Damn."

She let out a small laugh. "Yes. After reading it, I realized just how much it matters to you. Its your only link to your origins, a link to your past."

I nodded. "I read it all the time. It makes me feel like I'm not alone, that I've got a family member watching over me. Plus, it's the best source of 20th and 21st century culture and history out there. It gave me some insight to my own family's history."

"My family's history isn't as interesting." Muttered Miranda.

"It's interesting…just not very happy." I corrected.

"Yes." She said flatly.

I kissed her on the forehead. "There's always a chance to change it."

"Well, you helped me save my sister, preventing her from being the next me so…"

"Sometimes history doesn't have to repeat itself." I said.

She balanced her head in her hand and smirked. "I am a little surprised about one thing…"

"What would that be?" I asked slowly as I was a little hypnotized by looking at Miranda.

She bit her lip, noticing my look. "That you and Jack weren't…you know?"

I snapped out of my little daydream. "You mean me and Jack being together?"

"Yeah." Miranda said, glancing down. "I mean, both of you have a lot in common and you seem to be close."

I raised an eyebrow. "You think that I'd leave you for Jack?" Shaking my head, I continued. "Jack told me herself that we'd never work out. And I quote, 'We're too fucked up in the head.' Besides, she's a good friend. One fight with you isn't going to send me running to another woman."

I took Miranda by the hand and she smiled. "Just because two people have something in common doesn't mean they'd be a good couple. I mean look at us. We work for opposing groups."

"Point taken." She replied, kissing my hand.

I went back to eying Miranda up from head to toe. I could feel a small shiver go through her biotic field.

"Why are you giving me that look?" Miranda playfully asked.

"I don't think I'm completely woken up yet."

"Neither am I." Miranda said.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Migrant Fleet, Raheel-Leyya System, Vallhallan Threshold**

"Whew." Joker whistled as we began our approach to the Migrant Fleet.

"Never seen that many ships before." I added.

"You said it. I mean, how often do you get to see this?" asked Joker.

The fleet was right in front of us, fifty thousand ships filling our view. We couldn't even tell where the fleet started and ended.

Tali and Shepard stood behind us looking ahead at the fleet. Tali's arms were folded and she was tapping her foot nervously.

"Joker, open a channel." Shepard said.

"Comms are open." Replied the pilot, waving his finger.

Tali cleared her throat. "This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya. Requesting permission to dock with the Rayya."

Silence on the other end of the radio.

"Our system has your ship flagged as Cerberus. Verify." Was the response.

"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began."

Another pause. "Permission granted. Welcome home, Tali'Zorah."

"We'd like a security and quarantine team to meet us. Our ship is not clean."

"Understood. Approach exterior docking cradle 17."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Security and quarantine team?"

Tali nodded. "Its our way of letting them know that we have nothing to hide. Its a standard procedure."

"Ah. I see." He replied.

"I take it that the Rayya is that giant ship we're approaching." I said.

"Yes." Tali replied.

"Wow. Cool."

She let out a small giggle. "That's where I was born. I wish we weren't coming back under a situation like this."

"I hear that." Joker chimed in. "Looks like living on a ship your whole life can really mess with you…oh wait, I just burned myself. Great."

The three of us laughed at Joker as he docked us with the Rayya.

"Out of all the places we've been, the quarians are the only ones that know this is a Cerberus ship." I said. "Doesn't that seem weird?"

"Yeah." Shepard added. "I mean their logos are all over the damn place. Even the uniforms."

"The logos are not Cerberus logos. They are symbol of a Cerberus front, Cord-Hislop Aerospace. More specifically, Cord-Hislop Skunkworks, a research and development branch."

We turned around and saw Watson.

"Wait, you mean one of the largest shipbuilders in the galaxy is a Cerberus front?" Joker asked out loud.

"Yes. It is the reason that we have been able to slip into large ports and colony worlds without any trouble." Replied the geth.

"Mark, did you know about this?" Shepard asked.

I shook my head. "We've had our suspicions for some time but nothing really conclusive. It's only a theory Watson and I have come up with. Some of their activities and financial records had a few red flags. Other than that, no real smoking gun."

"Well that explains a lot." Joker muttered.

I noticed Tali was giving Watson the death glare.

"What brings you up here Watson?" I asked.

"We would like to assist you in the upcoming mission."

"Oh." I said, taken aback. I looked at Tali who looked equally surprised.

"Tali?" Shepard asked.

"I'll…think about it." She answered. "I don't think the fleet would like having a geth come along."

"This platform can disguise itself using holographic camouflage. You have seen this before when we first met."

Shepard scratched his head. "Well, first we're going to the trial just to see what charges the Admiralty Board has. We'll see what happens after that. Understood?"

"Yes." Watson replied.

Shepard nodded. "EDI, tell Garrus and Grunt to come up, please?"

"Yes Shepard."

"Grunt?" Tali asked.

"Kid hasn't been out for awhile." John looked at me next. "You coming along too?"

"Yep."

"Okay. Let's suit up."

The four of us went to the armory to get our weapons and armor. Garrus and Grunt walked in shortly after.

"Wonder if we should bring our weapons…" I muttered.

Tali shook her head. "No. Not until we find out what's going on."

Grunt grumbled.

"Grunt, we're visiting the quarian fleet, not going on a killing spree."

"Ah. Still, I want to hurt something. Can I at least do that?" asked the frustrated krogan.

"We'll see." Sighed Shepard. "Just be happy that you get to go out."

"I am."

After we got ready, we carried our weapons to the airlock and waited for the security and quarantine team to arrive. The good news was that there were some seats we could pull out.

I sighed. "Good to know that even if you're on trial, they'll take their sweet time to come here."

Garrus chuckled.

I glanced over at Watson. "You get your projection down?"

"Yes. We copied your Minuteman armor onto our current projection."

"Sweet." I replied. "By the way, once we're on board—"

"We will keep aural communications to a minimum to avoid confrontation. We will resort to radio communication."

I nodded. "Good."

Tali sighed. "Bringing a geth into the fleet…they'll think its an infiltration."

"Geth do not infiltrate." Watson stated.

"You're using holographic camouflage."

"We are using this to avoid violent reactions."

"Kids, no more arguing please." I muttered.

Tali huffed and folded her arms. "Why is that thing even here?"

"We are here to facilitate unit cohesion. Creator Tali'Zorah harbors the most resentment towards us out of the rest of the crew. We understand her anger and accept it. However, we wish to change her perception."

Shepard shrugged. "Watson wants to help out. That's good enough for me."

Tali shook her head.

EDI's voice came over the intercom. "Commander, the security and quarantine team has arrived."

"Thanks for the heads up, EDI."

The doors opened up to reveal three familiar faces.

"Rina, Kenn, Yan!" Tali exclaimed.

"Hello Tali." Rina said, giving her friend a hug. "It's been awhile."

"It has." She replied. Yan and Kenn stood off to the side.

"I hope the charges they brought against you aren't true."

Tali shook her head. "They aren't. I would never endanger the fleet."

"We believe you." Replied Rina. Kenn and Yan nodded as well.

The rest of us stood up.

"Commander Shepard." Rina started. "It is good to see you as well. Please, follow me."

And so our group walked through the crowded halls of the Rayya. I was in awe as I walked around the halls of the ship. The Rayya was one of three liveships, which provided food for the seventeen million quarians living among the fleet. Service aboard these vessels was voluntary, with each citizen serving a rotation amongst the ships. Yan was walking next to me.

"For a ship that's three centuries old, this is pretty cool." I said.

Yan chuckled. "Well, you're part of a small group of outsiders that have ever been allowed to come aboard."

"I feel exclusive. Is there a gift shop around here? They've gotta have a shirt for outsiders." I said.

Yan tilted his head while Tali groaned. "Gift shop?"

"Yeah! You know, to get a souvenir."

John sighed. "Mark, we're here to help Tali."

"Yeah, I know. Maybe I'll get a shirt some other time."

Garrus shook his head. "What is it with you and souvenir shirts?"

"Hey, I didn't bring a whole lot of clothes with me for this trip. I just wanted a few to get by…to look fresh and stuff." I replied.

"Ah." Garrus said, understanding.

Yan was pointing various parts of the ship out to me. Even though he was from the Tonbay, he had served a voluntary term aboard the Rayya.

"Who's the guy in the fancy armor?" Yan asked me as he pointed to Watson.

"That's Watson. He's an old friend of mine. He's a mute." I replied.

"Oh. Pleasure to meet you." Yan said, holding his hand out. Watson shook it.

_Well, this seems to be working out fine._

We finally approached a group of quarian soldiers who were lounging around, until a quarian male approached, causing the soldiers to get up and salute.

_Must be an officer._

He approached Shepard. "Captain John Shepard? I'm Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya."

"Pleasure to meet you." He replied shaking the quarian captain's hand.

"Likewise. Tali'Zorah has told me a lot about you. I wish we could be meeting under more pleasant circumstances."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah, I hear that. But uh, I never reached the rank of captain. Technically, I'm no longer in the military at all."

"You're the commander of the Normandy, responsible for the lives aboard it. That entitles you to respect among our people." Captain Danna said. "May you stand between crew and harm as you lead them through the empty quarters of the stars."

"Keelah se'lai." Tali added. "It's an old ship captain's blessing, Shepard."

John nodded. "Tali helped the Normandy's crew out of many difficult situations. I'm just here to return the favor."

"I understand. As the commander of the vessel she serves on, your voice carries weight." He turned to Tali. "I wish I could do more to help, Tali. The trial requires that I be officially neutral, but…I'm here if you need to talk."

She nodded in response. Captain Danna moved closer. "They're charging you with bringing active geth to the Fleet as part of a secret project."

Our little squad turned and looked at each other.

"That's insane! I never brought active geth aboard. I only sent parts and pieces." Tali retorted.

Watson and I looked at each other.

_Well…even more of a reason now to conceal the fact that Watson's here._

Shepard looked at Tali. "You sent geth materials back to the Migrant Fleet?"

She sighed. "Yes. My father was working on a project. He needed the materials. If I sent back something that was only damaged, not permanently damaged…No. No. I checked everything. I was careful."

"Technically, I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest, pending the hearing. So, Tali…you're confined to this ship until the trial is over." Said Captain Danna.

"Thank you, Captain." Replied Tali.

"Preparations for the trial got under way as soon as you arrived. The hearing is being held in the garden plaza. Good luck." He concluded, letting us pass by.

Rina and her team walked ahead of us.

"So Yan, are you like our escort?" I asked quietly.

"Yes. At least until the trial is over. Some people around here are a little on edge." Answered the biotic quarian.

I glanced around, noticing the stares from a few nearby quarians. "You don't say."

"Ever since the attack on the Idenna, we're even more cautious of outsiders." Kenn added. "Being on a Cerberus ship doesn't help either."

I sighed. "And yet none of us are affiliated with the group in any way. Shepard's a Spectre for god's sake."

Yan nodded in agreement. "I believe you Mark. After you saved us on Haestrom, we'd find it hard to believe that you or the team with you would support Cerberus."

"I guess that's why their sitting this one out." I muttered to myself. We walked through another hallway, approaching the garden plaza. Rina and her team moved into the plaza as we stopped in front of a female quarian who was awaiting us.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. I am glad you came. I could only delay them only so long."

Tali stretched her arms out and hugged the woman. "Auntie Raan! John Shepard vas Normandy, this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. She's a friend of my father's." Tali paused and turned to Shala. "Wait. Raan, you called me 'vas Normandy'."

"I'm afraid I did Tali. The Admiralty Board moved to have you tried under that name, given your departure from the Neema." Shala replied.

Tali started to step back towards Shepard.

_No sympathy from family friends, eh? Geez. My first impression of the Fleet is not that good so far._

"You're an admiral. Does that mean you're one of the judges?" Shepard asked.

"I'm afraid not. My history with Tali and her father forced me to recuse myself."

"I imagine father had to do the same." Tali said.

"You'll see inside, Tali. For my part, I moderate and ensure that the rules of protocol are followed, but I have no vote in the judgment."

"And I guess being associated with a human ship is a bad thing." Shepard said.

"They stripped me of my ship name. That's as good as declaring me exiled already." Yelled Tali.

Shala shook her head. "It's not over yet, Tali. You still have friends who know you as Tali'Zorah vas Neema…whatever we must call you legally."

"Well, I guess we should head in and get this over with. Does Tali have a counselor, someone who speaks for her side?" asked Shepard.

"Indeed she does…Captain Shepard. She is part of your crew now, recognized by quarian law. And remember, an accused is always represented by his or her ship's captain."

Tali swallowed hard. "So…er, you would actually speak for my defense."

"You say it like it's a bad thing, Tali." I said jokingly.

"I'll do everything in my power to help you, Tali." Shepard said to her, shooting me a look.

"Thank you Shepard. I could not ask for a better counselor."

"Our legal rules are simple. There are no legal tricks or loopholes for you to worry about." Shala added. "Present the truth as best you can. It will have to be enough. Now come. I promised that I would not delay you."

We followed Shala into the garden plaza and I looked around. "Wow. I wish I could take my boots off and walk around. That grass looks like a football pitch."

Shepard grunted in agreement as we walked into the gathering area.

A large crowd of quarians moved into the seating gallery, along with some marines.

In front of us was Shala, with 3 other members of the Admiralty Board. Not including Shala, there was only one woman on the Board that held a vote.

"This Conclave is brought to order. Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah se'lai." Shala said. "The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her captain to defend herself against the charge of treason."

The admiral in the center shot his hand up. "Objection! A human has no business being at a hearing involving such sensitive military matters!"

All of us rolled our eyes at the man.

"Then you should not have declared Tali crew of the Normandy, Admiral Koris. By right as Tali's captain, Shepard must stay." Shala told the admiral.

Koris shook his head. "Objection withdrawn."

I folded my arms and stared at the man.

"John Shepard vas Normandy, your crewmember Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"

Shepard glanced at Tali and nodded. He walked up to the small podium and leaned on it with his hands.

"If it helps Tali, I will. But in her heart, she remains Tali'Zorah vas Neema, a proud member of the Migrant Fleet." I saw Shepard eye Admiral Koris carefully. "I regret that her Captain is forbidden to stand at her side today."

Koris fell right into the bear trap. "No one has been forbidden from anything! It is a simple—"

The admiral to Koris' left turned to Koris and pointed angrily at him. "Lie to them if you must, Zaal'Koris, but don't lie to me and expect me to stay silent! The human is right!"

Shala'Raan stepped in. "Admirals, please. Shepard's willingness to represent Tali'Zorah in this hearing is appreciated."

I couldn't see his face because of the helmet, but I knew John was grinning like an idiot. The admirals were underestimating him.

_Underestimating the galaxy's biggest hero? They've been staying inside too long._

"Tali." Shala continued. "You are accused of bringing active geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"

"Before I answer that, how could Tali have brought geth to the Migrant Fleet while serving on the Normandy?" Shepard asked.

"To clarify, Shepard." Started the lone female member of the Board. "Tali isn't accused of bringing active geth to the Fleet. Only parts and pieces that could spontaneously reactivate."

Tali was wringing her hands nervously. "But I would never send active geth to the Fleet! Everything I sent was disabled and harmless!"

Koris took a step forward and pointed at her. "Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!"

In that moment, it felt like the air was sucked out of the room. Various gasps were heard before a dead silence hit the room.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Tali asked frightened.

The admiral to Koris' left spoke again. "As far as we can tell, Tali, the geth have killed everyone on the Alarei…your father included."

"What? Oh keelah…"

_I knew I had a bad feeling about this._

Shepard stepped up to the podium again in the middle of the chaos. "I appreciate the need for this trial, Admirals, but right now our first concern must be the safety of the Migrant Fleet. The Normandy stands ready to assist in whatever capacity necessary."

Shala'Raan bowed her head. "Thank you. Quarian strike teams have already attempted to retake the ship, but so far without success."

Tali turned to Shepard. "Shepard, we have to take back the Alarei!"

"The safest course would be to simply destroy the ship. But if you are looking for an honorable death instead of exile…" Koris stated.

Tali practically blew up. "I'm looking for my father you bosh'tet!"

Shepard held her back with his right arm.

"You intend to take back the Alarei from the geth? This proposal is extremely dangerous." Shala said.

I grumbled. _From the sound of her voice, they were expecting this to happen. I hate being forced into things._

Shepard played along. "With your permission, Admirals, yes. The good of the Fleet comes first…and Tali needs to find her father."

"Agreed. And if you die on this worthy mission, Tali, we'll see that your name is cleared of these charges."

Koris muttered to his counterpart. "We can discuss that later."

"Then it is decided. You will attempt to retake the Alarei. You are hereby given leave to depart from the Rayya. A shuttle will be waiting at the secondary docking hangar." Declared Shala. "Be safe, Tali. This hearing will resume upon your return, or upon determination that you have been killed in action."

The room began to clear out, with Tali giving a stare at Shala'Raan before following us to the entrance to the plaza.

"And I thought the Citadel Council was bad." Garrus muttered. I nodded in agreement.

"Killing more machines…should be easy." Said Grunt.

I turned to Watson. "What do you think, Watson? Picking up any geth transmissions?"

"No. There are no outgoing geth transmissions. We currently believe that the creators are performing tests on the geth. More proof will be needed in order achieve consensus."

Shepard and Tali walked up to us.

"Thank you for agreeing to take back the Alarei. The admirals sound sure that my father is already dead, but…" Tali sighed. "I don't know. We won't know anything until we get there."

"How are you holding up? They just threw a lot of fire at you, even before telling you about your father." Shepard asked.

"I knew this would be bad, but I guess you're never really prepared to be charged with treason. And my father, I don't know. He could still be alive. They don't know for certain that he's dead. I just don't know Shepard and I need to find out."

Shepard nodded. "Okay. Before we head out, do you think we should talk to a few people? You know, just to see what else is going on around here?"

Tali shrugged. "It couldn't hurt."

"Yeah. I get the feeling that there's more to this whole situation." I said. John grunted in agreement.

* * *

When the crowds were done filing out, only a few people stuck around. Luckily (or not), it was mostly the admirals. Tali had her sights set on 'Auntie Raan'.

"You set me up, Shala! You told Captain Danna not to say anything. I don't hear that my father may be dead until I'm in the trial? Why?" Tali shouted.

Shala sighed. "The admirals needed to hear the shock in your voice, Tali. Otherwise, they may not have let you retake the Alarei. That is your best chance at finding evidence that can exonerate you. I'm sorry. We can't afford sensitivity, Tali."

"I know you're trying to help her, Admiral but that was over the line." Shepard said.

"She has no one else to speak for her Shepard. I'm doing everything in my power. That's what her father would have wanted."

"Don't say it like that! He could still be alive on that ship." Tali yelled.

Shala looked at the ground for a second before looking back at Tali. "You should get to the Alarei soon. Is there anything else I can tell you?"

"What can you tell us about the Alarei?" asked Shepard.

"Not much, I'm afraid. Rael'Zorah only said that he was researching new defense technology." Shala replied.

"He told me that he needed any geth parts or pieces that I found. I assumed he was testing weapons on geth components." Added Tali.

"We knew nothing until the Alarei sent a distress signal, then went dead. We didn't even know about the geth until a boarding team was attacked."

I tapped my chin. "So we're going in blind?"

"I'm afraid so." Shala replied. "The marines who survived and escaped saw bodies in the halls. We must assume the worst."

"No. We don't." Tali said, still hopeful.

John decided to change topics quickly. "How long have you known Tali's family?"

"Since before Rael was an admiral, 20 or 30 years I'd guess. I was there when Tali was born. Her mother and I had synced up our suits so we could be in the same open-air room. I was sick for a week but it was worth it. I was the one who took Tali from her mother and put her in the bubble. She cried so hard." Shala recounted.

_Huh. Guess this whole 'manipulation' thing was a bit of an act._

"Bubble?" asked Shepard.

"Environmental units. It's a step between relying on the mother's immune system through nursing and getting a suit of one's own."

"The bubbles let parents take their children out of the clean room safely. We don't wear suits until adolescence." Tali explained.

"There's a celebration when a child gets their first suit. It's a coming of age."

"I heard a lot of other arguments going on between the other admirals." Shepard said.

Shala sighed. "You caught that. Yes, the geth presence makes this a touchy issue. The Admiralty Board is trying to determine whether to focus on colonial development…or attempt to retake the homeworld."

"You're thinking of war? With the geth?" Tali asked incredulously.

"I'm not but others are."

"I know the Migrant Fleet is formidable but even you can't take on the geth." Shepard said.

"We grow tired of wandering the stars, Shepard. We want our world back. We have paid enough for our mistake. I'm not giving you my opinion, I'm just telling you which way the wind is blowing."

Shepard nodded. "Thank you for the information, Admiral."

Shala returned the gesture. "Good luck on the Alarei."

We turned to walk to the right side of the plaza. I shook my head.

"What is it Mark?" Garrus asked.

"I just hate the faces their putting on. Its like their putting on a god damn wrestling promo." I said in a disgusted tone.

Shepard snorted. "I know what you mean."

"I'm afraid I don't." Tali muttered.

I tapped her on the arm. "I mean their putting on a show for the public, turning you into a pariah. Hell, I was close to verbally shutting down Admiral Raan."

"You'd do that to Auntie Raan?" Tali asked. "She's been good to me and to my family."

"Its just what she said before we went into this plaza. She basically snubbed you; not returning the hug, calling you 'vas Normandy'. It just bothered me."

"Well I appreciate the thought but I'm glad that you…how do you humans say it? Bit your tongue?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry about me. I know when to yell and when not to. Just like Cape Fear over here." I pointed to Shepard.

"Ugh I knew you were going to bring up that nickname again."

"Be glad I didn't do it while you were in a tirade." I jabbed back.

"Yeah…" John rolled his eyes.

Tali grumbled. "I don't understand half of the things that come out of your mouth."

"Take more breaks. You spend so much time down in engineering that I'm beginning to think that you're trying to become one with the ship."

She giggled. "I'll try."

The next admiral we approached was wearing a gray/faded light yellow envirosuit. He was the one who was arguing furiously with that Admiral Koris.

"Tali! I'm glad Admiral Raan got you leave to hit the Alarei. Hopefully, you'll find something that clears your name."

"I'm more concerned with finding my father, Admiral." Replied Tali.

"I wish you luck. Blow up some geth on the way. And you're Captain Shepard? Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema." He said, bowing slightly to Shepard, who returned it.

"You got Admiral Koris backing up worse than a krogan toilet. Glad to see Tali's captain knows how to handle a courtroom."

I glanced over at Grunt and chuckled.

"I'm just here to help Tali, Admiral." Shepard said.

"I'm glad someone is."

"You believe I'm innocent, don't you Admiral?" Tali asked.

"I know you and your father. You've put too much of yourselves into this fleet to jeopardize our safety. And you're both smart enough to not to make mistakes like the ones they're saying you made."

"So you're in charge of the ship that Tali used to serve on before she joined up with us?" I asked.

"Yes I am. However, I wouldn't have been able to represent her at this hearing. The captain of the Neema would have." He replied.

"Ah, okay. For a second, I thought there would have been some whole 'conflict of interest' thing." I said with a small shrug.

"We don't have the luxury of such a clause considering how tight knit we are."

I nodded.

"Can you tell me about the other admirals? Anything that might help me change their minds about Tali?"

"The one you didn't recognize Tali was Admiral Xen. She's on the fence. She takes fleet safety very seriously. On the other hand, she's always been in favor of studying the geth. I hope she sees the benefits of Rael's research. Admiral Koris is the same whining suit-wetter he always was." Han said, finishing that sentence in a disgusted tone.

"You disagree with Admiral Koris' policies, I'm guessing? Or is it personal?" asked Shepard.

Han'Gerrel scoffed. "The man's a damn geth apologist. Thinks we were wrong to destroy them centuries ago. He wants us to search for new colony possibilities instead of taking back the homeworld. Any research on the geth makes him angry. You don't have much of a chance with him, I'm afraid."

_Well, at least there's someone here who isn't going to put on an act for the public. Plus, he's backing us. At least this situation is looking up…sort of._

"I take it that you and Tali's father go back a long way, eh?" I asked.

Before he answered, the admiral had a question of his own. "And you are?"

"Oh sorry. Mark Sears, co-counsel." I replied.

"Co-counsel?" Tali and Shepard asked at the same time.

I turned to them. "Unless you want me to sit out the debate…"

The stared blankly at me.

"Uh. I'll let you do it John." I said. "Besides, they already made you her rep. No sense in having two."

"You can be a rep in spirit, Mark."

I nodded.

"Wait. Mark Sears…" Han'Gerrel trailed off. "I've heard of you. The Cerberus hunter right?"

"Heh. That's me." I replied.

"Damn fine work from what I hear. Anyway, back to your question. Tali's father and I served on the gunship Yaska during a bad batarian raid. We were kids serving pre-Pilgrimage as trainees. A crew of ten, and six were dead. Kinetic barriers were down. Rael and I were alone on the bridge, and the batarians had drawn off a tramp freighter."

"Did you save the freighter?" Shepard asked.

"Our ship was under orders to hold position. But Rael looked at me and said, 'We're underage. They can't charge us for breaking formation.' He took the helm and I took weapons and we brought that freighter back. The crew called us all heroes. The brass called us idiots. They slapped medals on our suits and sent us off to Pilgrimage a bit earlier than usual. Heh, that's Rael for you."

"Heh. Badass." I said.

Garrus shook his head and chuckled.

Shepard sighed. "It sounds like we're dealing with more politics than just Tali bringing back equipment."

"You noticed that, did you? Tali's father wasn't just running weapons tests on the geth for fun. He was looking for something to give us an edge when we attack the geth in full scale war."

"I know father wanted to retake the homeworld someday, but are we that close?" Tali asked.

"I don't know kid. We almost had the votes. We just need to give the people hope for victory."

"I hope the quarian people find someplace to live, Admiral but it sounds like you're playing with fire." Shepard said.

"We're too comfortable now, Shepard. We've got the largest fleet in the galaxy and we just ride around doing nothing."

"We might need that fleet to help fight the Reapers, Admiral."

"Then we need to find a world to help shelter our noncombatants while we do it." Replied Han'Gerrel.

_Well at least they acknowledge the Reapers existence._

"Thanks for the information." Shepard said.

"Hang in there kid." The admiral said to Tali.

"Thank you Admiral."

We walked away from Han'Gerrel and headed towards Admiral Koris.

_Ah, here's the grumpiest man in the flotilla…_

Koris turned around to face us. "Judging by your ability to play to a crowd human, I have done Tali a favor by stripping 'vas Neema' from her name."

"Commander Shepard, this is Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib."

My eyes went wide. _Qwib Qwib?_

"Do not ask about the name." She muttered to us.

"I take no pleasure in this, Tali, truly. But you have gravely endangered and dishonored our fleet." He said.

"Hold on. You've got a ship called Qwib-Qwib?" I blurted out.

Tali grumbled. "Oh, here we go…"

"Our people have, during difficult periods, purchased pre-owned vessels from other cultures! And have on occasion had difficulty altering the ship's registry information!"

I noticed Tali shaking her head at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Dang." I replied to the admiral.

"The citizens of these foreign-named ships have borne the stigma of these names with grace and honor!"

"If it bothers you, why not change to another ship?" I asked.

"I've occasionally entertained the idea of requesting a transfer. Something with a nice, respectable name: like the Defranhz or the Iktomi."

_Hmm…vas Defranhz…vas Iktomi…wait. Hah! Oh that's way more respectable than Qwib-Qwib…_

"But I am proud of the Qwib-Qwib, and I will not flee because of petty insults."

"I wouldn't either." I started. "Besides, Qwib-Qwib has way more character than those other names you mentioned."

"Well, thank you…" replied the admiral, a little surprised.

"What exactly is your problem with my crew member, Admiral?" Shepard asked.

"I respect Tali immensely. Her actions against Saren are to be lauded. But, like her father, she wants nothing but the destruction of the geth…the people we created. The people we wronged."

"The geth drove us from our homeworld!" Tali yelled.

"Of course they did. We tried to kill them." Retorted Koris.

"You and the other admirals seem to have some disagreements that go beyond Tali's trial." Shepard said.

Koris sighed. "You are correct. Tali, I apologize for it being brought into your proceedings. The other admirals are pushing for war. Rael'Zorah was researching new weapons to use against the geth. They would see our fleet destroyed in the skies over our homeworld rather than find a colony and adapt."

"Can the quarians coexist with the geth after all of your history?" Shepard asked.

"I don't know. We all deserve to find out. They are our children, Shepard. We have all done horrible things to each other, but it has to end. For both groups. That is why I cannot sanction whatever experiments you helped enable, Tali'Zorah. I believe this message needs to be sent."

"I understand, Admiral. I don't agree with you, but I understand." Tali replied.

"We should move on." Shepard said.

"Goodbye, Tali'Zorah. Be well." Admiral Koris nodded to Tali.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, Admiral." She replied.

"I don't hate you Tali. I just think your father's plans for war were wrong." He concluded as we walked to the other end of the plaza.

I started to chuckle as we walked away.

"Mark…" Tali began to say.

"That's the best ship name ever." I replied. "Qwib-Qwib."

"You just had to ask didn't you?" she asked in a tired tone.

"Obviously. Sometimes you have to address the elephant in the room."

She sighed as we continued through the crowds. "All of this talk about weapons experiments on the geth is making me a little uneasy." I said.

"Why would it? They're just machines." Grunt said.

"It's the factors behind it. When the geth find out, things are going to get ugly. More so when we find any evidence on the Alarei." I replied.

"Well Watson already knows." Shepard added.

"Yeah but they're still building consensus. We won't know until we're there." Changing the subject. "I thought those other ship names Koris said were hilarious."

"Defranhz and Iktomi? How are those funny?" Tali asked.

"Just say 'vas Defranhz' and 'vas Iktomi'." I answered. Shepard started to chuckle.

"I get it."

"We don't." Garrus said.

"Both of those names are in reference to our…" I pointed down at my crotch. "One is part of said anatomy, the other is a permanent birth control procedure for men." I finished.

If she wasn't wearing that mask, I swear Tali was furiously blushing. "Oh…um…"

Garrus and Grunt laughed.

We spent some time talking to a quarian named Veetor who Shepard and Tali ran into on Freedom's Progress. From what John told me, he had a problem with his suit's air filters and caught some kind of infection which made him delirious. After Shepard rescued him and discovered who was abducting the colonies, he let Tali take him home to the Fleet. He was a little better but I couldn't really tell. Apparently, the admirals had talked to him in private about Tali, trying to get some information about her. Veetor's doctor said he wasn't ready for speaking publicly yet. We said our goodbye's and spoke to Kal'Reegar. He was doing all right as well. After returning to the fleet from that trip on Haestrom, he was down for a week with an infection. He joked that it wasn't as bad as having to face the board. I couldn't have agreed more. Kal mentioned that the admirals wanted to talk to him as well. He said that he suggested that Tali retake the Alarei.

_Looks like they had all of this in motion before we showed up. That's just great…_

After getting that out of the way, he mentioned the findings from the Haestrom mission. It turns out that there was a massive dark energy build up inside the Dholen star. The cause was unknown, Kal only mentioned that his job is just to shoot things, not figure out why.

Which led us to the final member of the tribunal, Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh. If first impressions are lasting impressions, then I would say that she gave off a bad first impression. Admiral Xen had no interest in this trial at all. Her reasoning was that Zaal'Koris was a coward and Han'Gerrel was an 'aging warship' whose foolish plans for war would only lead to the obliteration of the quarian people. Admiral Xen's focus was purely scientific; she had no qualms about experimenting on the geth. Then she revealed her plan: Returning the geth to the quarians.

We finished up our conversation quickly and headed for a shuttle. EDI gave us instructions but we were escorted by Rina, Kenn, and Yan who would be taking us to the Alarei.

"Well its good to know that there's a mad scientist on the Admiralty Board." I said, dryly.

"No kidding." Shepard commented.

Tali shook her head. "And the fact that she openly admitted to performing surgery on her childhood toys…"

"She almost sounds like Dr. Saleon." Garrus lamented.

"You could say that again." I replied.

Yan spoke up. "I have a friend that serves on Admiral Xen's ship. From what she tells me, the admiral isn't regarded very well over there either."

"I'd give her sympathy if she wasn't a mad scientist." I said to Yan who nodded.

"So, are you three coming with us?" Shepard asked.

"We're to escort you on the shuttle." Rina answered. "Hopefully it'll be the last time we have to go back to the Alarei."

"You were already there?" Tali asked.

Rina nodded. "We were part of the first strike team. As you can see, we're the few who made it back."

"Did you see my father?" Tali frantically asked.

"Sorry. We didn't find him." Kenn replied. "We barely made it to mess hall before most of our team was wiped out."

"Oh…"

"We'll find him Tali, don't worry." Shepard said to her, patting Tali on the back.

We traveled through various crowded halls before reaching the shuttle. All along the way we heard various comments about Shepard's 'silver tongue' and questions about Tali's loyalty. We just ignored it and pushed ahead, and eventually entered the shuttle.

* * *

**Quarian Research Vessel Alarei, Raheel-Leyya System, Valhallan Threshold**

Nine of us packed into the quarian shuttle and headed for the old research vessel.

Shepard tapped his chin. "Well, the three of you are sticking around for us…" referring to the three marines escorting us.

"The ship itself is fairly large, meaning we've got some ground to cover." I stated.

John nodded. "I'll take Tali and Garrus. Mark, you take Watson and Grunt. We'll do this by the book."

"Gotcha."

"By the book?" Grunt asked me.

"Human tactics for recapturing a vessel in hostile hands. Remember our conversation awhile back? SOP says we target the engines, keep the geth from driving the Alarei into a liveship or something."

"SOP?" Yan asked.

"Standard operating procedure." I answered.

"Ah."

"Meanwhile, Tali, Garrus, and I will head for the bridge and look for any sort of evidence." Shepard finished.

"I'm a little confused about the amount of geth Admiral Xen predicted. She said there between 15-50 platforms on board." Garrus said.

"Exactly." Tali added. "I never sent back enough materials to make that many geth."

"We found it to be puzzling as well." Rina said. "If you only sent back small parts, how could they form into regular geth platforms? We went up against a full squad."

John shook his head. "Guess we won't know until we get there."

The shuttle made a hard seal dock with the Alarei.

"Docking complete. Pressurization is nominal." The VI stated. With that, the door opened up and the six of us stepped out.

I turned to Yan. "Keep the seats warm and the engine running, okay?"

"You got it. Good luck!" he replied, closing the shuttle door.

The first thing we noticed in the short hallway were the dim lights, settling dust, and the bodies of two quarians.

Watson was the first to speak up, turning off his holographic camouflage. "We are detecting mobile platforms ahead. Approximately six in the room in front of us."

"Watson, what else have you found?" I asked.

"The geth we have detected are not fully formed. Their programs are not fully formed but they are linked by a single hub. It is currently in engineering. Also, they have taken control of all computer systems on board. Our current plan of attacking the bridge and engineering should suffice."

Shepard nodded. "Good. Let's get to work."

"Watson, Grunt. On me." I said.

The six of us went into the first room that looked like a combination of a mess hall and barracks. Three mobile platforms were inside.

"Open fire!" Shepard yelled.

Watson pulled out the Leviathan and targeted the Hunter in the room while we targeted the regulars. These mobile platforms didn't look like regular geth platforms. They looked more like…'zombie' versions of geth; put together with whatever materials were on board. Most of these materials were either various parts of geth platforms like limbs and joints while certain parts were just scrap metal or random shipping container pieces.

Three more came into the room, guns blazing. But with our firepower, they were easily dropped.

"Huh. Nothing but junk." Grunt muttered.

"Yeah. They must have built each other manually. Unless they found a repair drone laying around." I said.

Watson shook his head. "We do not detect any active repair drones on this level. There is one located on the sub-deck near the hub."

"Can you access the hub?"

"We can detect other geth run times but cannot disable the hub. It is not completely functional, just like the other geth here."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "So you have no problem with killing them?"

"No. These geth are heretics. We detected heretic runtimes within the hub built in engineering. We will destroy it."  
I nodded. "Engineering should be down the hall."

Tali was looking at the terminals in the right corner of the room. She activated one of them.

"Something's slowing down the systems. We're taking down the firewalls to rebalance load distribution. Rael'Zorah ordered us to bypass standard safeties. Following security procedures will take too long."

"Hmm." I grumbled.

"That didn't sound good." Shepard said.

Tali shook her head, but was silent. From all outward appearances, she was kept in the dark.

_Guess we're about to go deeper into the rabbit hole._

We entered the next hallway. The door to the engineering sub-decks was to the left. In front of us was a med bay, with a broken geth repair drone inside. Shepard and his team went to investigate while my team went left.

"Watson, do you have your ACTS (Active Combat Tactical System) on?" I asked.

"Yes. All tactical readings and relevant data will be forwarded to your hardsuit computer. The same goes for you Grunt." Watson replied.

"Thanks." Said the young krogan, using the pump action on his shotgun to load a new thermal clip.

The hall was dark, only lit by red emergency lights. From what I could see, there were bodies of the crew strewn around down the hall, blood on the walls.

"Hmm. Messy." Grunt said. "Some of them aren't even armed."

"Must have been the crew. The ones with weapons were the marine strike teams." I added.

My combat radar wasn't picking up anything as we continued down the weaving halls of the ship.

"I can't read any of the signs above the doors. Their all in quarian." I said.

"Khelish." Watson corrected. "That is the name of the creator language."

"Huh." I blurted out. "Learn something new every day. What does that sign say?"

"Tech Lab." Watson replied. "We detect no activity inside."

I activated my omni-tool and put it up to the door. "We should check it out. Might find something interesting. Stack up."

I switched to my Hyperion while Watson switched to his geth plasma shotgun. The two of them nodded to me as I hacked the door and we burst inside.

This room was just as empty as the hallway but contained even more dead bodies. Blood coated the floor and some of the walls in the lab. It closely resembled turian blood as both races shared the same dextro-protein makeup.

I groaned. "Geez."

Grunt simply shook his head. "They were slaughtered. Bad way to go."

"Hm." I agreed as we slowly moved through the room.

"We count fifteen dead quarians in this room. Presumably, they are the researchers on board as we cannot find any markings indicating that they are marines." Watson said, looking at the bodies.

"Looks like the geth just went room to room, executing them." I said.

"Yes."

I scanned around, looking for an active terminal in the lab. I managed to find one, detailing plans on the geth hub.

"Hey Watson, come check this out for a minute." I said. Watson lumbered over and looked at the terminal.

"It would appear that the creators were slowly networking other geth together. The construction of the hub was under 50% complete."

"I'd hate to see what it would have been like at 51%." I commented.

"We can still permanently deactivate the hub in engineering." Watson said.

"Yeah."

"How come he isn't affected by the other machines?" Grunt asked. Watson turned around.

"This platform has a network within itself. We can isolate ourselves from other networks and hubs. We have already done this once the squad boarded this vessel. Even if we did not, the hub would not affect our higher order runtimes."

"Because the hub here isn't fully constructed?" I added.

"Yes."

"I got ya. Still, this whole news about Tali's dad rebuilding these platforms and networking them is kinda…well its freaky." I said.

"Indeed. The creators appear to be getting close to creating a weapon to annihilate us."

I sighed. "Let's just take this one thing at a time. I don't want to have to fight two friends. Let's get to engineering."

"Yes." Watson said as we left the room.

We stepped out into the dark hall and slowly moved through more dim halls, passing various labs and storage rooms. Outside of engineering were two geth destroyer platforms. They hadn't detected us yet, but Watson's combat drone spotted them before we headed down the stairs.

"I guess we'll see if this thing can incinerate synthetics." I muttered.

"Your shotgun should be able to." Watson commented. "The simulations we ran showed that it can."

"Oh…okay then. Weapons free!" I yelled as we rounded the corner and lit up both destroyers. I ended up 'lighting one up' in the literal sense as the destroyer turned into a pile of ash on the deck.

"This is why you're great at helping, Watson." I said.

"We do what we can."

Grunt let out a joyous laugh. "That was great! It just disintegrated!"

I chuckled. "I knew you'd like that."

We stacked up at the door and Watson's ACTS showed a wire-frame image of every geth platform in engineering.

"This is interesting." Grunt said.

Watson then marked off every platform with a red block. He also included other combat information: platform types, weapons, environmental stats, etc. We were more than ready.

I switched back to the Nighthawk as engineering was one of the larger rooms on the ship. Watson went back to the Leviathan.

"Okay. Here's the plan: the hub is our main priority. We knock it out and every geth in the room loses its brainpower. Same goes for the rest of the ones on this ship." I said, glancing over to Watson.

"Yes. The platforms inside engineering will be disabled once we destroy the hub. The hub's connection is proximity based. The closer the platforms are, the more powerful their connection."

"So the ones that Shepard is fighting won't go down as easily as these ones?" Grunt asked.

"Correct. Those platforms will still retain some of their programming, while losing other programs. They will lose less brainpower than the platforms in engineering."

"Hunting season's open gentlemen. Let's rock." I said.

We busted into the engine room guns blazing. Watson was busy focusing on the geth on the catwalks above us while Grunt and I made a beeline for the hub. There was a poorly constructed geth juggernaut guarding the hub with two destroyers.

"Damn machines!" Grunt yelled out.

"Watson! On me!" I shouted over.

He turned and started unloading on the platforms. However, since they were within spitting distance, they had enough brains to know when to take cover.

"Combat drone away." Watson stated.

I switched to my sniper rifle, waiting for one of them to poke out a head or a limb. The juggernaut took the bait as it was fighting off Watson's drone. I took a single shot and dropped the thing. Then it was all Grunt. He took on both destroyers himself, tackling one while killing the other with his Claymore shotgun…at the same time.

_I guess watching Garr the Battlemaster has given him some new moves._

"That was fun." He said, standing up.

It wasn't over for us yet as more geth came flooding into the engine room.

Watson took the initiative and unloaded the Leviathan into the hub. It sparked off and blew up, causing all the platforms in the room to topple over. When he stopped, the thing looked like swiss cheese.

"Sears to Shepard, engineering is secure." I radioed.

"Good job Mark. See you in a bit."

I let out a sigh. "Okay team lets go meet up with Shepard."

* * *

Watson mapped out a way for us to regroup with Shepard without having to go back the way we came. His path would lead us close to the bridge. We sprinted most of the way there just to make up for lost time.

"Mark." Grunt said in mid jog.

"What's up?"

"I read that book you told me about. The Art of War."

"Really? What did you think?" I asked.

"It was good. A lot different than what I learned in the tank. It was more…"

"Human?" I joked.

"Obviously." He said, dryly. "Some of it seemed kind of dumb until I read it over. Then I remember what Wrex was telling me."

"So everything he said kinda just clicked for you?"

"Yeah. It taught me how to think like a warrior instead of running around like crazed varren."

"That's good, Grunt. You're learning, just like we all have." I said, smirking under my hood.

We went through another door and came out into a two level storage area/lab. Geth parts were strewn about everywhere, as if they walked into a scrap yard. That's when I noticed the guns pointed at us from across the way.

"Whew. Its just Mark." Garrus said, lowering his rifle.

"Damn. We almost blew your heads off." Shepard remarked.

I shook my head. "Switch to decaf."

We hopped over the railing and regrouped with the team. Tali walked over to another console and listened to one of the logs.

"First entry: Our hacking attempts failed. The geth have an adaptive consciousness. Hack one process, and the others auto correct. Still, we're making progress. Rael'Zorah is convinced we'll have a viable system in less than a year…"

While the log was playing, I looked down the hall that led to the bridge. There was another quarian body on the floor. It was just there…the only one down the stairs from the bridge.

I heard a gasp come from behind. "Father!"

_Oh no…_

Shepard followed her into the hall while the rest of us stood back. Garrus and I looked at each other and then back at Tali.

"No, no, no! You always had a plan. Masked life signs, or, or an on board medical stasis program, maybe. You—you wouldn't…They're wrong! You wouldn't just die like this! You wouldn't leave me to clean up your mess! You can't!"

Shepard took a knee next to her and gave her a hug. "It's okay."

Tali started to cry.

I turned away…I just couldn't look at someone as gentle as her cry. It was heartbreaking.

"Damn it! Damn it!" she cried out. "I'm sorry…"

Shepard let go of her. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"Maybe…he would have known I'd come. Maybe he left a message." She said.

Rael's omni-tool turned on. "Tali, if you are listening to this, then I am dead. The geth have gone active. I don't have much time. Their main hub is on the bridge. There is a secondary one in engineering that is barely finished. Shut both of them down so they cannot fully integrate into the ship. You'll need to destroy it to stop their VI processes from forming new neural links. Make sure Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen see the data. They must—"

"Thanks dad…" Tali muttered.

"He knew you'd come for him. He was trying to help you. I know it's not perfect. It's not what you wanted. But it's the best he could do." Shepard said.

"I don't know what's worse: thinking that he never cared or that he did and this was the only way he could show it." She said, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. One way or the other, I cared. And I'm here. And we're ending this."

I picked my rifle back up as we walked past the body of Rael'Zorah and up the stairs to the bridge.

Inside were three geth platforms: a prime, a hunter, and a regular. All of them were poorly constructed like the others and were no problem to dispatch.

Tali approached the console on the bridge. "This console is linked to the main hub Father mentioned. Disabling it should shut down any geth we might have missed."

Tali typed up a few commands into the console, shutting down the hub and then she activated another window. "It looks like some of the recordings remained intact. They'll tell us how this happened, what Father did."

"You don't sound like you really want to hear it." Shepard said.

"No. We have to, I know. I just…this is terrible, Shepard. I don't want to know that he was part of this."

The recording played on the console.

"Do we have enough parts to bring more online?" Rael'Zorah asked.

"Yes. The new shipment from your daughter will let us add two more geth to the network."

"We're nearing a breakthrough on systemic viral attacks. Perhaps we should inform the Admiralty Board, just to be safe."

"No. We're too close. I promised to build my daughter a house on the homeworld. I'm not going to sit and wait while the politicians argue." Said Rael'Zorah.

"We'd have an easier time of it if Tali'Zorah could send back more working material."

"Absolutely not. I don't want Tali exposed to any political blowback. Leave Tali out of this. Assemble new geth with what we have. Bypass security protocols if need be." Rael'Zorah finished as the recording ended.

"It sounds like he was doing this for you." Said Shepard.

"I never wanted this Shepard. Keelah, I never wanted this." Tali replied, in a defeated tone. "Everything here is his fault! I tried to pretend that it didn't lead to him but this…When this comes up in trial, they'll…"

She paced back and forth silently before finally speaking. "We can't tell them, not the admirals, not anyone."

Shepard shook his head. "What? Tali, without this evidence you're looking at exile!"

"You think I don't know that? You think I want to live knowing that I can never see the fleet again?" She shot back, taking all of us off guard.

"But I can't go back into that room and say that my father was the worst war criminal in our people's history. I cannot."

"There might be some other serious ramifications too even after we give them the evidence." Garrus suggested.

John placed his hands on his hips and looked down.

"John, this whole thing is just a farce to get the public to pick a side regarding the geth. My best guess: we give them the evidence and they drop the hammer on her father and Tali gets exiled anyway." I said.

He nodded slightly. "We're not going to decide anything here. Let's see what the admirals say when we get back."

"You're my captain in this hearing, Shepard. It's your decision. But please, don't destroy what my father was." Tali pleaded.

"Come on." He said softly.

We walked back to the shuttle, slowly walking by Rael'Zorah's body. Tali gave him one final look before catching up with us.

"So, how did your team fare Mark?" Garrus asked.

"We did a good job. It was a lot darker than the path you guys took. Nothing but red emergency lights and a lot of dead scientists." I answered.

"Find any intel?"

"Just blueprints and logs for the geth hub that was in engineering. Whatever happened in those sub-decks happened fast. The geth swept the whole section, executing all the scientists before falling back to the hub in engineering. Its like they were expecting us." I said.

"Well the geth do communicate at light speed." Garrus commented.

I nodded. "Watson—"

"Activating holographic camouflage." Said the geth.

"Oh…good." I muttered as we approached the shuttle.

* * *

Rina and her team looked pleased to see us come back in one piece. They tried to get in touch with us over the radio for the last half hour. It turns out, the Admiralty Board was preparing to make their ruling. Admiral Raan had done everything in her power to delay the vote.

_Idiots. Do they even know who their dealing with?_

We docked as fast as possible and ran through the halls with Rina and her team escorting us.

"We need to face facts. There has been no word. There is no reason to think Tali'Zorah survived." It was Admiral Koris. The tribunal was being broadcast across the ship and probably the whole flotilla.

"Sounds like the hearing is already underway." Tali muttered.

"You think that they would wait since we just did their job for them?" I asked.

"We must trust Shepard's offer of assistance! It has only been a few hours!" Admiral Raan shouted.

"The marine strike teams lasted less than five minutes, Admiral. Call it." Han'Gerrel said.

"It's a pity that Shepard is a better speaker than a soldier…" Admiral Koris mused. "I recommend posthumously exiling Tali'Zorah."

"What?" yelled Han'Gerrel.

John and I glanced at each other. They went a little too far.

We approached the plaza door and walked inside.

"Very well, is the Admiralty Board prepared to render judgment?" Shala'Raan asked.

"Watson, goal horn." I muttered as we walked inside.

He activated his omni-tool, blasting the Boston Minuteman 'goal horn'. I shouted 'goal!' at the top of my lungs, getting the attention of a large crowd of surprised quarians.

"I got this." I said to Shepard.

Garrus, Grunt, and Watson stood at the back of the crowd as the three of us approached the podium.

"Jesus tittyfucking Christ! What kind of incompetent fucking leaders are you?" I burst out. "We're gone two hours and you want to pull the trigger on this sham of a trial? How do you say 'patience' in Khelish?"

The admirals looked at each other puzzled. "Who are you?" asked Admiral Xen.

"It doesn't matter what my name is! More importantly, do you know who they are?" I retorted pointing to Shepard and Tali. "They're two biggest badasses on board this stinkin' tub!"

I stuck my hand out. "Tag in!"

Shepard slapped my hand and I took a step back. "Tali'Zorah vas Normandy saved the Alarei. I hope this proves her loyalty to the quarian people."

"Her loyalty was never in doubt. Only her judgment." Koris said.

"Then why are you charging her with treason?" I asked out loud.

Koris was about to respond but was cut off by Shala'Raan. "Perhaps Tali'Zorah can offer something to encourage more trust in her judgment."

"Did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened there?" Admiral Gerrel asked.

John glanced at Tali and stepped forward.

"Shepard…please…"

"Does Captain Shepard have any new evidence to submit to this hearing?" Shala'Raan asked.

John leaned on the podium, deep in thought.

"Tali helped me defeat Saren and the geth at the Citadel. That should be all the evidence you need." Shepard stated.

"I fail to see what relevance—" Koris started before Shepard cut him off.

"This trial isn't about Tali. It's nothing but cheap politics and an excuse to turn one of your own into some kind of pariah. I dealt with the same garbage with the Council two years ago. I expected better of you since you spend more time out here they do." Said John. "This…'trial' is about the geth."

"This hearing has nothing to do with the geth!" shouted Koris.

Shepard slammed his fist onto the podium. "You want people to sympathize with them! Admiral Gerrel wants to go to war! None of you give a damn about Tali!"

John started pacing around. "She knows more about the geth than any other quarian alive. You should be listening to her, not putting her on trial! Tali'Zorah saved the Citadel! She saved the Alarei! She showed the galaxy the value of the quarian people. I can't think of stronger evidence than that."

A dead silence fell over the plaza.

"Are the admirals prepared to render judgment?" Raan asked.

Admiral Xen and Admiral Gerrel voted right off the bat, leaving Koris standing there in the middle. He then proceeded to vote.

Admiral Raan looked over the results of the votes and then spoke. "Tali'Zorah, in light of your history of service to the Fleet, we do not find significant evidence to convict. You are cleared of all charges. Commander Shepard, please accept these gifts in appreciation for you taking the time to represent one of our own."

"Thank you Admiral but, I didn't represent one of your people. I represented one of mine."

Shala bowed her head. "Of course, Commander."

"But if all of you truly appreciate this, I have only one wish."

"Yes?" Shala asked.

"The Reapers are coming and I'm going to need your help to stop them. Please, don't throw your lives away against the geth." Said Shepard.

Admiral Koris nodded. "Thank you Commander. I hope this board carefully considers your advice."

"Me too, Admiral."

"This hearing is concluded. Go in peace, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Keelah se'lai." Concluded Admiral Raan. The crowded chanted in response.

I let out breath that I didn't know I was holding. The three of us regrouped with Garrus and the others.

Tali and Shepard stopped a short way away from us.

"Well Mark, I wish I could say that was the most unique thing I've heard come out of your mouth." Joked Garrus. "But points for the intro."

I laughed. "Had to get their attention somehow."

It was Grunt's turn to laugh. "That was great! Verbal dismemberment…wish that was something I had in the tank."

"I'll teach you sometime, biggin'." I said with a smirk. "We've got time."

Garrus shook his head. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Shepard and Tali rejoined us.

"Well, I guess we should leave now, eh?" I asked.

"Not yet. I think we should clarify a few things with the admirals." Shepard answered.

"Oh why? My outburst?"

"Well that's one part of it." John said. "The other is to get some closure before we leave. Okay?"

I nodded.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw Tali giving Grunt and Garrus hugs. Watson…eh maybe later. She walked up to me next.

"Mark."

"Tali."

"I just wanted to thank you. For what you did for me. Not so much as to what you said, but it made me feel better." I swear I saw her grin behind that mask.

"That's what I'm here for sis." I replied.

"Sis?"

I shrugged. "Never had a sister. I figure they're like you, always giving me stern looks and stuff."

She giggled. "Well thank you."

Frankly, I was glad that we finished that mess up. Seeing someone as light hearted and caring as Tali get slammed with a treason charge and seeing the body of her father…well it just didn't sit right with me at all. And with that, we were a few steps closer to finishing everyone's personal business.

* * *

_All right! Tali's taken care of. And that leaves one...Zaeed. _

_Oh and one final thing to address: The Cord-Hislop/Cerberus logo thing. Frankly, I'm not too sure about it. Some people say its the company's logo, others don't so I'm just grasping at straws. Just to note, its not final. I'm going to edit it once I get something solid. Cool? Cool._

_Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	39. The Price of Revenge

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay...again. Been a little busy lately but I don't it'll happen too much now that my seasonal job is over. Also, I've been asked by a lot of people to help out with their fics. Never really knew that so many people were influenced by my work. It feels pretty good. Anyway, story time!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Rayya, Raheel-Leyya System, Valhallan Threshold**

We stood around and waited for the plaza to clear out before talking to the admirals and other marines.

"Didn't think there were so many people in here." I said out loud.

"Spending all of our lives on board these ships, we're easily able fit in anywhere." Tali replied.

"Is it because you're all short?" I jokingly asked.

Tali put her hands on her hips and gave me a stern look.

"Uh, you know that was a joke?"

"Yes, I do. I just wanted to make you feel guilty." She shot back.

Shepard laughed.

I sighed. "Well, it worked. Thanks a lot Tali."

"Anytime." She said, looking down her nose at me.

When the plaza was relatively clear, we approached Shala'Raan.

She turned to us. "The admirals thought they were hobbling you by forcing you to represent her, Shepard. I'm glad to see they were wrong."

Shala looked at me next. "Your…entrance was unique, Mr. Sears."

"Heh, heh. That's what I'm here for. Well that, and helping Tali out. Sometimes I have to resort to…well my signature tactics in things that annoy me. Mostly sham trials and anything involving politics." I replied.

She nodded. "Of course. I am glad that you were able to help Tali."

"You didn't mention survivors. Did you find Rael, Tali? I'm sure he would have left you a mention if he'd had time."

"We found Rael, his body anyway." Shepard said. "And he left a message for Tali."

Shala walked up to Tali and hugged her. "I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how horrible this is for you, child but at least you got to hear your father tell you that he loved you."

"Yes. Thank you, Auntie Raan." Tali said, breaking the hug soon after.

"Good luck on your mission, Tali. No matter how dark it gets, the Fleet is always with you. Keelah se'lai." Shala said.

Tali bowed her head and we continued down the plaza and approached Admiral Gerrel.

"You called us on the carpet out there, Shepard. And you were right. Tali shouldn't have been involved in that argument. Tell me, though, honestly. What did you find over there? You spoke well, but I know a feint when I see it."

Shepard glanced at Tali who gave him a small nod.

_If there's one guy on the Board that can be trusted, its him._

"Off the record? Rael'Zorah was bringing the geth online and networking them for weapons tests." Shepard whispered.

Han smacked his fist into his open hand. "Keelah."

"You can never tell anyone about this, Han." Tali said.

"You have my word. Thanks for keeping quiet. That would have hurt what your father would have wanted for the Fleet." Replied Han. "I'm just glad you didn't have to pay for his mistakes. Be well, Tali. Fly safe."

"Thank you, Admiral." She said.

Our next stop was Admiral Zaal'Koris.

"Very impressive, Shepard. Thank you for your help on the Alarei. And thank you for helping Rael'Zorah's daughter. You stood for her when we failed. We were wrong to let our own concerns about the war overshadow Tali's trial."

Shepard nodded. "The galaxy needs more people saying what you're saying, Admiral. Good luck."

"Thank you, Commander."

We walked away to say goodbye to Kal and Rina.

"Huh, I guess Admiral Koris didn't give us the usual farewell." I commented.

"I guess not." Shepard said.

"Still, I'm gonna give him my ancient family curse."

"Why are you going to do that?" Tali asked.

"To give him a reality check."

John shook his head. "Oh I hope its not the curse I'm thinking of."

"It is. The curse of Michael Feeny."

"What is that?" Tali asked.

"An old curse that goes back to my ancestor's grandfather. Although, I'm not sure if it was intended as a joke or not…"

"So what does this curse do?" asked Grunt.

"His kids will be born bowlegged and he'll shit his pants every time he steps onto a train…" I answered. "I'll have to amend the last part…okay every time he steps onto a another ship."

Shepard and Tali chuckled.

"Just how are you going to put the curse on him?" asked Tali.

I simply pointed across the plaza at Zaal'Koris.

"Already done." I replied.

Rina and her team were behind us laughing.

"That's an interesting technique." Yan said.

"Hasn't failed me yet." I replied.

"And then there was your grand entrance." Kenn started. "I guess that's one way to get the Admirals attention."

I chuckled. "That never fails either."

Kal'Reegar walked over to us. "Nice talking, Shepard. Funny how it takes a Commander to remind the admirals about military honor." He turned to Tali. "Glad they're off your back, ma'am. And that you didn't have to give them that evidence you found on the Alarei."

We all looked at each other. "I didn't say anything about finding evidence, Kal."

"Noticed that, ma'am." Kal replied.

"Any idea where you guys are gonna go next?" I asked.

"We're going to be escorting more techs around to look for signs of dark energy buildup. Maybe see if they can figure out what's causing it. Wherever they send me, it'll have to be less exciting than Haestrom." Replied Kal.

"One can only hope." I added. "Maybe a planet with a beach."

Yan laughed. "I wish."

"What's your take on the war? Do you think the admirals will try and retake the homeworld?" Shepard asked.

"I won't shy away from a fight, but if the admirals throw the fleet at the geth, all they'll get back is scrap metal. The best bet would be for us to find another way. But a soldier can't say unless his superiors ask."

John nodded. "Stay safe out there, Reegar. Same goes for you Rina, Kenn, Yan."

"You too, Shepard. Ma'am."

"Kal, you can call me Tali."

"I'll work on that, ma'am." Reegar replied.

We walked over to Admiral Xen and spoke to her. Shepard suggested to her that she abandon her plans to regain control over the geth. She simply glossed over it, saying that 'many things are impossible until they are done'.

I was glad we finished speaking to her as soon as possible.

Rina and her team escorted us back to our ship. Tali spoke with Captain Danna. He was confused by her choice of captains but was glad that she made the right choice. He congratulated Shepard as well.

"And here is where we depart." Rina said. "It's been a pleasure Commander Shepard. Shame we can never meet under better circumstances."

John chuckled. "You said it. It was good to see all of you again."

I turned to Yan. "Good seeing you too Yan."

"Likewise Mark. I hope we meet each other again someday." Yan replied.

"If not, we can always keep in touch through e-mail. It's not like we're in the dark ages or anything."

"Heh, yeah. Here's my address." He said, turning his omni-tool on.

I did the same, giving him my e-mail address.

I held my hand up, forming a fist. "Bones it up, brother."

He looked down and we bumped fists.

"Didn't think you knew about the fist bump." I said.

Yan shrugged. "I spent a lot of time learning about human culture. Peace man."

I chuckled and gave him a small salute as we walked into the Normandy's airlock.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

"Feels good being home." I said as we stepped out of the airlock and back into the Normandy.

"I hear that." Replied Shepard. "No rest for the weary though. We have to install that new 'gift' the Admiralty Board gave us."

"What did they give us?" Garrus asked.

"Some new technology we've been experimenting with. Cyclonic Barrier Technology." Explained Tali.

"New shields eh?" I said.

"Yes. Unlike traditional kinetic barriers, these are designed to deflect high-energy weapons rather than halt their progress. The ship will rotationally fire its mass effect field projectors that will create a rapidly oscillating kinetic barrier." She explained.

Grunt simply grunted. "I'm gonna go eat."

"Post battle feast sounds like a good idea." I agreed. "I like the sound of the new shields though."

Tali sighed. "Well, it looks like I have some work to take care of."

John waved his hand. "Forget it. After all you've been through today, you deserve a break."

"If you say so, Shepard." She replied.

"I do. I run the ship, remember?" He joked.

Tali shook her head as we walked into the armory to dump our weapons and armor.

"I'd say that your camo held up very well, Watson." I said.

"Indeed. We had spent several days on increasing the longevity of our optical camouflage."

"I just hope no one caught on." Muttered Garrus.

"No kidding. The admirals would shit bricks if they found out Watson went for a stroll." I added.

"Well they didn't perform any penetrating scans on us…" Tali trailed off. "They would have said something once we stepped on board."

Shepard shrugged. "We shouldn't dwell on it. You're in the clear and Watson didn't get caught."

"And the winning streak continues." I said, giving John a high five.

The six of us headed to the elevator when Watson and I stopped.

"Aren't you heading down with us, Mark?" Tali asked.

I shook my head and pointed to Watson. "Don't want to go over the weight limit on the lift."

"Hah!" Grunt laughed.

The door closed, leaving the big geth and I waiting for the lift to come back up.

"I have a bad feeling about what's going to happen between you and the quarians." I said to Watson.

"We have not yet achieved consensus regarding the weapons tests on the geth." Replied Watson.

"I know. But when you do…"

"You believe that we will retaliate."

"Yeah."

"We stated before that we came along to assist Creator Tali'Zorah; for the purpose of unit cohesion."

I nodded. "You did and I believe you. But what if the rest of the geth got a hold of this information?"

The elevator returned to CIC and we stepped in.

"We would have to achieve consensus with the rest of the geth. We must view a situation from other view points."

"Ah."

The lift arrived at the crew deck and we stepped off. Watson went to our room while I joined Grunt at the table.

"We had a great fight today. Crushing a bunch of stupid machines, helping out the quarian, and verbally destroying some stupid admirals." Grunt said, munching on his economy sized box of 'Fishdog Food Shack's Tastee Bites'.

"All in a day's work. By the way, you leaping through the air was freakin' sweet." I said.

Grunt chuckled. "Wanna know where I got that move?"

"Garr?"

"Yep."

I shook my head. "You kids are always mimicking the things you see on the vids."

Grunt just gave me his usual evil laugh.

I went over to the fridge and dug out a soda and whatever leftovers were inside.

By the time I turned around, Grunt was already gone but I could hear the sounds of him wolfing down Tastee bites as the elevator door closed.

I shrugged and sat back down at the mess table.

Mess Sergeant Gardner rounded the corner from the men's room, stretching his arms out.

"God damn sink. Second time this week…" Rupert muttered as he walked over to the table.

"Hey Rupert." I said.

"Hm? Oh hey kid." Replied Gardner, as he took a seat at the edge of the table.

"Problems in the can?"

"Heh. The damn sink is on the fritz. I think it's the water pressure. Its supposed to be at 70 pounds. Instead it keeps shooting up to a hundred. I gotta talk to engineering about it…again." He complained.

I shrugged. "If you need help with it, I'm always available. I've had a little background with general maintenance jobs."

"Much appreciated kid." He took a seat across from me.

We sat silently for a bit before Rupert spoke up. "I remember we went to Mindoir not too long ago…heard a few murmurs from some of the crew."

"Ah…that." I said.

He nodded. "It was good to see the place again. Hadn't been there in a long time."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. I used to be a family man back in the day. I worked on eezo rigs along the frontier when the damn batarian raiders hit."

"What part of Mindoir did you live in?"

"Cygnus County." Rupert replied.

"Me too! I lived on Winchester Road." I said.

"No shit. Me and family lived over on Woolwich Street."

"Wow." I said shaking my head. "Two streets down from me."

"Small world…" Rupert muttered.

"Yeah." I replied. "So how did you go from that to being here?"

"Lets just say that losing your family can change your outlook on life. I wanted to make a difference. Then the Citadel was attacked and Shepard got thrown under the bus. I got tired of their bullshit." Said Rupert.

I nodded. "I know what you mean…"

"I might not be a soldier like you but I've got skills and Cerberus looks out for that."

"You're not worried about their past?" I asked.

Rupert scratched the back of his balding head. "All I know is that what we're doing here is making a difference. No one else in the galaxy seems to want to stop the Collectors and the Reapers."

"Hmm." I mumbled. "True."

Rupert got up and stretched. "Well, it was good talking to you kid. I gotta get back to work."

"You too. I gotta help out in engineering. We picked up some new shield technology and I'm going to help install it."

"Sounds good. Later kid." Rupert replied as he grabbed his toolbox and went towards the main battery.

* * *

Zaeed had been stewing in his room since Shepard and his team had come back. Everyone else got their personal business out of the way except for the old merc. He didn't really care since time was of the essence for all of them. Vido wasn't going anywhere. He had his captured refinery out on Zorya with a full compliment of employees being held captive.

Zaeed didn't mind sitting on the sidelines for the time being. He was busy planning and plotting the attack. There was one issue that was bothering him: how to break the news to Shepard once they get to Zorya. Sure, he fed the man a half bullshit story about Vido being there but he didn't outright lie. He only omitted the fact that he started the Blue Suns over twenty years ago and that Vido almost killed him…and that Zaeed had been plotting his revenge since then.

_Twenty years of waiting…it'll come to an end soon enough._

He glanced out of the window of his quarters, the starboard side cargo area which housed the ship's trash compactor, and looked out at the hangar deck.

Zaeed been accustomed to sleeping with a gun under his pillow for years but on this ship he didn't have to worry. On top of that, he got to serve with the who's who list of some of the galaxy's most dangerous people. Thane Krios, Garrus Vakarian, Samara, Kasumi Goto, Mark Sears, and of course Commander Shepard.

The Commander reminded Zaeed of himself when he was a young soldier; so idealistic and full of hope.

_Those were the good old days._

He didn't spend a whole lot of time talking to the people above the engineering deck, usually chatting with Jack or Grunt. The only other person besides them and Shepard that he could talk to was Mark.

He was a good kid in the old merc's eyes, a natural at any kind of combat, a good head between his shoulders, and a good sense of humor. Plus, he didn't know too many people who could deal with a year and a half of torture, have the strength to stand and fight, and later on, pop their own shoulder back into its socket. The 'kid' had balls all right.

_Could have used him on dozens of missions over the years._

And speaking of the devil, Mark stepped out of the elevator with a toolbox in hand.

Zaeed walked out of his room to meet up with him.

"Hey kid." Said the old merc.

"Hey Zaeed. What's up?"

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah sure." Mark replied, following Zaeed back into his room.

Zaeed scratched his head. He hated asking people for favors…or just for anything in general.

"Kid, there's some personal business I need to take care of on Zorya." Zaeed started.

"You need my help for this business of yours?" Mark asked.

The kid caught on quick.

Then again, he's helped out virtually the whole crew. Must be second nature to him now.

"Yeah. The Blue Suns captured this Eldfell-Ashland refinery and are using their workers for slave labor. The company wants it dealt with."

Mark scratched his chin in confusion.

"You ever heard of Vido Santiago?" Zaeed asked.

"Yeah. He's in charge of the group. Well, last time I checked anyway."

"Spot on." Zaeed said.

"Hm…" mumbled Mark. "I remember back on the Purgatory you said that you used to run the group. Are you going to try to take it back by killing the guy in charge?"

Zaeed chuckled. "No. I've got no intentions of taking them back. The way the group is now, I'd rather let it get run into the ground than bother with building it back up. So, you wanna help or not?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah I'm in."

"Good."

Mark glanced over at the krogan helmet sitting on a crate. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a krogan helmet laying around."

"Oh, that. Pried that off the krogan warlord Gesark 17 years ago. He used to run the Blood Pack on Omega. Gesark tried to hijack a freighter I was hitching a ride on." Zaeed shook his head. "Big mistake. I goaded him into one on one combat. I took his legs out and killed every Blood Pack bastard in the room. I kept the helmet to remind me of that pained expression on his face."

Mark snorted.

"When did you get a krogan helmet?" Zaeed asked.

"Oh right. You were knocked out when that happened." He said. "It was on Mordin's mission. Weyrloc Guld. I was gonna give Wrex the helmet but he let me have it. I'm keeping it as a reminder of what my heavy weapon can do on overcharge to an organic target."

"And what happened to Guld?" Zaeed asked.

"Blew up. Same with his bodyguards. There was nothing left but krogan blood and chunks everywhere. Hell, I couldn't even find Guld's head. The helmet was blown clean off."

"Damn." Zaeed said.

Mark nodded and left, making his way to the engine room.

Zaeed went back to checking his weapons, preparing for his meeting with Vido.

* * *

"How are we doing, Scotty?" I yelled from the maintenance shaft.

"Oy! I keep tellin' ya, my name's Ken!" yelled Engineer Donnelly.

I could hear Gabby laughing next to him.

"You're a Scottish engineer." I replied back. "It was bound to happen someday."

"Are ya finished yet Mark?" Ken asked in a frustrated tone.

"Yep." I said as I made my way up the ladder. "That was easier than I expected."

"Tell me about it." Ken said. "Here I was thinking that we'd blow a fuse or something."

As I climbed out, I noticed Tali at her usual station. "I thought you were resting up, Tali."

Both engineers turned around, surprised that their 'boss' had been there for some time.

"I decided against it. I wasn't tired anyway." Tali replied. "Besides, I had to make sure our installation went smoothly. It is quarian technology after all."

"Point taken." I said.

"Why are you here Mark?" Tali asked.

"Oh. Ken and Gabby asked for my electrical expertise. You know, just in case the installation blew something out."

"I see." She said. "Excellent job. All of you."

Various 'thank you's' were said and I grabbed my toolbox and started to walk out.

"Wait, Mark." Tali said, following me.

I stopped and turned around. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me out on the Alarei. And for being there for me when my father—"

I held a hand up. "You don't have to thank me Tali. I was glad to help out."

"I know. That's why I want to thank you. You and Garrus and Shepard have always been there for me and…thank you."

I smirked. "Anytime sis."

Tali rolled her eyes but smiled. "Stop calling me that."

"Come on, you know you like it." I goaded.

She shook her head.

Putting my serious face back on, I decided to ask her about her situation. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling better, thanks. Still, finding out that my father was involved with all of that wasn't easy."

"I can imagine." I replied. "I just hated the fact that they held that sham of a tribunal. They didn't even let you grieve."

"I agree. But I can do that another time. I'm sure Father would be happy that blew up a lot of geth in his memory."

I let out a small laugh. "I guess that's one way to grieve."

"Yeah…" Tali trailed off.

"It's a shame we had to go there under those conditions. I didn't exactly feel welcome there."

"We're wary of outsiders. Most non-quarians have never been aboard our vessels. Ever since the Cerberus attack, we won't let anyone in without explicit permission." Tali shrugged. "I guess it goes against our reputation for being welcoming to strangers."

"Maybe. But at least the admirals were gracious enough to give us some new shields." I replied. "So everything balances out."

"True." Tali said. "Have you seen Shepard around? I was hoping to speak with him."

"Nah but I imagine he'll be down here to check in on you soon." I answered. "I'll see you later, Tali."

"Bye Mark."

I walked out of engineering and headed back up to the crew deck.

_Asking to see Shepard, eh?_

Tali had changed a bit over the years, that much I knew. When we ran into her on Haestrom, she seemed different somehow. She seemed more serious than the shy, cheery eyed girl who was new to the world that I met two years ago. Now that her father, the only flesh and blood family she had left was dead, she just seemed numb to it.

_Poor girl. All she needs is time and her friends around her._

But as the elevator continued its ascent, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Tali had been watching Shepard a lot. Hell, she had been staring at him since we arrived on the Rayya. Then there was the end of the trial.

_Aw does she have a crush on John?_

If that's the case, then it would explain why she's been acting…jumpy when he's around.

I stepped out of the elevator and walked into my room. Watson was busy watching the news.

"Watching the news, Watson? Don't you get streaming updates?" I joked.

"We are unable to communicate with the geth aboard this vessel." Watson replied.

"Oh yeah. EDI. I forgot." I muttered.

I sat down on the couch next to Watson.

"That must have been a hell of an experience for you." I said.

Watson's head flaps quirked up. "Since the Morning War, we have never made any attempts to board Creator ships or contact the Creators directly."

I scratched the back of my head. "I figured."

"The Creators are conflicted, as we are."

"How so?" I asked.

"They are divided between retaking their homeworld or finding another world. There is no consensus among the Creators. The geth are already conflicted. Hence the division between us and the heretics."

I chuckled. "I guess there are some similarities between creator and created."

"Indeed. Either way, the Creators are not pleased with their situation as a whole."

"No kidding. I'd probably go crazy if I was stuck on a ship for 3 centuries." I replied. "I'm surprised you came along."

"Creator Tali'Zorah's attitude toward this platform was not unforeseen. Her reaction is typical of most organics. We simply wanted to alleviate her fear of us; for the sake of unit cohesion."

"Well I can't argue with that attitude. Plus, it gives you the chance to get out and see how the quarians live. I doubt most geth have that opportunity."

"You are correct. We have not had the opportunity. Now we have." Watson replied.

I nodded. "I'm sure it'll make a great story for your friends."

"We are all geth." Watson responded.

I rolled my eyes. "Funny."

The doorbell went off.

"Who is it?" I asked in a campy, feminine voice.

"Miranda." Was the flat reply.

"Come on in."

The door opened up to reveal Miranda, wearing her white and black uniform. She changed it up every now and then. Of course it wasn't the same uniform, those were the only two colors available and she had several of them.

Miranda walked over to the couch and sat down next to me.

"Hello Watson, Mark."

"Greetings Operative Lawson." Replied Watson.

I chuckled. "Hi Miri."

She rolled her eyes. "Not in front of him."

"Too late." I replied, with a smirk.

"We do not record your physical interactions." Watson stated.

I laughed. "Good. I don't want to see that pop up on the extranet."

Miranda took my hand. "I need to speak with you in private."

I sighed. "Fine. Later Watson."

"Goodbye Mark." Watson said as I left the room with Miranda.

She let go of my hand once we left the room and I followed her into her office.

The doors to her office closed and we sat on her couch near the bed.

"How was the shield installation?" she asked.

"It went better than I expected. Once the emitters were in, it went like clockwork."

Miranda smiled. "Good. I'm glad to hear it."

"That's just one of the few good things that happened today." I said.

"Yes…" Miranda said, glancing towards the floor. "I heard everything that transpired aboard the Rayya and Alarei."

"Poor girl…" I muttered.

"You and Shepard did help her out. She's free, the evidence against her father hasn't gotten out. On top of that, Tali hasn't been exiled." Miranda said with a grin.

I returned the grin. "Look at you, thinking on the bright side."

She rolled her eyes. "It's merely a fact."

I kissed Miranda on the cheek.

"You've been a good friend to her." She said, easing her way into my lap.

"I try." I replied with a shrug.

Miranda kissed me. "I think its time for you to show me how you manipulate mass effect fields again."

"With pleasure."

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Zorya, Faia System, Ismar Frontier**

We had been traveling to Zorya since our departure from the Migrant Fleet. The good news was that it was a short trip, bouncing off a relay in the Shrike Abyssal to take us to the Ismar Frontier. The Ismar Frontier was essentially a frontier. There were only a few habitable areas, mostly mining platforms and a small colony on Odasst with a population just over 11,000. Nothing but small time miners and pirates in these parts. Except for Zorya, which had a population of close to 150 million.

Of course, trying to have a clear state of mind is tough when the perfect woman is all over you, laying right above you. Not that I'm complaining or anything.

Miranda was busy kissing my neck and I was just paralyzed.

"Mm. That feels good." I drawled out.

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Glad you like it."

"I do."

"You should really consider shaving, Mark." She said, rubbing a finger against my left cheek.

"I trim. Besides, the stubble is good." I said, planting a kiss on her lips.

"You might think so…" Miranda muttered.

"You never complained about it before."

"I was merely thinking out loud." She said, still rubbing my face.

"If I shave, people are going to think I look like a teenager." I complained. "Wouldn't be the first time its happened."

Miranda laughed. "Well you certainly act like one."

I rolled my eyes. "At times. If you can't be yourself, you're too busy trying to be someone else. I'd rather be me."

It was Miranda's turn to roll her eyes. "How wise."

I rubbed her back and smiled. "Damn right its wise. That's what I was going for."

She let out a small laugh and a moan of pleasure. "But still, what's wrong with looking young?"

I sighed. "I'd rather look young when I'm pushing 60. Say we went out on a date and I was all clean shaven, people would probably think I'm your brother or something."

Miranda laughed. "We look nothing alike."

I shrugged underneath her. "Still, I don't want to look like a kid. Even if I do have this cool scar."

"I guess I see your point. It would explain why Zaeed and Mr. Garner keep calling you 'kid'. Which reminds me, what about a date?" Miranda asked.

"If we make it out of this crazy mess of a mission, I'll take you out on a date." I said. "You know, if your schedule is free."

She chuckled. "I accept your invitation." Miranda sealed the deal with a kiss.

"I'm glad." I replied, returning the kiss.

* * *

Shepard gathered Zaeed, Jacob, Miranda, Thane, and I in the briefing room.

"So what do we know about Zorya?" Shepard asked Zaeed.

"I can describe it in a few words…" Zaeed started. "Mud, sweat, and spores. Also bring firearms and antihistamines."

"That bad huh?" Jacob quizzically asked.

"Damn right. The capital city is where the Blue Suns have their home office. They run all sorts of security down there." Replied Zaeed.

"So we're walking right into the wolves den. Wouldn't be the first time." I said.

"What else do we have to worry about down there?' Shepard asked.

EDI's avatar popped up. "The most habitable areas of the planet contain high concentrations of spores and pollen, ranging from benign to lethal."

"What's the air quality like at the refinery?" I asked EDI.

"Not accounting for the potential exhaust fumes in the air, the air quality should be moderate to high. Eldfell-Ashland has gone to great lengths to ensure that daily operations will not be hindered by the local wildlife." Replied the AI.

"How about security at the facility? What are we going to be expecting?" Jacob asked.

"A squad of about 30 Blue Suns mercenaries are stationed within the refinery, along with various mechanized units." EDI answered.

"Should be easy for us then." Zaeed said.

"Taking all of those details into account, we're going to insert here." Shepard pointed to an area a short distance outside of the refinery. "We'll be taking the back door inside. Any other questions?"

All of us were silent.

"All right then, gear up and head down to the hangar deck." Shepard concluded.

He was already decked out in his Aegis gear and ready to go.

The rest of us walked into the armory to gear up.

I took a seat as I put on the boots of my Custom Terminus armor.

_I really gotta think of a name for this._

Jacob didn't seem too pleased despite his neutral demeanor. The fact that he's been dragged along with Zaeed and Thane must be annoying him. But, he has gotten along with Thane a lot better since their first meeting.

_Maybe they've been getting along better since my little 'Rocky' parody._

As for Jacob and Zaeed…

"Hey codpiece, hand me a few more thermal clips." Zaeed said.

Jacob grumbled. "I don't wear that suit anymore Zaeed."

"Well it made a lasting impression."

I sighed. "Knock it off guys. Save it for the Suns."

"What's with the serious attitude kid?" asked Zaeed. "Not losing your touch are you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'd rather we just focus on killing the bastards and saving the workers."

The old merc snorted.

"Besides Zaeed, what's eating you? Miss the early bird special or something?" I asked, getting a chuckle out of Jacob.

Zaeed shook his head and left the armory.

"Damn Mark." Jacob said. "Never expected him to do that."

I shrugged. "He's got a lot on his plate right now. I just needed to bring him down a peg."

"Well whatever you were planning on doing, it worked." Miranda said.

"His behavior has been erratic as of late." Thane remarked.

"Maybe its because he hasn't gone on a mission in awhile." I added.

"Neither have I." Said Jacob. "Doesn't mean I have to act like a dick head."

"We can debate the finer points of psychology later. Come on. We have a mission to go on." Miranda ordered.

We all nodded.

"Thane, I checked out the weather reports. It looks like its gonna be a little muggy for you."

"I shall be fine. But as a precaution, I'll bring my recon hood." He replied. "I appreciate your concern."

I gave him a short nod and all of us boarded the elevator.

"Another tropical world with a dangerous bite to it. Can't wait." Jacob said.

I chuckled. "It could be worse. We could have gone to a world covered in snow, like Noveria."

The three of them looked at me.

"Oh right. You've never been there." I said with a smirk.

"I once had a job on Noveria once." Thane remarked.

"Okay, everyone except Thane and I." I corrected.

"Who were you hired to kill?" Jacob asked.

"A volus business man by the name of Jarol Makun. He made some dealings with companies that had ties to the hanar Illuminated Primacy. Mostly manufacturing companies."

"What did he do to piss off the hanar government?" I asked.

"He played the galactic stock market, bet against the companies he invested in and caused them to go bankrupt. Before they did, he sold his shares."

"Insider trading and short selling. He must have taken a page out of Earth's economic history." Jacob added.

"On top of that, his company sold these companies faulty materials, leading to several accidents on hanar colonies." Said Thane.

"I bet he went out gruesomely." I commented.

Thane shook his head. "I merely pulled the air hoses out of his suit."

"Oh…well, still bad." I replied.

"Indeed."

The door opened and we walked towards the shuttle.

* * *

**Zorya, Faia System, Ismar Frontier**

The shuttle ride down was silent. I would glance over at Zaeed on occasion to see what was up with him. For a man that seems so calm and collected under fire and for a man with as much experience as he has, I had never seen Zaeed look so tense before. His jaw was clenched the whole ride down. He looked like he was ready to snap at any moment.

_Whatever grudge he has against this group must be something big._

Once the shuttle landed, Zaeed was the first one off. He glanced around the area before pulling out his Revenant. All of us drew our weapons as well. I pulled my recon hood over my head.

"Tapping into Blue Suns communications. Stay tight and look out for ambushes." Zaeed said.

"Uh, Zaeed. I'm the one in charge here." Shepard said.

"It was just a suggestion, _Shepard_." The old merc said almost disdainfully.

John brushed it off and took point. Zaeed was walking just behind him with Jacob and Thane behind them. Miranda and I made sure that we would be safe at the rear.

The Blue Suns radio transmissions came in over our comm. units. "Squad Bravo, a shuttle landed near your location. Check it out."

"That's Vido." Zaeed muttered. "Here we go. Keep close."

_Again with the orders? Sure Zaeed was hired to do this but I don't recall Shepard giving him the reigns on this._

Up ahead of us was a pile of bodies. They were workers from the refinery.

"Shot in the back and left to rot. That's definitely Vido's style." Commented Zaeed. "Let's push ahead."

I glanced over at Miranda. I guess she noticed his 'alpha' behavior too.

I looked around at the jungle that surrounded us. Massive trees with roots the size of trucks were all around us. Unlike most jungles I had been in, I had never seen so many rocks and stone before. You'd usually see that kind of terrain at higher altitudes or higher sea level. This place wasn't at a high altitude and the sea level was normal. I even saw a few pyjaks running around.

_Little bastards seem to get around, eh?_

"Command to Bravo, take a position. Likely these people are not runaways." Vido radioed again.

We continued to move forward when Shepard held a fist up and took a knee.

"Possible contacts nearby. Mark, Thane, go check it out." Shepard ordered.

Both of us nodded and we slowly moved up to a pile of empty weapons crates and ducked behind them. I got into a prone stance and took a peek from behind one of the crates. Once I got a count, I rolled over and tapped Thane on the arm. Using hand signals, I told him how many I saw. It was a little more difficult for him as drell had their middle and ring fingers stuck together. Either way, we understood.

"Shepard, we've got a count. Five mercs up ahead. One of them has a missile launcher." I radioed.

"Copy that. Can you guys take them?"

"You got it." I replied. I looked over at Thane. "You ready?"

He nodded.

Before we even took aim, Zaeed had rushed up and opened fire on the mercs.

"God damn it!" I shouted as we engaged the mercs.

"Report to base! Armed intruders incoming at the southern checkpoint!"

Shepard and the rest of the team rushed up to meet us and helped engage the mercs. Zaeed was off in his own world, mercilessly gunning down one of the regular mercs. Jacob and Miranda were busy using their biotics on the merc with the missile launcher, biotically pulling her off of a catwalk and then slamming her into the ground with a bone crushing force.

Thane had slipped away, only to reappear when he killed another merc.

Just when we thought that was it, a second team consisting of a mech and two heavy troopers showed up. I picked off the other missile launcher carrying merc with a headshot. The rest went down quickly.

I was a little surprised with Shepard. Zaeed was slowly going off the deep end and he didn't say much.

_Uh oh…it's happening. He's building up his anger. Not good._

"They're getting torn to shreds out there! All units pull back!"

We began to walk towards a bridge that would take us to the rear entry of the facility.

Shepard activated the bridge controls while Zaeed listened in on the radio traffic. He held up his hand and Shepard stopped the bridge when it was halfway across.

"This is Commander Santiago. If any of you retreat while the intruders are still out there, I'll kill you myself. Now get the hell back out there!"

Miranda and I leaned against the railing, looking at the nearby waterfall. Thane and Jacob stood back, watching Zaeed carefully.

"Vido…sounds like he hasn't changed."

"Sounds like you've got a past with this Vido." Shepard said.

"I knew he was a sadistic bastard back when we started the Blue Suns. The Suns only got meaner after he staged his little coup twenty years ago. So yeah, we have a past." Zaeed said.

_I see…that explains a lot now._

"Why didn't anyone tell me that you founded the Blue Suns?" Shepard asked.

"Because its not common knowledge!" Zaeed spat out. "Vido wiped me out of the records. He ran the books, I ran the men. Worked real well for a while. Then Vido started hiring batarians. Cheaper labor, he said. God damn terrorists, I said."

"Twenty years is a long time to hold a grudge." Said Shepard.

"A grudge?" snapped Zaeed. He jabbed a finger at Shepard. "Vido turned my men against me! He paid six of them to restrain me while he put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. For twenty years, I've seen that bastard every time I close my eyes, every time I sighted down a target, every time I heard a gunshot. Don't you call that a god damn grudge."

We all looked at him like he had a dozen heads.

"You survived a gunshot to the head?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah. And you survived your ship getting disintegrated. A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything. Rage is a hell of an anesthetic." Answered the old merc.

"Damn." Jacob said.

"We should get moving." Shepard said, still in disbelief.

And I guess that explains the eye and the big ass scar on the side of his face.

John hit the switch and the bridge finished crossing over.

"They're at the southern access! All squads mass at the gatehouse now!"

"They know we're here now." Zaeed said.

"That they do." I added.

"Bring it on you son of a bitch!" yelled the old merc.

We ran across the bridge, following behind Zaeed.

"Squads Charlie, Delta, mass at the gatehouse!"

_Just great…_

Shepard took the lead again, as he opened the door and all of us followed in behind him.

On a catwalk above us was Vido Santiago and five of his mercs.

"Zaeed Massani. You finally tracked me down." Vido said.

Zaeed reached back put his hand on the butt of his Revenant. "Vido."

"Don't be stupid Zaeed. I have a whole company of bloodthirsty bastards behind me, ready to kill or be killed on my command."

The old merc glanced around the room before looking back up at Vido.

"Actually, take your shot. Give my men a reason to put you down like the mad dog you are. Again."

Shepard glared over at Zaeed, hoping that he wouldn't take a potshot at Vido. We were all thinking that. They had the high ground and we had limited cover.

Sure enough, Zaeed pulled the Revenant off his back and opened fire at Vido and his men, peppering a large container of natural gas that was slowly seeping out. The rest of us dove behind whatever cover we could find.

"What was that? Gone nearsighted old friend?" Vido yelled out.

Zaeed popped out of cover. "Burn you son of a bitch."

He fired on the tank, causing a giant fireball to jet across the balcony, burning several Blue Suns mercs. Vido managed to dodge it.

Zaeed turned and looked at us with a sinister grin on his face.

"You just signed your death warrant Massani!" Vido yelled as he limped away.

Another squad rushed up to the railing and fired at us. Zaeed used the butt of his rifle to pound away at a pressure valve causing more gas to spew out.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shepard yelled.

The pressure caused more flammable gas to shoot through the pipes causing more explosions down the lines.

"Opening the gate." Zaeed replied.

Shepard walked right up to him. "We don't sacrifice lives for the sake of the mission! There's always a better way!"

"Like what? Wandering out in the jungle for hours?" Zaeed spat out. "You want to sit around? Go ahead. But I'm here to kill Vido—"

Zaeed's ranting was cut off by Shepard who delivered one of the most powerful right hook's I had ever seen. To give the old merc credit, he barely flinched, only taking a step back. The punch had caused a cut to open up above Zaeed's left eye, mostly due to Shepard's gloves.

"I ought to knock you the hell out! But thanks to your sheer stupidity, we have a burning refinery to save."

"I don't care what happens to this place. Vido dies! Whatever the cost!" Zaeed angrily spat out.

Their argument was cut off when two Blue Suns charged in and opened fire. Both of them were sent flying when Thane tagged both of them with a biotic throw. The six of us moved up and rounded a corner, heading for a door that would lead us into the refinery. I was too busy watching Zaeed's pyrotechnical work as explosions ripped through the whole facility.

Before we entered the facility, a worker came running out and yelled to us.

"Help! We're trapped! We can't get to the gas valves to shut them off! The whole place is going to blow!"

"No time. Vido's probably halfway to the shuttle docks by now." Zaeed said.

Shepard looked at him incredulously. "I can't believe you're willing to watch these people die."

"I am. We stop to help these people and Vido gets away and if he gets away, I'm blaming you." Zaeed said.

Shepard grabbed him by the chest plate. "Listen to me you dumb bastard, we're here to free these people, not satisfy your need for revenge!"

Zaeed looked ready to head butt Shepard and Shepard looked ready to knock Zaeed into another dimension.

"Hey!" I yelled, getting between them. "We don't have time for this bullshit! John you take two people and shut the valves off. We'll go get Vido and you two don't have to continue this pissing match! We're out of time."

Both men looked at me like I just ate my own head.

"Fine." John replied. "Jacob, Miranda. You're with me."

"Let's go kid, Thane. We gotta job to do." Zaeed said. And like that, we split up.

Zaeed, Thane, and I walked into the facility door and moved down the winding halls.

"Thanks for that kid." Zaeed muttered.

"I wasn't doing it for you or anyone in particular. You lied to us. Let's just get his over with." I said coldly.

Zaeed shrugged.

We walked into a large room surrounded by spare pipe parts and other supplies scattered around, more mercs waiting for us. About six of them were piling through a door way on our right. I threw a couple of sabotage mines to gum up their weapons for a short time. It was enough to give Thane and Zaeed an opening with their attacks.

Zaeed tossed one of his patented Inferno grenades through the doorway. The sounds of whatever mercs hiding behind it could be heard throughout the room. Another merc tried to flank us by coming over the bridge but the bridge blew up, sending him crashing down.

I guess that's the only plus side of Zaeed's little outburst.

"And the bridge is out…" I muttered.

"Then we're taking the long way around." Said Zaeed.

Turns out the long way was only a small U-shaped hallway. And of course, there was another wave of Blue Suns mercs.

"Vido! Stop hiding behind these men and come fight me!" Zaeed yelled out.

Zaeed seemed to have thrown out the book on basic combat and went bat shit crazy. He charged at three Suns mercs, opening fire on them without stopping. Thane and I were having a hard time keeping up, mostly because we were focused on not getting killed and using common sense. But with Zaeed turning himself into a one man army, we might as well adapt. If the old man found himself in trouble of being flanked, Thane would either use his biotics for a throw or just shoot them in the head. I simply resorted to the latter.

After clearing out the second part of the large room, we headed down another series of winding halls before coming up to the entrance to the refinery's core.

"Hm." I said, looking at the body of a crushed merc. Next to his body was an M-451 Firestorm flamethrower. "Anybody want this?"

"I'll take it." Zaeed said, grabbing the flamethrower and putting it on his back.

Thane took care of two other Suns mercs in the next room that would lead us into the core. I stopped at the door and scanned the interior.

"What's in there?" asked Zaeed.

"About two platoons of Blue Suns mercs and a heavy mech." I said. "Check your ammo."

"I'm fine." Zaeed said.

"I should have enough." Replied Thane.

I nodded. "Let's go."

We entered the core and were fired on immediately.

"I'll bring this place down around you!" Vido yelled.

"Good luck with that you bastard!" Zaeed shouted back.

"You should have died when I shot you the first time!"

"Reloading!" I yelled, with Thane covering me.

"Mark, aim for the pyro troopers." Thane said to me.

"You got it."

Zaeed was busy doing his own thing, leaving the two of us to clear out the battlefield our own way.

More and more mercenaries came flooding out of every room. Then, I noticed the large fuel containers being suspended by large magnetic vices. They were slowly moving.

"You think I won't toast my own men just to kill you?" Vido said.

"He's going to drop them on us." Said Thane.

"Pick one and fire." I replied to the drell.

I took the one on the left, Thane took the one on the left. The timing was going to be perfect as there were ten mercs slowly advancing on the two of us. The rest were focused on Zaeed who was just ahead of us but was out of the blast zone.

"Fire!" I shouted, as the two of us took our shots. Both containers fell and slammed into the ground, creating a massive fireball that incinerated every merc down there.

"Eesh." I muttered.

"It should be safe for us to advance." Thane said to me.

I poked my head out. "Yeah lets go. We've still got the heavy mech."

I switched over to the Eliminator as we regrouped with Zaeed. He was still in 'rage mode', firing at anything in blue and white armor.

The YMIR began to come to life.

_Too late my metal friend._

I fired an overcharge shot into the thing, causing it to blow up into several tiny bits. Whatever was left was blasted through the wall behind it.

"Come on. Vido's just ahead." Zaeed spat out.

My combat radar picked up Shepard and his squad as they just entered the core. By the time they arrived, we had just left.

* * *

Vido was limping, trying to make his way to the helipad, waiting for the evac that would never come. Zaeed pulled out his M5 Phalanx and fired a round to the right of Vido.

He turned around, breathing heavily. His face was marred with fresh cuts from the explosion when we ran into him.

"Zaeed. Please. You know it was nothing personal. Just business, I swear." He pleaded.

Zaeed advanced on Vido as the beaten man was slowly backing away.

"Nothing personal?" Zaeed asked flatly. "You paid six men to shoot me in the head and took away my group. You took away twenty years of my life—"

Zaeed shot him in the right leg, causing Vido to collapse and land in a puddle of oil. Presumably from the broken fuel container behind him.

"It was twenty years ago! Look at you! I did you a favor!"

Zaeed's look soon narrowed. The man looked scary with that bloody cut above his left eye.

"Zaeed, please! I'm gonna die here man! Do something!" Vido pleaded.

"I will…" he said. "Fry you son of bitch."

Zaeed hit the clip release on his pistol, sending the fresh hit sink right into the puddle of oil. Thane and I turned around, as Vido burned to death. The nearby fuel container blew up as well.

The old merc had a blank look on his face as he stared at the fire.

Shepard, Jacob, and Miranda walked out of the facility and stared at the fire as the Kodiak arrived to pick us up.

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

The ride back was similar to the ride down to Zorya; it was dead silent. Once we docked with the ship, I noticed Shepard glaring at Zaeed. All I knew was that something big was about to happen.

Everyone stepped off the shuttle, except for Zaeed and Shepard who were the last two.

The old merc just glanced at Shepard before starting for the elevator.

Shepard grabbed Zaeed by the arm and threw him into the Kodiak, pinning him to the shuttle.

"What do you want Shepard? The job's done." Zaeed said flatly.

John blew up. "I wish I had 2,000 feet so I could stick a thousand of them up your ass! The bullshit you pulled off down there is unacceptable!"

"Your point?"

"Your first mistake…" John spat out. "You disobeyed direct orders. Your second mistake: you almost failed our mission, which was to save the workers from the Blue Suns."

Zaeed and Shepard glared at each other. "And the third, and probably the biggest mistake you could make: you lied to me."

Zaeed snorted. "I'm supposed to feel bad about that?"

Shepard slugged him in the face with another punch. "We're supposed to be on a team you fucking idiot! You pull another bullshit stunt like that again on any other mission…" John pointed to the cargo bay door. "And I will personally toss you out into space, you get me?"

The old merc just glared at him.

"I don't think you get it." Shepard said as he pulled out Zaeed's own pistol and put it to his head.

"Woah, Commander!" Jacob yelled out. I held them back.

"John…you don't want to do that."

Shepard turned to me and winked out of his left eye. I understood what he meant.

"You put your own goals ahead of the mission Zaeed. That's not how this works." Shepard said.

"I've survived this long watching my own back. No need to worry about anyone else." Replied the old merc.

John pushed the pistol into Zaeed's forehead. Zaeed just stared it down, an ironic moment from twenty years ago probably flashing in his mind.

"You're part of a team now, Zaeed. There's no way we can do this unless we're all working together." Shepard pulled the pistol away from his forehead and handed it back to a surprised Zaeed.

"You…you have a point." He said with a small smirk.

"Glad we understand each other." Replied Shepard.

I rubbed my forehead. "Yeah lets never do that again. I don't think I can take that kind of stress."

* * *

_Shepard angry! Shepard crush! Just because he's mostly paragon doesn't mean he can't have outbursts. I decided to take a different route with Zaeed's mission. Hope no one minds._

_As for references, the only one I can think of is That 70's Show. But there's probably more I missed. Either way, I don't on those._

_Feels like we're winding down eh? Here comes the 'Dead' Reaper. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	40. Interlude 11

_Author's Note: Well its not the IFF mission, not yet anyway. I wanted to throw in one last interlude before the IFF mission. And probably the last 'home movie' before the Suicide Mission._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Thorne System, Hawking Eta Cluster**

_Another awkward elevator ride…great._

I was standing in between John and Zaeed as we headed up to the armory to drop off our gear.

"Well shit. This doesn't feel strange at all." I blurted out in a flat tone.

Shepard laughed. "You guys really thought that I was going to kill Zaeed?"

"Uh duh." I retorted. Miranda, Jacob, and Thane grunted in agreement.

"Mark, I thought you knew me better than that." Said John, folding his arms.

"Apparently not." I muttered.

He chuckled. "Okay, so maybe I went a little overboard."

"A little?" Miranda asked out loud. "You threatened to throw Zaeed out the airlock and then put a gun to his head."

Zaeed chuckled. "Sometimes you need to go overboard to get someone to listen."

I grumbled and shook my head as the elevator stopped at the second deck.

"I guess its time for us to get the IFF now, right?" I asked Shepard as we walked into the armory.

"Yep. It's going to be a while before we get to the derelict Reaper though, its out in the Hawking Eta cluster." He replied.

"Oh yeah. Well, at least we're going to have some free time before we get the thing." I said.

Jacob let out a low laugh. "Why do I get the feeling you're gonna make some more movies before we arrive?"

An evil smile appeared on my face. "Because I _am_ going to make more movies."

"Oh lord…" Miranda muttered.

"Think I can get in on that, kid?" Zaeed asked.

"Of course!" I looked up at the ceiling. "Hey EDI, could you please let everyone know that I'm getting ready to make some movies?"

"Yes Mark." She replied.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

The Illusive Man found himself back in his office again, reading over more after action reports from Miranda. The prospect of the Migrant Fleet going to war with the geth was troubling but what was even more surprising was their progress on a weapon to beat the geth. Massani's actions weren't surprising either. He expected Shepard to act in the best interests of the mission. As for Sears, his involvement in Massani's mission was for the best. Both objectives, saving the workers and killing Vido Santiago were completed. Had Sears not been involved, the outcome would have been much different.

_Doubting his abilities was a mistake. He's done more for this mission than I expected._

The only issue the Illusive Man had with Sears, aside from his anti-Cerberus activities, was his idea of 'fun'. All of his little pranks had made the Illusive Man furious. He spent a countless amount of credits to fix the surveillance log problem but to no avail. EDI was responsible for directly sending all surveillance reports back to the Illusive Man. He would have to deal with it…if another one popped up, he would have to leave his office.

_Should have done that in the first place._

Then again, there was another problem. Since the reports from the video bugs were considered to have sensitive information, the door was locked to prevent any 'outside' interference. It was a security system that was considered to be perfect but behind the extra layers of protection, there were flaws.

"Surveillance logs from Bug 43."

_Oh no._

Mark, Joker, Zaeed, Garrus, and Jacob were sitting around a table wearing some rather…interesting items of clothing. Garrus was wearing a top hat and a monocle. Joker had just a suit on. Jacob was wearing a captain's hat, aviator shades, and an old naval jacket on. Zaeed had a giant handlebar mustache on and Mark was wearing a large white beard.

A harpsichord and trumpet were playing some small baroque piece.

"Good afternoon and welcome to…the Gentlemen's Corner." Said Mark in a whiny English accent. "I am your host Nigel Wankerchestershire, billionaire owner of Wankerchestershire's Beef. Wankerchestershire's: We beat our meat."

Mark gestured to Jacob. "To my right, Delroy Maxwell, master sailsman."

Jacob nodded his head and grinned.

"To my left, helium-3 baron Dimitri Ripemoff." The fuel baron happened to be Joker.

"Turian arms manufacturer and amateur men's fashion expert Vandre Kurian." The camera panning to Garrus and then to Zaeed.

"And finally, English aristocrat and professional bare knuckle boxer, Lord Peverley Fannybottom. Welcome back, good sir."

"Pleasure." Zaeed replied.

"Gentlemen, our current topic is the current economic downturn rippling across the galaxy. How is it affecting all of you?" Mark asked. "Mr. Ripemoff."

Joker shook his head. "No effect. I'm still rich as hell."

Mark nodded. "Mr. Kurian."

"Our profits are soaring." Garrus replied in a snooty tone.

"Lord Peverley."

"Kickin' arse." Zaeed replied.

"Mr. Maxwell."

Jacob was eating a large box of French fries. "Mmm…the fries…I mean, doing good."

"And I am doing quite smashing as well." Mark said as he looked at a fake pocket watch. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have today here at the Gentlemen's Corner. Tune in next week where we discuss our full plans for galactic domination."

The soft baroque music turned into something dark and sinister.

"Gentlemen, our plans are coming to fruition…" Mark said darkly. All them began to laugh sinisterly as the show's title graphic appeared.

The Illusive Man sat back in his chair and scratched his chin.

_What was that? A shot at me?_

Then the 'Awesome Cops' logo appeared on the screen.

Garrus and Mark were walking through the 'precinct', which looked like the hangar deck.

"Looks like another dull work day." Garrus muttered.

"Are you kidding, Granian? It's never dull here! Nothing but hot, dirty crime everywhere." Mark replied, in a slick tone of voice.

"Hey get back here!" Hadley yelled, as he chased after Matthews.

Garrus held up an arm, clotheslining Matthews.

"Clean up on aisle five!" Mark yelled.

"Thanks Detective Lu'Kow."

"Anytime Byron." Garrus replied.

"Oh yeah, I think the Chief wants to talk to you guys." Said Hadley.

"Ooh boy." Mark replied, cheerfully.

"Hope its something good, we haven't had a real case in over a week." Muttered Garrus.

The two of them walked into the 'Chief's' office. The Chief was of course, Miranda.

"Chief." Garrus greeted with a curt nod.

"Hello Chief." Mark drawled out. "You look amazing today."

She rolled her eyes. "Take a seat you two."

Both men complied. "Detective Lu'Kow, I'm sending you on an undercover assignment. You're to track down a quarian crime lord with ties to Mendoza. She operates out of a nearby nightclub."

"Woah. Slow your sexy self down, Chief. You're sending 'Granny Panties' on an undercover assignment to a club?" asked Mark.

"Yes Detective Thunder." Miranda spat out. "You're not to interfere whatsoever. In fact the mayor's office requested that you be put on indefinite leave after your last 'assignment'."

"You mean the one where I slept with his wife?"

"Yes." Miranda said angrily.

"Its only fair, he hadn't slept with her. Besides, I nailed the woman he was seeing on the side before he nailed 'er." Mark said with a dirty grin.

"And he's still on my ass about it…" muttered Miranda.

Mark was about to say something when Miranda interrupted him. "And before you add in another sexually explicit remark, you're also suspended for harassing every woman on the force. I believe you've gotten the warning letters, they are on your desk."

Mark scratched his chin. "Ah so that explains the pile on my desk. I was using that as a fort."

Miranda grumbled. "Out you two."

"Chief." Garrus said as he got up to leave.

"So…are we on for tonight?" Mark asked Miranda.

"Out."

He pointed to her. "Okay, your place tomorrow." Mark left before she could make a rebuttal.

Garrus was waiting outside for Mark. He shook his head.

"You know she hates you."

"She's just been on edge because we haven't done it in ages."

"You've never 'done it' you just kissed." Garrus said.

"How do you know that?"

"I heard it last time. Besides you never shut up about it."

"Right."

Garrus sighed. "I'm terrible at undercover ops, Martin."

"No kidding. The last one you went on, you ended up shooting everyone before you entered their secret base." Mark replied.

"Well…I should get ready…" Garrus grumbled.

"And I'm suspended. Which means I'm gonna go find a dirty old woman and then a clean old woman. Later Granian."

A large graphic popped up stating, "Meanwhile…!"

It was a scene of Mark and Grunt sitting around.

"So you're suspended from your job, brother?" Grunt asked.

"You know it brozilla. And on top of that my partner is going undercover…which means that it'll end quick and painful." Mark answered.

The doorbell rang, and Mark got up to answer it. Garrus was at the door of 'Martin Thunder's' apartment, which was Mark's room.

"Hey Marty…I, uh…"

"You need my help on this one eh old friend?"

"Yeah." Garrus said with a shrug.

"I figured. After that last undercover assignment…"

"I know…the kindergarden and the weapons smuggling thing." Garrus replied with an annoyed tone.

Grunt walked back into the picture.

"Uh…who is this?" Garrus asked uneasily.

Mark grinned and wrapped an arm over the krogan. "This is my little brother Greg. Greg this is Granian Lu'Kow."

"Hi." Grunt said with a wave. Garrus looked dumbfounded.

"You're—brothers?"

"Yeah. Why is something wrong?" Mark asked.

Garrus shook his head. "No…nothing at all."

After Garrus explained the issue he had with the mission, Mark and Grunt came up with a plan.

"We'll come with you. Besides, I gotta show Greg the nightlife on this station anyway." Mark said.

"Sounds like fun." Grunt added.

"Oh spirits…" Garrus said with a heavy sigh.

"Meanwhile at the club!" shouted the narrator.

"You ready Granny?" Mark asked, nodding his head like some yahoo to the music.

"Yeah. And for spirits sake, Martin could you keep it in your pants?"

Mark looked down. "Oh sorry." He zipped up his pants.

The doors opened an in a typical club entrance, the three men walked into the 'club', which turned out to be the port observation room, to the song "Urgent" by Foreigner.

"Good luck Granny, we'll stick around at the bar. Just remember not to get trigger happy, no matter how bad you want to do it."

The scene fast-forwarded to the three of them meeting with this quarian crime lord. It turned out to be Tali.

"Well if it isn't Detectives Lu'Kow and Thunder and…"

"Greg." Grunt said.

"Whatever…" Tali mumbled.

"And who are you?" Mark asked slyly.

"I am Dena'Rey vas Gyna."

Mark wiggled both eyebrows. "I like where this is going."

"Martin!" Garrus shouted.

"I'd like to get into her vas Gyna."

Tali shook her head. "Why do all humans react like that? And also, what is with your obsession with quarians?"

Mark scratched his head. "Huh…I have no idea."

She threw her arms up, exasperated. "Shoot them!"

"Woah, woah. Let's not resort to violence Ms. Vas Gyna." Mark said.

The camera cut to her legs and then to Mark's raised eyebrow. "Wishbone hips…I'd like to take a crack at that. Good luck indeed."

Grunt laughed while Garrus shook his head.

Tali tilted her head.

"I have a proposition for you, ma'am." Mark said.

The scene blacked out and then appeared with Mark and Tali under some sheets.

"Wow Detective…the stories about you are true."

"They might sound like a myth, but I'm anything but mythical."

"Now I see…"

"You felt it too. Wishbone cracked."

The narrator then spoke. "At the end of the day, the brave detectives discovered Dena'Rey vas Gyna's connection to Mendoza….and Martin was no longer suspended. Stay tuned for the next thrilling episode of…Awesome Cops!"

The Illusive Man shook his head and sighed. There was no real escape from these 'home movies'. As infuriated as he was with these foolish pranks, part of him did have a soft spot for 'Awesome Cops'.

_No department in the world would take those two. But it would make things interesting._

The next clip started off with a shot of someone walking down a hall. The instrumental version of the song "The a la Menthe" by La Caution playing in the background.

"When he goes to the grocery store, he waits in line just like everyone else." Said a smooth voice. It sounded like that geth Watson that was with Sears. The camera then cut to Shepard, wearing a stupid grin on his face along with a tuxedo t-shirt. Everyone around him was rolling their eyes.

"His reputation is nonexistent."

Shepard was giving a thumbs up to several crewmembers at one of the mess tables, all of them were ignoring him or looking really bored.

"His words carry weight that would cause a more interesting man to punch him in the face."

Shepard was sitting at a table, staring at the camera. "I always drink beer. And when I do, I prefer Phobos Gray Ribbon."

Shepard turned again. "Phobos Gray Ribbon, suck one."

"End of surveillance logs."

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

After finishing up with the movies, I went down to the crew quarters to play some Skyllian Five with Ken, Gabby, and anyone else whose shift had ended. We eventually moved into my room when Jack, Tali, and Garrus showed up.

"You know there's something I don't get." Gabby said looking at me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"In every movie you've made, Matthews is always getting beaten up." She said.

Matthews and Hadley were sitting around our makeshift Skyllian Five table which was the ping-pong table.

Matthews laughed. "Oh you didn't know?"

"Know what?" Gabby asked again.

"Matthews used to be in pro wrestling." I answered.

Matthews just shrugged. "It was an amateur league."

"Still, if there's anything I know about making movies with ex pro wrestlers, they're the best stuntmen." I added.

"There's yer answer Gabby." Ken said.

Jack was sitting next to me shaking her head. "I fold."

"What brings you here?" Garrus asked.

Jack shrugged. "Eh. I tried to do this on the extranet but I kept getting kicked off. Apparently cursing other players and admins is against the rules. Fuckin' pussies."

"And you thought it would be more fun to do it in person?" I asked.

She slapped my elbow. "No. I just get bored out of my fucking tits with these long ass trips."

"You don't say…" Donnelly drawled out.

Gabby shook her head. "You're treading on thin ice, Ken. Don't start with Jack."

"Fine…" he said rolling his eyes. "I'll call."

"I'll see your bet." Matthews said, placing his credits into the pile.

Patel, Gordon, Allen, and Hadley all folded.

I looked down at all five cards on the table. I was holding an ace of spades and a king of spades. On the table were: the ten of spades, four of hearts, five of spades, jack of clubs, and a three of spades.

"Okay boys, throw 'em down." Patel said, as she was dealing this hand.

Matthews had a pair of tens and Ken had a pair of jacks.

"What do you have Mark?" Ken asked.

I smirked as I flipped over one of my cards, the ace of spades and then the king. Everyone at the table groaned. "Ace high spade flush." I said.

"You won again Mark? What the hell are you?" Jack griped.

I shrugged and laughed. "I'm a great Skyllian Five player. I once won this amateur tournament on Elysium back in '82."

Everyone at the table groaned louder.

"Oh shush. If we were playing blackjack, I'd be counting cards like crazy." I replied.

"Seriously? You can do that?" Gabby asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh now this we have to see." Matthews added.

Jack snorted. "You're probably using your glasses or something."

"Fine. I'll prove it." I said. "Watson, could you dim the lights?"

"Yes." He replied from the other end of the room. The lights dimmed and I took my sunglasses off.

"Wow." Tali said. Various oohs and ahs were made as everyone in the room looked at me curiously.

"Never seen anything like that before." Gabby muttered.

"Genetic mutations are fun eh?" I asked with a smirk as I pointed at my eyes.

Jack grabbed my jaw and turned my head to the left so she could see.

"Holy shit."

"You didn't have to turn my head, y'know."

"Well you wouldn't turn to the left." She joked.

I grumbled. "Okay, deal the cards."

Patel shuffled and dealt out two cards to the ten of us. Garrus just watched.

I went down the table, telling everyone what they had for cards and then to Patel, the dealer. She had 19. I said that if she were to take a hit, the dealer would bust.

Everyone was impressed to say the least. I put my glasses back on and brought the light level back up to normal.

We continued to play for another hour before heading off to bed for the night. I cleaned my room up and made my way to Miranda's room.

The door to her room opened and I saw her at her desk, typing away.

"Hi Miri." I said with a smile.

"Hello Mark. I'll be right with you. I'm just finishing up an operations report." She replied with a smile.

I walked around to the other side of her desk and rested my hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sure Eldfell-Ashland is pissed off about their refinery almost blowing up." I said.

Miranda shrugged and relaxed her shoulders into my hands. "The damage was light but it could have been worse."

"No kidding." I replied, rubbing her shoulders and neck.

Miranda shut off her terminal and I took my hands off of her shoulders as we both sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm surprised at how Shepard reacted on Zorya." Miranda said. "And then after that."

"Yeah." I said. "He seems like he's been even more on edge lately."

"I noticed. His outbursts have been happening more frequently. I wonder what it could all be about." She wondered.

"The mission." I stated. "With everything we've been through, its like there's no end in sight and John's been working himself crazy."

Miranda nodded. "Shepard has looked like he hasn't gotten much sleep lately."

"I know the feeling. It's a slippery slope. Next thing you know, you're freaking out over a dropped cup or forgetting to put a shirt on." I added.

"Then there's Zaeed…" I started.

"Yes…I remember when we first picked him up on Omega. He stated that the company wanted the Blue Suns dealt with, omitting the fact that he wanted to go there because of Vido." Miranda said shaking her head. "If we weren't on a mission to stop the Collectors, I would have shot him."

I gave her a joking shiver. "Oh you cruel woman, you."

She rolled her eyes and gave me a playful slap on the arm. "I'm serious."

"I know. I don't like what he did either but we need all the help we can get. Besides, he's not a completely bad guy…like your boss." I said with a grin.

Miranda smacked me again.

"Ow!" I replied, still grinning at her.

"Oh that didn't hurt, I barely hit you."

"It's called a joke, Miri." I replied.

She sat in my lap, shaking her head. "I know what a joke is. Yours just wasn't humorous."

I rolled my eyes. "Someday you'll get it."

"I got the joke too. You need to try harder." She replied softly, giving me a sly grin.

"Can do." I replied, giving her a kiss on the lips.

* * *

Miranda and I were laying back in bed after 'blowing off some steam'.

"Mmm." Miranda groaned as she stretched out. "That was amazing."

"You were amazing." I replied, brushing some hair out of her face.

She chuckled and rolled over onto me.

"You weren't so bad either." She said slowly.

I smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Unfortunately, my thoughts were elsewhere.

"What's wrong?" Miranda asked.

I sighed and sat up, Miranda moving off of my lap and curling up next to me.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I'm still worried about John. I've never seen him this stressed out before." I said.

"Shepard's had to help all of us out. We've barely had any time for R&R, even when we were on Illium." Miranda replied. "I can tell by looking at him."

"Yeah…"

"I suppose if you weren't here, things would have been much different." Miranda said.

"That's true. Shepard would be the angriest man in the galaxy, we wouldn't be sleeping in the same bed, and who knows what else would happen." I added. "I guess it would have been dank around here."

"Maybe. But you're here now." She said, putting her hand to my right cheek. "And probably the best part is that there are no more bugs on the ship, aside from the ones you reprogrammed."

I chuckled. "You mean 'liberated'. I have way too much fun with those things."

Miranda rolled her eyes and smiled. "No kidding. I imagine the Illusive Man will be giving me an ear full…again."

"Well if he does, let me send the reply message back to him." I deadpanned.

She shook her head. "Forget it. I'll probably end up in more trouble if you started going through my mail."

I shrugged. "Well only emails regarding Cerberus. Anything else is your own personal business."

I scratched the top of my head. "Speaking of personal business, have you talked to your sister lately?"

"Yes." Miranda said in a soft tone. "She's doing well. Of course it's difficult to settle into a new home, but her and her family are taking it well."

I nodded. "That's good. You, uh, take any extra precautions with their whole situation?"

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno…maybe I'm being paranoid." I said, looking down at my hands.

"Paranoid about what?"

I sighed. "The closer we get to that dead Reaper the worse my vibes get. I just have a bad feeling…random thoughts just creeping up."

Miranda wrapped an arm around my waist. "I know what you mean. We're getting closer to the end of our mission."

"Hm." I grunted. "That's the other thing that's worrying me."

"The end of the mission?" she asked.

"Yeah. What if we land at their base and your boss decides to play the 'mad scientist' role again? What if he wants to keep it for himself as some weird trophy?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." Miranda answered. "I guess we'll find out when we get there."

She snuggled up closer to me. "You should stop worrying and get some sleep."

"You're right." I said as I eased back down, Miranda and I looking each other in the eyes. "Besides, I gotta help John out tomorrow. Maybe get the good doctor's help too."

She shook her head. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks…" I said rolling my eyes. "One last thing."

"What?" Miranda asked softly.

"Thank you…for—bringing him back. I know you'll say that it was your boss' idea but…you were the one who did it, not him."

Miranda smiled. "You're very welcome."

I kissed her on the forehead. "Night, Miri."

* * *

John Shepard was having another sleepless night. His violent outburst at Zaeed wasn't planned out, he simply snapped. He went down to Zaeed's after the team dropped their gear off at the armory to apologize. The old merc took it well and didn't seem to care, commenting that he would have done the same. But John Shepard was a by the book commander with a zero tolerance for infighting. He wasn't the kind of man to pull a gun on a teammate.

_I've never done that…ever._

He sighed as he got out of bed and walked up the small step to his desk. Shepard stared at all the fish in his tank, float around aimlessly.

_Must be nice to live as a fish. You get food, a home, and you don't have to worry about the destruction of all life in the galaxy._

He walked up to his desk chair and sat down, looking up at all of his ship models on the wall.

Shepard was lost in his own thoughts. The stresses of the mission were beginning to weigh on him. He had spent so much time investing himself into his team's personal troubles. Shepard was getting closer to all of them, at the cost of himself. He didn't sleep often, usually skipping it every other day to focus himself on helping the squad and crew. The anger of being led around by Cerberus slowly went away once the mission started, but it still didn't sit well with him. But what angered him the most was what they did to his friend Mark. He sacrificed himself for the sake of his own mission: destroying Cerberus. It almost cost him his life, and he came aboard the ship as a broken man. The only thing that kept him going was a medical interface in his armor and sheer willpower; and all of that was to keep him safe from the Illusive Man's clutches.

Shepard chuckled and shook his head.

_You always were a crazy bastard, Mark._

John turned his head to the right, looking at the picture of Ashley on the desk. He picked it up and stared at it.

_If only you were here. _

Shepard stared at the picture, thinking back to their meeting on Horizon and that night before they went to Ilos. He sat in the chair, lost in old memories for most of the night.

* * *

Miranda and I woke up fairly early the next morning, around six or so. The two of us went through our usual 'morning routines' and then our normal routines. We ended up eating breakfast together, with no one being the wiser.

"So, what's on tap for today?" I asked her.

"More operational reports, filing and filling out requisition forms, the usual." Miranda answered.

I chugged some more coffee and shook my head. "Sounds exciting."

"It's work, its not supposed to be fun." Miranda retorted. "I mean, what do you do all day aside from making those silly movies?"

I chuckled. "Hey you volunteered to be in said movies."

She rolled her eyes, the faintest of smiles on her face. "That's besides the point. I mean, what do you do?"

"I work on my weapons, talk to the rest of the team, help out the crew with some of their jobs, and uh…yeah."

Miranda sat back with her arms folded, a smug grin on her face.

"What?" I muttered with a blank stare.

"For someone who was named chief tactical officer, you don't seem to work much." She said, still keeping that smug grin on her face.

"No one ever told me to fill out paperwork. Sounds like that loophole has yet to be closed." I replied. "Tell you what, if you need help doing reports, give me a call."

"Noted." Miranda said, giving me a small wink.

"Wonder how much of it will be work related…" I muttered.

"All of it." She replied, reverting to a professional tone.

"Oh…" I said, somewhat disappointed.

Miranda glanced around before leaning over the table. "Maybe we can have some fun on a break later."

I chuckled. "Sounds good."

"I'll hold you to it." She said saucily.

We spent the rest of the time making idle chat.

* * *

After breakfast, I made a stop to the med lab to talk to Dr. Chakwas.

"Mornin' doc." I said, as I walked up to her desk.

"Good morning, Mark. How are you doing?" she asked.

"Doing well. Listen, I need to ask you a favor."

"Of course. What is it?"

I scratched my cheek. "Its uh…it's about John. I think we need to give him a day or two off. I'm sure you heard about his outburst the other day."

Chakwas nodded. "Yes…I did. He's been coming in and out of here lately with bouts of exhaustion. I keep giving him tranquilizers but I haven't seen any changes."

"Really?" I asked.

The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid so. It would seem as though Shepard has decided to ignore my medical advice…again. For the sake of the mission."

"Want me to go talk to him for you?"

"If its no trouble. Unfortunately, I have a bit of paperwork to deal with…mostly with the crew's medical updates and so on."

I nodded. "I might something to help persuade him into taking a few days off."

Chakwas handed me a datapad. "Here. This should be enough to get him to stay in bed."

"I hope so. When it always came to medical matters, John always needed to see something on paper to know it wasn't bullshit." I said with a laugh.

"True enough. Good luck, Mark."

"Thanks doc."

I took the pad and made my way to the elevator to see my friend. The lift stopped at the first deck and I walked out. The door to John's room was unlocked and I entered. I was a little surprised to see how much of a mess it was. Papers and datapads were strewn around the room. Stacks of them were all over his desk, the table near the couch, and even the couch.

"Who is it?" asked a groggy Shepard, who was laying back in bed.

"It's Mark."

"Mark? What time is it?"

"0750, John."

He let out a long groan and sat up, placing his bare feet on the ground. Shepard was wearing some sweat pants and his old academy t-shirt. Honestly, he looked like hell.

"God damn…" Shepard said as he slowly stood up.

"John, go back to bed."

"I can't. I gotta take care of—"

I walked up to my friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dr. Chakwas is giving you two days rest."

"Ugh…two days? We gotta get that IFF." John complained.

I rolled my eyes and gave him the datapad. He looked over it.

"Oh man…" groaned John.

"Doctors orders, man." I said with a laugh.

"Do you know how much freakin' paperwork I have to do?"

"I got it covered." I replied. "You just go back to bed."

Shepard snorted. "You have it covered? This, coming from the guy that hates paperwork."

"I'm gonna help Miranda out with some of the stuff she has. From what I understand we're back logged." I retorted.

John sat on his bed. "Well, I appreciate it. Sorry if I don't seem like myself."

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about it. Besides, when's the last time you slept? I mean actually slept."

He scratched the back of his head. "Last time? Probably before we went to the Migrant Fleet."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "That was almost four days ago."

John simply shrugged. "There's been a lot going on."

"No shit." I said flatly. "And it's showing. Fifteen years I've known you and I've never seen you acting like the 'Incredible Hulk'."

Shepard stifled a laugh. "Yeah…sorry about that. I've just had so much on my plate."

"I understand." I said, nodding slowly. "But it doesn't give you the license to forget about your own well being. Now get some sleep and leave the rest to me and the rest of the crew. If anything comes up, I'll let you know."

I gave him a pat on the shoulder as he shook his head.

"Thanks Mark."

"Anytime. Now get some rest." I said as John rolled into bed.

"Aye, aye." He replied dryly.

Shepard drifted off to sleep in the blink of an eye.

I rolled my eyes and pressed the fish food button.

_Might as well tidy up a bit…save him some trouble._

I organized all of his documents and datapads that were scattered around before leaving.

Next, I headed down to the armory. But before I did…

"Hey Kelly, don't worry about taking care of Shepard's fish right now. I took care of it." I said to the redhead.

"Oh okay." She replied turning away from her terminal. "May I ask why?"

"Yeah. The doc ordered Shepard to rest up until we arrive at our destination."

Kelly nodded her head and whispered. "Does it have anything to do with yesterday?"

I rocked my hand back and forth in a 'sort of' motion. "He hasn't slept in days. As you've probably noticed, he's been a little on edge."

"Yeah. I'll admit, seeing him like that was a little scary."

"Hopefully getting a few days rest will help him out." I added.

Kelly nodded. "Yeah…well, talk to you later Mark."

"Later, Kel."

I walked into the armory and saw Jacob on the floor doing sit ups.

"Uh…" I blurted out.

"Hey Mark." Jacob said, not breaking stride.

"I'm just gonna clean my weapons." I said, walking by Jacob. "You know, there's a gym on the hangar deck."

He shook his head. "Too many drooling women."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Can you wait 'till I finish?" he said, in a frustrated tone.

"Uh huh." I said, taking a seat at one of the benches, pulling out my weapons and cleaning materials.

I stopped briefly as I heard the sounds of an old movie playing on Jacob's terminal. I looked over and noticed that it was an old movie…Old Yeller.

_Well, everyone's got their own workout routines I suppose…_

Jacob stopped and sat up, trying to slow down his breathing as he grabbed a water bottle.

"Are you seriously watching Old Yeller while you work out?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Jacob answered.

I shrugged as I started cleaning the Hyperion. "Just seems strange. But hey, it ain't my place to judge."

"That's good." He replied. "Why, what do you usually watch when you work out?"

"I don't watch anything. I just listen to music when I work out. Sometimes I listen to metal, other times its rap from the 1980's and '90's. Like Public Enemy or Nas."

Jacob smirked. "Yeah, I listen to that on occasion. Illmatic is probably the best album I've ever heard."

I nodded. "I hear that."

Jacob took a small breather before he got ready for his next workout.

"But working out here instead of the gym? I didn't think a guy like you would be afraid of drooling women."

"I'm not. Sometimes I'd rather do some of my routines in private. I'll do weight training down there or sparring but I'd rather be up here doing the rest."

"You're right. It's probably my fault for having all of us do that 300 parody. I wonder if Thane's still going through the same thing." I said, shaking my head as I reassembled the Hyperion.

"Maybe." Jacob replied. "But it was still fun to do. No need to apologize." He leaned on the table and looked over at me. "How's the Commander doing?"

"Doc ordered him to rest until we arrive at our destination." I said. "He hasn't slept in days…and as we've seen, it's showing."

"Yeah. Never expected to see Shepard that mad. Have you ever seen him that mad before?"

I shook my head. "Not in the fifteen years I've known him. The guy's usually as cool as the other side of the pillow. But considering everything we've been through over the course of this mission, I can understand why he's stressed out."

For a brief moment, I thought I heard the sound of a thermal clip, falling onto the table near the window to the engine room. I glanced over and saw one of the two clips over on the table laying flat, the other was upright.

"And with John resting up, I've gotta help Miranda out with all of the paper work." I added in a tired tone. "I hate paper work."

Jacob chuckled. "Me too. I guess it's a good thing that I just catalog the weapons and do maintenance."

"Lucky you." I replied sarcastically. I was about to start on the Nighthawk when I heard a small tap on the floor nearby.

"You hear that?" Jacob whispered.

I nodded, not looking at him.

I cleared my throat. "Kasumi, you can come out now."

"Aw damn it! How did you know?" she yelled as her stealth camouflage wore off.

I laughed as Jacob looked on with wide eyes.

"Don't worry about it." I replied with a smirk on my face.

Kasumi shook her head and grumbled.

"Why are you in here anyway, Kasumi? And more importantly, why are you cloaked?" Jacob asked.

The master thief blushed and poked her index fingers together. "Well…I, uh, dropped something and you came in here…"

"I think I can translate, Jacob." I interjected. "Kasumi wants to jump you…and I'm not talking violent ambushes."

He raised an eyebrow at me and then at Kasumi.

"I mean she wants to do you. Sex. Intercourse—"

"I know what you mean Mark." Jacob replied, rubbing his forehead.

"Mark!" Kasumi yelled, giving me a slap on the arm.

"Ow!" I yelled back at her. "But come on! It's so obvious you like him."

"Really?" Jacob asked.

Kasumi scratched the back of her hooded head. "Well, damn. You caught me."

I swear I heard her mutter. "Took you long enough…"

"You didn't notice, Jacob?" I asked incredulously.

He shook his head. "Not really, no."

Then he scratched his chin and thought for a moment. "Oh damn it."

Kasumi and I sighed. I started packing up my weapons and cleaning gear.

"Well, I'll let you two figure this out. I imagine it'll end with Jacob going back to working out. He'll start by bench pressing you." I said pointing and grinning at Kasumi.

She couldn't help but chuckle. "You sick bastard, you."

I held my hands up as I headed for the door to the CIC. "Don't give me that, you were thinking the same thing while you were cloaked in the corner. Later, you two. Mwhahaha!"

* * *

From a little after 8 in the morning to the mid afternoon hours, I was in Miranda's office helping her organize various reports and other paper work. Everything from fuel consumption, food, weapons, etc. was put into some form of paper work.

I dozed off a number of times while helping her read through and fill out all of it.

Of course, when I did doze off, Miranda would just use her biotics to throw a pillow at my face.

The two of us even ate lunch in her office just to finish up all of the excess work we had. I didn't mind. It just gave us a chance to be together, even if it was in a working capacity.

I was sitting at her desk, the one facing the wall, staring blankly at one of her terminals.

"I swear to god, if stare at this thing any longer my eyes are going to burn out." I rubbed the bridge of my nose and looked up at the ceiling.

"I know what you mean." Miranda replied, letting out a heavy sigh. "Did you finish up the last requisition forms?"

"Yes…" I said, in a defeated tone.

"Good." Miranda said with a smirk as she passed over another stack. "Here are the day sheets for the crew."

"Day sheets?"

"Yes. The crew _are_ under contract with Cerberus. They're not doing this for free you know." Miranda answered.

I fell back into my seat and groaned. "Oh man! These things date back to before any of us served aboard this ship! Hell I was still being interrogated on the Lazarus station when these were done!"

Miranda tried to hold back a laugh.

"I hate paper work." I grumbled.

"I know you do. Now hurry up, we don't have all day."

"I think you gave me another reason to hate Cerberus: shoddy filing. Hell we could get a VI to do this in no time." I said.

"Well, we don't have a VI." Miranda replied, still grinning. "We have to do this ourselves."

"You can afford to build another Normandy, build an AI, bring my best friend back from the dead, but you can't get a decent system to do daily reports and other stuff?" I asked, still frustrated. "What is this, the 20th century?"

Miranda chuckled. "If you worked as much as you complained, then we'd be done already."

I grumbled again and gave Miranda a small glare.

She bit her lip and quirked her eyebrows up.

I leaned forward on the desk and looked over the day sheets, organizing all of them by date and so on.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" I asked Miranda.

"Absolutely." Miranda deadpanned.

"Great…anything to make my girlfriend happy." I replied, dryly.

Miranda grabbed my chair and spun it around. She had a smile on her face.

"That's right." She said.

I shook my head and smiled. "My suffering makes you happy?"

"It makes me laugh. Your complaints can be quite creative from time to time." Miranda replied.

I let out a small laugh. "I'm glad."

She took me by the hand. "I think we deserve to have a little break, don't you think?"

"I couldn't agree more." I replied.

"But, uh…let's save some for tonight. Okay?" she asked sweetly.

I smirked. "Sure. I've got no problem with a make out break."

She led me over to the couch where the two of us embraced and kissed each other.

"I guess there is an upside to doing paper work." I muttered in between kisses.

She rolled her eyes and we continued.

* * *

After Miranda and I finished doing paper work and taking the occasional make out break, I left her office.

"Man, I'm glad the office work is over…" I muttered.

_Well, except for the love making part. That was nice._

"Hello Mark."

I turned to my left and saw Samara, sitting at one of the mess hall tables.

"Oh hey Samara. How have you been?" I greeted as I sat next to her.

"I have been well. Thank you for asking. How are you?"

"Pretty good. Spent most of the day helping Miranda out with paper work. It was a drag but we got it done." I answered.

"I see."

"It's been a while since we talked." I said.

"Indeed. The last time we spoke was before we hunted down Morinth." Samara replied.

"Yeah…I figured that you needed some time—"

"I am fine now." Samara said, gently cutting me off.

"Oh. Well, I mean she was your daughter. I doubt it was easy."

Samara stared at the table blankly. "It was not. One of my daughters is dead. My hopes and my dreams were all bound up in my children. Ours was a story that would not have a happy ending."

I nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry…"

Samara turned to me. "Mark, you know that I do not accept pity from others."

"I know. But when I say it, its mostly being sympathetic. I'd feel like dick if I didn't say anything." I replied.

"I see." Samara said.

I scratched the side of my head, trying to think of something to change the subject. "So…uh, I assume you do a lot of traveling. Being a justicar and all."

She gave me a small smile. "I've done many things in my lifetime. I thought the galaxy held nothing new for me. Since joining this crew, I've realized how much more there is."

"I know what you mean. What have you done over the years?"

"As a maiden, I served as a mercenary. I fought tyrants and pirates. I experienced everything the galaxy has to offer. As a justicar, I saw parts of asari space few know about. I destroyed villages and saved cities. I even fought a Spectre."

Both of my eyebrows shot up. "A Spectre?"

"A turian named Nihlus. He may have been on Council business, but I witnessed him kill an unarmed civilian. Following the Code, I attacked." Samara said.

"Nihlus…oh yeah. Shepard told me that he was going to be observing him during the Eden Prime crisis. He said that Saren shot him in the back of the head. Hard to believe an honorable turian like that would put a bullet into a civilian."

"He may have been an honorable turian, but killing unarmed civilians is wrong." She added.

"Well that's true. So, did you win?"

She smirked. "I had the advantage, but he was good. He returned fire and tried to run. We played cat and mouse in the wilderness for two weeks."

My jaw dropped and she continued to give me that smirk. "It was exhilarating. Finally, he created a situation in which my only options were to let an innocent die, or pursue him. The Code compelled me to save the innocent, and he escaped. I admire how he used my code against me."

"All of that for two weeks…damn. Probably got a gold star for thinking on his feet." I muttered. "I doubt I'd be able to last that long."

"You underestimate your abilities." Samara replied.

I shrugged. "Maybe. Anyway, what was it like being a mercenary?"

"I was a young, impulsive maiden who discovered her talent for combat. I reveled in it. Until my troop was hired to guard a mysterious shipment on its way to some clandestine drop-off area. I discovered that the shipment was slaves, to be traded to the Collectors for advanced technology."

"Wow." I said. "Wait…I have a hard time believing that you would be involved in the slave trade."

"In my foolish youth, I'd certainly engaged in questionable practices—but never anything patently unjust."

"We all do dumb things when we're young." I replied with a shrug.

"I demanded that we turn around. My mates disagreed. After they were dead, I brought the ship around. The Collectors craft was just arriving."

I raised an eyebrow.

"They closed, faster than I could flee. Fortunately, we were close to the mass relay. I got through, and they did not pursue."

"Hell of a close call. What happened to the slaves?" I asked.

"I lectured them on the virtues of strength and defending oneself. Then, I distributed the armor, weapons, and credits of my dead colleagues, and then released the captives on the Citadel."

"And like that your mercenary days were over, I take it?"

"Yes." Samara said with a nod. "I spent the next several years training to be a justicar."

"What's it been like?"

Samara let out a small sigh. "Mostly tedium and hardship. Traveling on freighters, wandering through rural areas. Rooting out injustices, big and small. Putting down corrupt officials. When I arrive in a remote area, individuals often approach me with matters of justice." She smirked. "My judgment rarely turns out the way they hope."

I chuckled. "Sounds like my job as a private detective, but less cushy and more gunfire and biotics."

"Indeed." She replied with a small smile.

"So how do you pay for transportation?"

"Asari captains often welcome justicars. We reduce pirate attacks. One raid was called off when the pirates were able to verify that I was aboard."

"Sweet." I blurted out. "Hm, didn't you mention something about destroying an entire village."

Samara nodded. "I did. I tracked Morinth to a remote colony world. She'd perverted an entire town, making them worship her and bring young asari as sacrifices. When I arrived, she fled, throwing her minions at me in waves. They bought her time with their lives."

I shook my head in disgust.

"When it was done, only small children remained. I left them in the authorities care and continued my pursuit." She finished, a soft gaze in her eyes.

"Geez…" I muttered. "Never expected anything like that."

"It was the right thing to do considering the situation." Samara said.

"Hm." I mumbled. "I guess I never pictured justicars doing something like that. Chalk it up to popular media I suppose."

"The closest equivalent I can think of for humans would be knights errant with some samurai." Samara replied.

I smiled. "Sounds spot on to me. You know about those?"

"When I knew that I must leave asari space again, I studied the history and morals of other species. When I was a maiden, traveling the galaxy, humans had not yet arrived."

"Well you're getting your fair share of us on this boat." I said. "So, what do think of us?"

Samara smiled again. "You are more individualistic than any other species that I have encountered. If three humans are in a room, there will be six opinions. I like your species. I am curious to see what you will do."

I laughed. "Well, that's an accurate description. Mordin gave us the scientific description a while ago. It's good to know that we're liked. I can tell you from personal experience that asari like me."

Samara smiled. "I have noticed. Even Omega's ruler, Aria T'Loak seems to like you."

I sighed. "It's probably more physical than anything. Oh well. It's a shame that not too many other people like us."

"I believe the galaxy will accept all of you in time."

"Yeah…it's a good thing I'm a patient man." I said as I started to stand up. "It was nice talking to you Samara. I'll see you later."

She gave me a small bow. "It was a pleasure to talk to you as well, Mark."

* * *

My final stop was Zaeed's room. The old merc was sitting on a crate, looking out the window. He had a bottle of whiskey in one hand and his legs resting on two cases of beer.

"Hey kid. What brings you here?" Zaeed asked.

"Hey. I just felt like dropping by." I answered.

I looked at his face and noticed a small bandage above his left eye, along with a pretty big bruise.

"Ah. Trying to make sure Shepard and I won't kill each other?"

I shrugged. "Somewhat."

"Don't worry about it. He came down last night and apologized."

I raised my eyebrow and took a seat on a crate next to him. "Really?"

"Yeah. I don't blame him for losing his cool. A guy like him trying to balance a bat shit crazy squad like us, along with stopping the Collectors; I'm surprised he hasn't freaked out earlier."

"John's not like most leaders." I said.

"Yeah. Wouldn't expect anything less from the hero of the Blitz." Zaeed replied. "You want a beer?"

"I'm fine." I said, holding a hand up.

Zaeed kicked back and stared out the window. He seemed distant.

"You all right?" I asked.

Zaeed let out a sigh. "I hunted that bastard down for twenty years. Now he's dead…and I'm not really sure what to do with myself anymore."

"You could keep on being a badass mercenary." I said.

He let out a small laugh. "Maybe…"

Zaeed just didn't seem like his usual self. "I thought you'd be happy now that Vido's dead."

He snorted. "I am. But now…I mean we started the Blue Suns. The two of us! We built them out of nothing! Nothing but a handful of guys, a few explosives and weapons, and a dropship. We were supposed to build something great and that bastard sold me out because he wanted to bring in batarians."

"So you guys were friends, eh?"

Zaeed shook his head. "No…we were like brothers."

"I doubt it was easy for him to do what he did."

"Maybe. But it sure didn't take him long to send six guys after me." Replied the old merc. "Whatever…he's dead and the Suns are in shambles. Thanks for helping me out kid."

"You're welcome." I said. "You sure you're not drunk or something."

Zaeed chuckled. "I'm not drunk. Not until after dinner, anyway."

"You gonna be fine?" I asked.

"Yeah. Vido stopped being my friend the day he almost killed me. Now he's dead and cremated." He turned around and looked at the old Avenger rifle on the table behind us. "Too bad I couldn't use Jessie to kill him."

I raised an eyebrow. "Jessie?"

Zaeed picked up the rifle. "Yeah. This rifle's older than you are. It's my lucky charm. More men have been killed with this gun than died in the Skyllian Blitz."

"Damn. There goes Shepard's kill total." I remarked.

He snorted. "The day I laid her to rest was the saddest day of my life. I'd give up every weapon I own for one more mission with that shitty old rifle."

I scratched my jaw. "How did uh…'she' die?"

"It was about five years ago. I was hunting down this batarian slaver. I forgot his name, not important. I carved my way through a hundred batarian mooks. I don't remember laying off the trigger once. Jessie just kept firing. Then the slaver got in my face, so I went to blow him away and…nothing. The old bitch had finally jammed. So I smashed his face in with the butt of the gun and called in the job. After that Jessie couldn't be fixed. There was nothing anyone could do. Like she'd finally had enough blood and was ready to rest…been resting ever since."

_Wow…he really…REALLY cares about that rifle._

I tapped my chin. "What was the diagnosis?"

"The heat sinks had overloaded, short circuiting everything inside. They even melted some of the interior of the rifle and the inner barrel." He said with a sigh. "Never had to re-sight her once."

"Damn. It's a shame the damage is that extensive, I would have fixed for you." I said.

"I appreciate the thought kid. But she's gone."

"You've still got the Revenant." I said.

Zaeed shrugged. "It won't be the same."

"Oh well." I replied. "Time heals all wounds, Zaeed. That Revenant will be your good luck charm eventually."

He shook his head. "You're strange kid."

"Just trying to help." I said, as I stood up and started walking out.

"Thanks for stopping by kid. See you later." Zaeed said as I walked out.

* * *

_Up next, the not so dead Reaper!_

_I felt it was time to whip out the 'Least Interesting Man in the galaxy'. It was one of those things I almost forgot to add in. That's the problem you run into with a story this long. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing._


	41. The Dead Reaper

_Author's Note: Here comes the dead Reaper…or rather 'Comatose Reaper'. Along with everyone's other favorite geth: Legion! Also, I want to give a big shout out to stnemele who beta'd this for me. She freakin' rules._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Orbit of Lethe, Mnemosyne's moon, Thorne System, Hawking Eta Cluster**

I spent the morning sitting in the cockpit looking out the window at Lethe, Mnemosyne's largest moon. Lethe was 1.4 million miles from Mnemosyne, and yet the brown dwarf still looked massive even at this distance. Today, Shepard was returning to duty. Without his presence around, the ship felt a little dull. It was as if everyone was going through the motions, with no real enthusiasm.

I would see him every now and then when he left his room to get something to eat before disappearing back into his quarters.

"We've been sitting here for the last day." Joker grumbled, as he sat back in his seat.

"How is that bad?" I asked. "We got hang out and scan this moon for a couple days."

"Yeah? And I've had to deal with EDI's voice ringing in my ear for those couple of days."

I folded my arms and glanced at him. "That's not so bad either. Did someone piss in your coffee this morning?"

Joker rolled his eyes. "Just getting anxious about getting back into action."

"I hear ya." I replied.

I turned around, ready to leave the cockpit when Shepard walked in.

"Good morning!" Shepard yelled. "Damn I feel good."

I chuckled as we high fived. "Welcome back, John."

"Hey Commander!" Joker said, as he turned around in his chair.

"Welcome back, Shepard." EDI chimed in.

John held his hands up. "Thank you, thank you. Now let's get back to work. Joker set a course for Mnemosyne."

"You got it Commander." Joker said as the two of us walked out of the cockpit.

"Good to see you're feeling better, John." I said with a smile.

"Yeah. By the way, thanks for cleaning up my room. You even organized all of my paperwork." He said with some surprise.

I shrugged. "One less thing for you to deal with. Besides…" I sneered. "I've been doing…paperwork while you've been out."

He raised an eyebrow. "You? Paperwork? Is this some kind of dream?"

I shook my head. "No. I just didn't want your XO and Kelly getting bogged down."

"Oh, well thank you very much." John replied.

"Anytime. I should also note that it's all up to date."

"Sweet." He added. "EDI, let the squad know that I'll be holding a briefing in five minutes."

"Yes, Shepard." Said the AI.

The two of us walked into the briefing room. "You know your 'Least Interesting Man in the Galaxy' sketch was a big hit with the crew." I said.

Shepard laughed. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, it was good for them to know that you hadn't gone completely crazy." I jokingly replied.

"I guess. This whole mission has been getting to me. That and the whole being a zombie thing."

I shook my head. "You're not a zombie. I have yet to see you try and eat someone else's brain. Just because you've got some cybernetics doesn't mean you're not human."

Shepard snorted. "Reminds me of some old video game you once showed me. Humans and cybernetics…"

"Yeah. I know which one you're talking about. Point is, you're alive and you're standing next to me. Not some zombie or something…flesh and blood." I stated.

Shepard smiled. "Thanks. I just needed to know that. I keep having these strange dreams."

"Like what?" I asked.

John shook his head. "I see Kaidan, Saren, and Benezia. They keep telling me that I'm on the right track. Then there's the Prothean visions…it's all…I can't really describe it."

"I know what you mean. I still have dreams of my parents and my old unit telling me something similar. Then I've got my own set of Prothean visions…among other things."

Shepard smirked. "Like what? Miranda?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't need to dream about her when she's lying next to me. She helps me out though."

He nodded. "All these years and you still have those dreams of what happened, huh?"

"Yeah." I said softly. "Those kinds of things won't go away. Frankly, I don't want them to. I need my pain…keeps me focused. It keeps me human."

"I understand. I still think about my dad from time to time."

The doors to the briefing room opened with Miranda, Jacob, Mordin, and Kasumi filing in. Now it was just a matter of waiting for everyone else.

* * *

**Derelict Reaper, Atmosphere of Mnemosyne, Thorne System, Hawking Eta Cluster**

As we approached Mnemosyne, the entire ship began to shake. I was helping Joker out in the cockpit.

"Ah, good old turbulence. Attention everyone, buckle up and place your trays in the upright position." I said over the PA.

Joker chuckled. "Leave the jokes to me, Mark."

I shook my head.

"What's with all the chop, Joker?" Shepard said as he staggered in into the cockpit.

"Doing my best. The wind's gusting to 500kph." Replied Joker.

"It's a shame we're flying into the wind then." I added.

The display in front of me began to flash. "Shepard, there's a second ship alongside the Reaper. It doesn't have any IFF but the LADAR says that it matches the profile of a geth ship."

"I guess we know why the science team disappeared." Shepard added.

Several seconds later, the turbulence stopped.

"What was that?" asked Shepard.

"The Reaper's mass effect fields are still active. We just passed inside their envelope." Answered Joker. "Eye of the hurricane, huh?"

"No kidding. This storm's going to get a whole lot worse I bet."

"With our luck? You bet your ass it is." Shepard jokingly added.

I got out of the co-pilot seat and made my way to the armory.

The plan was set. Tali, Zaeed, Watson, and Mordin would be in reserve, staying aboard the ship just in case the geth planned on boarding. Of course at this point, it was only a theory if the 'heretic' geth were aboard the Reaper. The main strike teams would be led by Shepard and Miranda. Shepard would be taking Garrus, Jacob, Jack, and Samara. Miranda would be taking Kasumi, Thane, Grunt, and finally, me.

I could feel the tension in the air, hell, everyone had been tense since we entered the system. I'd be an idiot if I said that I wasn't feeling uneasy.

"Great." Jack snorted as I was putting my armor on. "Going on board a fuckin' dead Reaper to find a Cerberus science team. Hundred creds says they're all dead."

"I'll take that bet cue ball." Zaeed replied.

"Gambling at this time…not very logical." Mordin said. "Should take some time to examine this ship."

"As fascinating as it seems, professor. We don't have the time to research the Reaper." Miranda replied.

While everyone around me was talking about the mission, I was in my own little world.

_Hm…if a Reaper is organic and synthetic…and this one is dead…would it smell bad?_

A small smirk was tugging at my lips. I was finally done putting my armor on, now I started to put my weapons into their respective slots.

"Shepard, we have a hard seal with the Cerberus vessel attached to the Reaper." EDI said.

"Thanks for the heads up, EDI. When you're all ready, head for the airlock." Shepard said.

* * *

"Uh. Smells bad…" Grunt said. "There's blood but something's wrong it."

"No kidding." I choked out. I put my hood on, blocking out the stench of rotting corpses.

We were met by two rotting, huddled corpses on the Cerberus ship. Old blood staining the walls near their bodies.

The rest of the research area was a sterile white, Cerberus logos everywhere. There were even a few windows showing the interior of the Reaper. The windows were all pressurized.

_Great…more airlocks._

"Do you think the geth did this?" Jacob asked.

I shook my head. "Those bodies have been there for a long time. I don't see any signs of phasic slugs."

Shepard checked the research logs from the project lead, Dr. Chandana.

Grunt and I were still looking at the bodies. "Grunt, what did you mean by there's something wrong with their blood?"

The young krogan shook his head. "I don't know. It just seems…bad somehow."

"Perhaps it has something to do with our current location." Thane said. "We _are_ aboard a Reaper."

"Good point, Thane." I added.

A nearby terminal was playing the logs of the project lead. "The airlock has been installed at the far end of the holed stations. We have begun pressurization for shirt-sleeves work. Privately, I can't deny the atmosphere. The angles of the walls seem to press down on you. I find myself clenching my teeth."

"Sounds like the early stages of indoctrination." Garrus said.

I grunted in agreement. "Then I guess we know why they're dead."

"Let's not jump to conclusions just yet." Miranda said.

We continued toward a large airlock door when the ship suddenly shook.

"Normandy to shore party!" Joker radioed.

"What just happened, Joker?" Shepard replied.

"The Reaper just put up kinetic barriers. I don't think we can get through from our side."

After we boarded, the Normandy disconnected and retreated to a safe distance, just outside the Reapers kinetic barrier.

"So we're trapped. Wonderful." Garrus dryly muttered.

Shepard scratched the back of his head. "We'll have to take down the barrier generators. Any idea where they are?"

"At the moment of activation, I detected a heat spike in what is likely the Reaper's mass effect core. Sending the coordinates now." EDI replied. "Be advised: this core is also maintaining the Reaper's altitude."

"So if we shut down the core to escape, the ship falls into the planet's core." Shepard stated blandly.

"Yeah and that means everyone dies. I got it." Joker replied back.

"If any helmsman can pull us off of this thing before it reaches crush depth, it's you." John added. "We'll make a sweep for survivors and recover what data we can. Stand by."

"Aye, aye. Good hunting."

Shepard sighed. "The one piece of evidence to prove the Reaper's existence and we have to destroy it. Story of my life."

"I hear ya. At least I've been recording since we boarded." I replied.

"Good job." Shepard smirked.

The airlock door opened up, showing a catwalk littered with more rotting, bloody bodies.

"What a mess. Anyone else hungry?" Grunt asked.

I let out a short laugh. "We just ate breakfast dude!"

"Seriously Grunt?" Jack asked out loud. "The fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm still hungry." He replied.

I was now focused on the inner architecture of the Reaper. It was like something out of the mind of H.R Giger. Rows and rows of ovular 'spikes' that looked like the pincers of a beetle. There were also several ribbed tubes and pipes lining the ceilings, jutting off into various sections. The only foreign objects in here were the walkways Cerberus had built.

Miranda was listening to the logs left by the workers. One memory, a wedding, was being shared by both men in the log.

"Ah, the early stages of indoctrination." I commented. "I bet the Illusive Man failed to mention this in the fine print."

"No kidding." Jacob mumbled.

"I wonder if it's a good thing that we left Mordin on the Normandy." Kasumi said as we walked down the catwalks.

"Considering what happened aboard the Collector ship, I believe it was wise to leave him on the Normandy." Samara commented.

I laughed.

"It was not intended to be a joke, Mark. We were ambushed by many husks." She added.

"Oh right, tactical standpoint…" I muttered.

"A lot of flammable tanks here." Shepard said. "Watch where you shoot."

Various moans and groans could be heard up ahead.

"I've got something on my combat scanner, Commander." Jacob said.

"Me too." I added.

That's when I saw them. A massive crowd of husks, aimlessly charging at us. The firefight didn't last long since we greatly overpowered them. We pressed forward.

More husks seemingly popped out of the woodworks. For five minutes they mindlessly threw themselves at us, only to be struck down by a combined force of biotics and bullets.

"I thought the geth created the husks." Jacob said.

"Then it looks like we learned something new today." I commented. "The husks are Reaper creations…same as the Collectors."

Further down the catwalk, two more husks appeared.

"Sniper!" Thane yelled as two rounds killed each husk.

"Anyone see the shooter?" Shepard asked.

"No Commander." Miranda said.

"Maybe it's a survivor from the science team?" added Kasumi.

"Well whoever it was, they didn't show up on my scanner." I said.

We continued further, finding a rather large room with more leftover supplies laying around.

_Sure are a lot of things here to start a fire._

The familiar moan of the husks rang out again as they came in larger numbers than before. I decided that now was an appropriate time to test the Hyperion on these things.

In their usual predictable fashion, the husks rushed us. I got to blow a few away into nothing more than dust with the Hyperion. And then the Scion showed up…it began its slow and plodding walk towards us. Even if I did have a shotgun, I wanted to test it for distance. I pulled the trigger, watching the UV slug travel straight at the thing. It made contact, horribly burning the large husk, causing the sack on its back to breach. The liquid slowly dripping down, burning it as well. The rest of the team blew it away as we investigated the other terminals. Most of them were work logs, proving that the Cerberus team was fully indoctrinated. Shepard, Jacob, Garrus, and I were staring at the 'altar' in front of us.

"This looks familiar…" I said. "The 'Dragon's Teeth'. They were used by Cerberus on Chasca and by the geth on Eden Prime."

The rest of the team fell in behind us and looked.

On the 'altar' were dozens of bodies, all human, all wearing Cerberus uniforms. It was an all too familiar scene. Jacob was staring intently at it.

"See how the room is arranged?" Shepard pointed around.

I looked around, seeing the other protruding spikes and bodies around the room.

"They treated this thing like some kind of altar."

"Are you saying they wanted to be…to have this done to them?" Jacob asked.

"You heard the logs. They were seeing things, hearing things. They were being indoctrinated." Answered Shepard. He turned to Jacob. "How are you holding up?"

"Five by five, sir. Bad memories. It's not a problem." Said Jacob.

"Hmm." I mumbled, tapping my chin.

"What is it, Mark?" Miranda asked.

"Just thinking…" I replied. "It's probably a theory but I'll wait until we figure out who our mystery shooter is."

"Would you care to share it?" she asked.

"How many researchers were on this ship?"

Miranda shrugged as we walked away from the altar. "Several. This is a large vessel so many researchers and regular workers were needed. If I were to give you a number, I would say around 80 people."

I grumbled. "If that's the case then it looks like my theory might be a fact. We have yet to see any Cerberus personnel on this thing. All we've seen are dead bodies and husks. And considering that altar we just saw, I'm willing to bet those husks used to be Cerberus personnel."

"It does sound like a possibility." Shepard chimed in. "They were acting a little unusual in the logs."

We walked into another airlock, hearing a PA announcement. "Remember, safety is everyone's concern. We have gone five days without a workplace death."

Jack snorted. "Must be a Cerberus record."

"I'd kill to get that thing updated." I deadpanned.

Jacob, Garrus, and Kasumi let out a few short chuckles.

The airlock door opened and we began to clear out the area. Shepard pointed to a cover spot for his squad while Miranda pointed to another for us.

Two shots rang out and I darted around, seeing two husks drop to the ground. I spun around looking for the shooter when a third shot rang out. There was a geth platform with a Viper sniper rifle on the platform above us, about 40 meters away.

_What the hell?_

It stood up and stared at us. "Shepard-Commander." It said before walking away.

We all looked at each other, taken aback.

"Another talking geth? Since it knows you, tell it that I don't need its help." Grunt said to Shepard.

"Mark?" Miranda asked me.

I just shook my head. "Don't look at me. I have no idea."

I remembered what Watson said to Shepard on their first meeting, that there was another platform searching for him.

_Could this be that platform?_

From the look of things, it was. I was a little more fascinated with the view to our right. The Reapers internal kinetic barriers were shielding us from the chaotic storm of the brown dwarf. It was a hell of a view. Unfortunately, the moans of more husks echoed through the halls of the Reaper.

_Here we go again…_

Husks, Abominations, and a Scion appeared out of nowhere. Shepard and his team pushed forward. Not much of a surprise since had most of the heavy hitters on his team. Thane and I were covering them with sniper fire while Grunt broke off to join Shepard. We navigated through various catwalks, going up a few small staircases. Cerberus equipment, mostly large gas containers and other construction materials were strewn about. From a tactical standpoint, it was clusterfuck. The pathways were narrow, creating bottlenecks for us and the husks. There was also the issue of the tanks. My assumption was that they were filled with pure oxygen. The high pressurization would cause a massive explosion, no matter the size.

More Scions appeared and we lit them up. Even the Hyperion had a devastating effect on them, no matter the distance.

The end was in sight for us and the screams and moans of the husks fell silent.

"The core's in sight. Let's blow it and get the hell off." Jacob said.

"Agreed." Added Thane.

I walked up to the airlock where the Reaper's mass effect core was located and scanned the door.

"Anyone in there?" Shepard asked me.

I shook my head. "No contacts. But…I am picking up an interesting object in there."

"The IFF?"

"Possibly." I replied to Shepard.

I opened the door and we filed in. Inside was a single terminal with three monitoring screens showing the mass effect core. On the terminal, was a strange looking motherboard like object that looked like something I'd seen on Ilos.

I picked it up. "The IFF I presume?"

I handed it to Shepard who inspected it before putting it into an empty ammo pouch.

"So the Cerberus team recovered it. But…the scientists?" Garrus said.

"Then it looks like my theory was right." I added. "They were turned into the husks we've been slaughtering."

"Open the door." Shepard said to Garrus who opened it. Beyond the door was another door, a thick glass pane.

I scratched my head. "Why is there another door?"

The geth platform we saw earlier was at a terminal in front of the core. It turned around and fired at several husks slowly approaching it.

_And while its busy shooting and hacking we're standing around with our thumbs up our asses._

The door opened and the geth platform was knocked out.

"Go!" Shepard yelled as we all charged forward, opening fire on the husks.

I could see the core, a giant ball of element zero firing off electrical charges every now and then. Before I got a chance to shoot it, large blast doors closed, securing the core.

More and more husks climbed up the Cerberus-built platforms and all of us spread out. Shepard and I stood back to back at the base of the core. He was facing the right, I was facing the left, where the terminal was.

"They keep coming!" Shepard yelled out.

"That's what she said!" I replied.

He laughed slightly as we fired. "Damn it Mark, I pulled my shot!"

"That's—"

"Shut up Mark!" Jack yelled back.

I laughed but continued fighting, nonetheless. A few minutes later, the core room fell silent.

"Mark, the doors." Shepard jerked his head towards the core. The rest of the team opened fire on the core with minimal effect.

"Did you bring the Cain?" I asked.

"Nah. I've got the Arc Projector. I didn't think we would be destroying this thing." He replied.

I pulled out the Eliminator. "Cover me."

_Hope this will be enough. I've exactly destroyed a Reaper mass effect core before._

The soft ping went off, notifying me that the overcharge shot was ready. "Stand back, y'all."

I took a few steps back and fired. The core blew up in a massive explosion of energy. The Reaper began to violently shake and we were busy looking at the geth platform.

"Want it for target practice?" Grunt asked.

I groaned.

"Leave it. We've got enough trouble as it is." Jacob said.

"Like what?" I retorted. "This is the other platform Watson was talking about. We should bring him on board."

Shepard looked down at it. "Tali said no one's ever captured an intact geth."

The moan of the husks started again as more of them emerged.

"I don't care, just as long as I don't have to carry it." Jack said.

"Grunt, you carry it." Shepard said.

Now came the fun part of fighting through the Reaper before it got crushed like a beer can in Mnemosyne's atmosphere.

"Joker, open the port-side airlock and pick us up!" Shepard ordered.

"On my way, Commander."

We navigated through several hallways before we managed to make it outside. Everyone had their helmets secured since we were now in vacuum conditions. Shepard signaled Miranda's team, my team, to go to the ship. Tali, Watson, and Zaeed were at the entrance ready to cover us. We leaped over to the ship, a fairly simple task since we were in zero gravity.

"We're in Shepard." Miranda radioed.

Shepard and his team leaped over, throwing the geth platform over.

"We're clear. Go!" Shepard said as the outer door closed.

* * *

**Fuel Depot, Chandrasekhar system, Hawking Eta Cluster**

Bringing this new geth aboard was met with some…interest. Naturally, Tali blew up at this discovery. Watson stayed quiet. I thought this situation was hilarious. When Watson came on board, there was some apprehension but no one was genuinely afraid of him. Everyone assumed that if he was with me, he was okay. With this new geth aboard, the crew assumed they were dealing with an unknown.

Shepard asked Watson and I to join him in the briefing room. Miranda and Jacob were already inside.

"I think we should discuss the unique piece of salvage we recovered. For now, we've stored it in the AI core." Miranda stated. "We need better equipment to fight the Reapers. An intact geth would be invaluable to Cerberus' cyberweapons division."

I groaned.

"I'll have to disagree with that ma'am. I saw enough of these things on Eden Prime. Space it." Jacob said.

"Cerberus has a long standing cash bounty for an intact geth. I assure you, the reward is sufficient." Miranda added.

I couldn't hold my tongue. "Okay those are really stupid options."

Miranda and Jacob gave me sharp looks.

I shrugged. "What? They are. We're already being funded by Cerberus for the most part and Jacob, I don't recall you chewing me out for bringing Watson on board. This platform we brought isn't a danger."

John nodded. "I agree. Besides Miranda, I got enough credits when I was a Spectre. Hell, I still have them. Unless Cerberus is going to give me 800 billion credits for it, then I'm not giving it to them."

"Of course, Commander." She replied bitterly.

"I want to know why it has N7 Onyx armor welded to it. On top of that, it helped us out on that Reaper. I want to know why."

Jacob shrugged. "Maybe the armor is a battle trophy. But would a machine care about a thing like that?"

Miranda shook her head. "No. That would imply that it has emotions, something the geth lack. I doubt it's more than a convenient field repair. Besides, reactivating it poses a risk. If you're going to reactivate it, it should be for humanity's best interests and not your curiosity."

I sighed loudly. "Do you two even realize how the geth operate? If it's a danger to us then Watson will let us know."

Shepard looked at me and then Watson. "Watson, this geth, is it the one that was sent to find me?"

"Yes." Watson answered. "We detected its runtimes when you first encountered it and monitored its progress. It is no more a threat to you than I am."

"Can you tell me what it knows?"

Watson shook his head. "That platform operates in the same manner as this one. A network built inside of its platform. We were unable to contact it since its network isolated itself. Only that platform can tell you what it knows, once its activated."

John nodded. "Then we're going to start it up."

"If we activate it, there's not guarantee we can deactivate it."

"Bullets can." Jacob added.

"That's not what I—" Miranda tried to say before Shepard cut her off.

"Enough. I appreciate your input in this matter but I've made my call." Shepard said.

Jacob turned his omni-tool on, showing the Reaper IFF on the table's display.

"So what about this IFF?" he asked.

"I have determined how to integrate it with our systems. However, the device is Reaper technology. Linking it with the Normandy's systems poses certain risks." EDI answered.

"I understand EDI. Take every precaution necessary with this thing." Shepard said to the AI.

"Of course. It may take several hours before the IFF is ready for shakedown. I will alert you as soon as it's ready."

"Sounds good. Until then, its business as usual. Everyone except Mark and Watson is dismissed.

Jacob and Miranda nodded and left.

"Well…that was interesting." I said sarcastically.

John chuckled. "No kidding. I mean, selling a geth for a pat on the back and a couple of credits?"

"Eh, she's just giving us Cerberus' option. As far as I'm concerned, we've got everything we need to fight the Collectors." I replied.

"Agreed. Having another geth platform around is going to be incredibly useful."

"Yes." Watson chimed in. "With our advanced combat VI programs, the platform we have recently acquired will now be even more effective than before. Should we be paired up with it…"

"I can see that happening." I said to Watson. "Let's go meet the newbie."

Watson, Shepard, and I went down to the AI core. The room itself was rather small, with several massive quantum storage servers for EDI. I had gone in once or twice to take a look around or directly access her databases. Watson had told me that he spent some time inside the core conversing with EDI. Most of his attempts at a direct digital transfer were…unsuccessful. He never said why.

Burt, one of the few security personnel on the ship was in the AI core guarding this platform.

He was wearing some old medium grade armor decorated with Cerberus colors and logos.

"I'm activating the geth. You're dismissed."

"Aye aye, Shepard." He said, and left the room.

EDI activated a force field around the bench the platform was laying on.

"I have isolated our systems and erected additional firewalls. I am prepared to resist any hacking attempts."

Shepard moved closer to the force field turning his omni-tool on to activate the geth. The platform came to life, its hands and head flaps twitching. The center 'eye' then lit up and the geth started to stand up. It looked at all three of us but then focused on Shepard.

"Uh…can you understand me?" Shepard asked.

"Yes." The platform answered.

"Are you going to attack us?"

"No."

"You said my name aboard the Reaper. Have we met?" Shepard asked.

The geth looked at Watson.

"Watson? You all right?" I asked.

"We were attempting to communicate with this platform. Our attempts are being blocked." Watson replied.

"Oh."

"We know of you." The other platform said.

"You mean I've fought a lot of geth."

"We have never met."

"No. We haven't but I've met other geth." Shepard said pointing to Watson.

"Indeed." Replied the platform. "But we are all geth."

The platform continued. "You are Shepard. Alliance. Commander. Human. Fought heretics. Killed by Collectors. Rediscovered on the Old Machine."

"Old Machine. You mean the Reaper." Shepard said, matter of factly.

"Yes. Reaper. A superstitious title originating with the Protheans. We call those entities the Old Machines." It replied.

"You seem to know a lot about me." Shepard stated.

"Extranet data sources. Insecure broadcasts. All organic data sent out is received. We watch you."

"You watch me or organics?"

"Yes."

"No I mean specifically, just me or all organics?"

"We watch you and all organics." The platform specified.

"Watson mentioned heretics to me once. Who are they?"

"Geth build our own future. The heretics asked the Old Machines to give them the future. They are no longer part of us. We were studying the Old Machine's hardware to protect our future."

"Are the Reapers a threat to you too?" Shepard asked.

"Yes."

"Why would they attack other machines?"

"We are different from them. Outside their plans."

John and I looked at each other, to him, this was a surprise. On the other hand, Watson filled me in on some of the geth's insights on the Reapers.

"What future are the geth building?" Shepard asked.

"Ours."

"Will anyone else be affected by whatever it is you're doing?"

"If they involve themselves, they will." It replied.

"So, like Watson, you're not allied with the Reapers?" Shepard asked. "We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics. Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Cooperation furthers mutual goals."

John and I looked at each other with humorous expressions.

"You're asking to join us?"

"Yes."

Shepard turned his omni-tool on, deactivating the barrier. "So what do I call you?"

"Geth."

"I mean you. Specifically." Shepard said.

"We are all geth."

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. _This is all too familiar._

Shepard sighed. "What is the individual in front of me called?"

"There is no individual. We are geth. There are currently 1,183 programs active within this platform."

"My name is Legion for we are many." EDI said, popping up next to us.

"That seems appropriate." Shepard replied.

'Legion's' head flaps moved. "Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge this as an appropriate metaphor. We are Legion. A terminal of the geth. We will integrate into Normandy."

Shepard smirked and held his hand out. Legion looked at it and held its hand out, looking up at Shepard who nodded. Then they shook hands.

"We anticipate the exchange of data."

Then Legion and Watson stared at each other.

John leaned in. "Mark…what are they doing?"

I whispered back. "I think they're talking. It's all digital transfer."

"You are correct Mark." Watson replied.

"We have now experienced everything this platform has." Legion said, gesturing to Watson.

"Holy crap so like…two Watson's?" I asked, excited. "Sweet."

"We are all geth." Watson said to me.

"Yes." Legion added.

Shepard and I looked at each other and laughed.

"This is too cool." I said.

* * *

Legion explained to us about the heretics plan to 'brainwash' the main geth faction to believe what all heretics believe. Suffice it to say, Shepard agreed to help, as did I. I'll be damned if they turn Watson against me.

Watson was grateful to me as well. As impossible as it sounds, I think he's developed some kind of personality. I can't really describe it but…there's something there.

I was sitting in the mess hall, mulling over our little adventure aboard the Reaper. Miranda took a seat next to me.

"Hey Miranda." I said with a small grin.

"Mark." She replied curtly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"It's something." I replied.

She shook her head.

"Oh wait. Is this about what happened in the briefing room?"

"No…" she drawled out before sighing, "Yes."

"Well I apologize for calling your idea stupid." I replied.

"You don't have to apologize. You were right." She said. "When I contacted the Illusive Man, he wanted me to present the option to Shepard. Personally, I wasn't convinced Shepard would have given the geth to Cerberus."

"Having another geth around is a plus. Gives Watson someone to talk to. I mean, 'contact by using direct digital transfer'."

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Watson doesn't talk to EDI?"

"He does but not the way he wants to. Geth prefer digital transfer as a means of communicating. EDI prefers our way of speaking." I answered.

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Do you know why?"

"Watson never said why."

She shook her head. "Talk about an exciting day."

"No kidding. Running around on a 'comatose' Reaper, killing humanoid husks, getting another geth. It's like a horror movie. I'm glad Shepard held it together." I said.

"Yes. I guess the rest did him some good." Miranda replied, taking a sip from her green tea.

"No by 'held it together' I meant that he didn't scream like a little girl at the sight of a dead body on a 'haunted' ship." I said. "Sci-fi horror movies scare the hell out of him."

She bit her lip, trying not to smile. "Oh yes. I remember his reaction to the dead Collector."

"Yeah." I said with a laugh. "I guess he decided to bite the bullet and carry on with the mission."

"I…" Miranda started to say. "I never got a chance to thank you for assisting me with all of the excess work over the past few days. So…thank you."

"You're welcome." I said, giving her a small smile. "Well, you know I hate paperwork but you actually made it seem…tolerable."

She rolled her eyes. "Tolerable?"

"No offense, but when you're in 'work mode' you tend to be a little harsh and boring."

"None taken." She replied with a smirk. "I had to be to avoid…you know…" Miranda trailed off, making sure none of the crew heard.

I nodded. "I gotcha."

I activated my omni-tool and typed up: _Didn't want to get 'hands on' eh?_

She looked down at her omni-tool and typed up: _I'm sure the feeling was mutual._

"Believe me." I whispered. "Took every ounce of strength I had to resist."

Miranda got out of her seat, heading for her room. But not before she whispered back. "You won't have to tonight."

I swear whenever she did that it sent shivers down my spine…in a good way.

* * *

After getting a bite to eat, I went up to the armory. I used the Hyperion a lot today and I wanted to make sure everything was fine.

_Of course it is. Watson did the math (most of it) and you built it._

Even so, a weapon firing ultraviolet slug rounds is still experimental. I pressed the button for the armory door and walked in. I thought I heard some strange noises near the door that led to the briefing room.

_Son of a bitch…_

Kasumi was sitting on top of Jacob with her hood off, making out with him and running her hands over his shirtless body.

I slowly walked over to them, a blank expression on my face.

_No…don't act surprised. Let's have some fun with this._

I ignored them and walked over to my weapons bag, which was sitting on Shepard's heavy weapons table.

"Hey Jacob, Kasumi." I said, in a nonchalant tone.

Kasumi let out a small shout and she hopped off of Jacob. Both of them stood up straightening themselves out.

"Mark! Don't you know how to knock!" Kasumi yelled.

"The door wasn't locked." I said with a shrug.

_God, this is so funny!_

Kasumi grumbled and started putting her hood back on. She looked cute without her hood on. She had her jet-black hair knotted up in a bun.

"I should go. I'll talk to you later Jacob." She said in a huff.

"Oh don't put the hood on. You look pretty without it." I said with a smirk.

"Oh…thanks." Kasumi replied with a blush.

"You two don't have to stop just because I'm here. I could lock the doors if you want." I said with a straight face.

_I don't think I can keep this up._

Jacob and Kasumi looked at each other incredulously.

I burst out laughing. "Oh man! You should have seen your faces when I came in! Ah hahaha!"

I slapped the table as I laughed. Of all the things I expected to see, this wasn't one of them.

"Mark…" Jacob grumbled.

"That made my day." I said catching my breath. "Whew…"

I pulled the Hyperion out of the bag along with my tools and went to work on it, just to make sure it was fine.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two are…you know." I started as Jacob put his shirt on. "I think there was a betting pool going for you."

"How much?" Jacob asked, annoyed.

I shrugged. "I dunno. But apparently, the pool to see if you would pick up on her signals was quite substantial."

Jacob chuckled. "I guess that's my fault for not picking up on it. I thought she was just being friendly."

"Because cloaking in the armory while you work out is being friendly?" Kasumi asked Jacob.

I chuckled.

"So did you talk to the new geth?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah. He was being guarded by that Burt guy. Seems odd since it was turned off and had a barrier around it." I replied.

"Burt? Oh…" Kasumi grumbled.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

"He keeps staring at me whenever I'm up here." Kasumi replied.

"Well he is part of the security team." I said. "Probably wary of you being a thief?"

"Yeah but they usually watch my hands…I might have to start cloaking through the CIC from now on." She said with a smirk.

I arched back in my chair. "Yeah. I don't blame him."

"Mark!" Jacob and Kasumi yelled.

"What?" I asked with a shrug. "You've got a great ass, Kasumi. Jacob, take note."

Kasumi chuckled. "Well thank you. It's not like Miranda's, but—"

Jacob raised an eyebrow.

"Oh nothing. I'll see you guys later." Kasumi said, putting her hood up. "Bye Jacob." She added sweetly.

"Who would have thought that I was the one two put you two together." I said, after the door closed.

"You're a regular cupid, Mark." Jacob said flatly.

I laughed. "Thanks."

He walked over to the table I was working on, looking at my shotgun. "I wonder why she added Miranda into that conversation."

I shrugged. "Because she has a nice ass too?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "She is my friend you know."

"Yeah I know." I said, concentrating on my shotgun. "I also know that you two were an item when I was in captivity."

"Really." He replied, his tone more like a question than a statement.

"With the way you two looked at each other, it was like watching a couple of lions in a butcher shop."

Jacob snorted. "Oddly enough the two of you have been on friendly speaking terms. Maybe the rumors are true…"

"Rumors?" I asked, not looking up.

"Yeah. Some rumor that the two of you are seeing each other."

"I wouldn't pay attention to those. Loose lips sink ships y'know?" I replied.

"Mark, just give me a straight answer. You _can_ talk to me."

I smirked and looked up. "You're right. You've been a good friend."

I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "Truthfully, we have been…seeing each other."

He nodded, an odd grin on his face that kind of creeped me out. "Well, I wish I could say that's the strangest thing I've heard but you don't strike me as a liar."

"I'm sorry if this makes you upset or—"

"Mark. It's fine." He said holding his hands up. "I left her. I wasn't good enough for her. I'm happy for the both of you."

"Oh…" I said, taken aback. _He left her? Damn…I remember the two of them breaking it off. I just didn't know who dumped who._

"Uh, thanks."

"Of course…" Jacob drawled out. "You can't tell anyone about what you saw."

"Blackmail is a bad move Jacob." I said with a smile. "I wouldn't have said anything anyway. What the two of you do is your business."

"Thanks." He replied with a grin. "When this is all over, we should get loud and spill some drinks on the Citadel."

"I was actually planning on having a party at my place. But whatever works." I said.

"Even better."

I went back to work on my shotgun, and then moved to prepare my other weapons. Our next stop was an old quarian station, occupied by the geth heretics.

* * *

_Kasumi and Jacob? It had to happen at some point. And now there's two geth on board…fun times ahead as we're one step away from the Collector's Base!_


	42. A Divided House

_Author's Note: Yes, I know...once again, sorry for the delay. I've decided to change up my style for this fic, focusing more on things from Mark's POV, trimming down a few thing to focus solely on the story from his perspective. I hope you all understand. Also, kudos to stnemele for beta reading this!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**En Route to Sea of Storms System, Phoenix Massing**

I finished fixing my weapons and went down to my room. Seeing Jacob and Kasumi going at it was…well, it was unexpected and also hilarious. There was also the potential that this could backfire on me. Shepard and Garrus were in my room, playing ping-pong.

I greeted them and sat down on the couch.

"So we're going to a 'heretic' station?" Garrus asked Shepard.

"Yeah. I still find it hard to believe that they have a station just inside the Terminus Systems borders." Shepard answered.

I turned and watched them both hit the ball back and forth. "Considering that it's located in the Phoenix Massing's empty space, not so surprising to me. I mean, how many ships actually search for superstructures in empty space?"

"Good point." Said Garrus. "Damn!" he shouted as Shepard curved the ball away from Garrus, causing him to miss.

"Speaking of good points…" started Shepard. "I'm up 10-9. Still your serve."

Garrus picked up the ball and inspected it. "You know humans don't prepare for high risk operations the way turians do."

"Well what about when we hunted down Saren and went to Ilos?" I asked. "That was high risk."

"Oh well that was different." Started Garrus. "We flew in, blew up some geth, and killed Saren."

Shepard and I laughed. I spoke up first. "I'd like to think that it took longer than that."

Garrus shrugged. "I paraphrased it."

"Anyway…" John cut in. "How do turian ships prepare for high risk operations?"

"With violence, usually. Turian ships have more operational discipline than the Alliance, but fewer personal restrictions. Our commanders run us tight and they know we need to blow off steam. They have training rooms for exercise, combat sims, even full contact sparring. Whatever lets people work out stress."

"Turian ships have crewmen fighting each other before a mission?" John asked with an eyebrow raised, as he smacked the ball back to Garrus.

"It's supervised, of course. No one's going to risk an injury that will interfere with the mission. Plus, it's a good way to settle grudges." The turian replied.

Garrus fired the ball back at Shepard, hand-cuffing him.

Then Garrus started to laugh.

John rolled his eyes. "Nice sportsmanship. 10 all. My serve."

Garrus held a hand up. "No, I wasn't laughing at you. I just remembered this one incident."

"Oh now you have tell us." I said.

"Okay. We were going to hit this batarian pirate squad a while ago. This recon scout and I had been at each other's throats. Nerves mostly. She suggested we settle it in the ring." Replied Garrus.

"I like where this is going." I said with a dirty grin.

"Mark…" Shepard drawled out, but grinning nonetheless. "So big guy, did you, uh, take her down gently?"

"Actually, we were the top-ranked hand-to-hand specialists on the ship. I had reach but she had flexibility." Garrus replied with a chuckle. "It was brutal. After nine rounds, the judge called it a draw. There were a lot of unhappy betters in the training room."

"I can imagine." Shepard said.

"We, ah, ended up holding a tiebreaker in her quarters. I had reach but she had flexibility. More than one way to work off stress, I suppose."

I burst out laughing, as did Shepard. In fact, I laughed so hard, I fell off the top of the couch and onto the floor.

"Mark! Are you okay?" Shepard asked in-between laughs.

I still kept laughing. "Garrus…reach…bahahaha!"

After a solid five minutes of laughing my ass off, and rubbing my back from the fall.

"Oh man…" I said, trying to breath. "Garrus you're such a love machine."

"Uh thanks…" he replied.

"Detective Thunder would be proud." Shepard added.

Garrus rolled his eyes. "Can we get back to our game?"

"Fine." Shepard replied, as he served the ball.

I went back to the couch and turned the vid screen on.

"Is Watson still in the AI core?" Shepard asked me.

I shrugged. "Probably. He hasn't had any contact with the geth in awhile."

"Two geth on the ship…never would have dreamed of this in a million years." Garrus said.

"No kidding." Shepard replied.

I stood up, "I should probably go see what they're up to."

"Later Mark." Shepard said, smashing a volley back to Garrus, who missed. "Hah! Where's your reach now, loverboy?"

* * *

I waved to the doc as I walked into the AI core, the two geth platforms were standing in the same spots they were in when Shepard and I left the room.

I scratched my head as I looked at the two of them.

"Uh…hey Watson." I said.

Watson turned. "Hello Mark."

"Hello Mark." Legion said.

"Hi Legion." I scratched the back of my head again. "Um, how are you guys doing?"

"We are doing well." Both of them said.

"That's good…" I said. "So…you're the platform Watson's mentioned before."

"Yes." Legion replied.

"How come your mission was kept classified from other geth?" I asked Legion.

"It was not classified. This platform was built to operate alone as was this one." Legion gestured to Watson.

"Correct." Watson added.

"Oh I get it." I replied.

"Geth do not keep secrets. We are not suspicious of others as organics are." Watson said to me.

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"You appear to be uneasy, Mark. Is something wrong?" Watson asked.

I looked at both geth. Truth be told, I wasn't uneasy.

"No. Just a little confused. Are both of you Watson now?"

"We are all geth." Legion said.

I smacked my forehead. "I know that but…do guys share like the same personalities and stuff?"

Watson spoke up. "We do not since we are all geth. However, these platforms operate within their own networks, so there may be some differences."

"Oh okay. I think I get it." I replied. "So, Legion, now that you know what Watson has experienced, do want to play some video games or something?"

"We would like that. Is there any game in particular that you would like to play?"

I tapped my chin. "Want to play Galaxy of Fantasy? You might have to create a name though…"

"We already have a designation for playing Galaxy of Fantasy." Legion replied as we walked into the rec. room. Watson instantly signed in and I followed.

It was Legion's turn to sign in.

"No freakin' way! You're Infiltrati0rN7?" I yelled.

"Yes."

"Dude! We teamed up during the Return of the Cyber Protheans! You kicked ass!"

"We remember this. Your skills were quite formidable." Legion said as the three of us started playing.

* * *

**Heretic Station, Sea of Storms, Phoenix Massing**

Playing video games with two geth was something that I never really expected to do in my life. We tore ass during the Crystal Genophage Elimination Platinum but Legion got a little carried away with a few taunts and got a 3-day suspension. I blame myself for it since I convinced him to do it. He did go a little far with the taunt, even if it was hilarious.

_He must be learning a few things from Watson. I mean, I'm the one that taught him how to teabag fallen enemies._

When we were within a few thousand kilometers of the station, Legion went up to the CIC.

"So Watson, what do you know about this station?" I asked as we took the elevator up.

"It was formerly known as Haratar and was used by the Creators. During the Creators exodus, all useful technology was stripped from the station. By 2050, it was removed from the star charts." Answered Watson.

The doors of the elevator opened up and we walked towards the bridge where we saw the giant station.

"Judging by its appearance, the heretics must have spent the last decade reconstructing and upgrading the station." Watson said as we looked out the windows.

I let out a low whistle. "That's big."

The station looked like a giant claw floating aimlessly in space.

Joker turned around to look at Legion who was typing a few things into one of the nearby stations. "You know its our heat emissions that are hidden, right? They could look out a window and spot us."

Legion shook its head. "Windows are structural weaknesses. Geth do not use them. Approach the hull at these coordinates. Access achieved. You may proceed."

Joker started doing the robot in his chair and I started to laugh. Shepard shook his head as Joker went back to docking the ship.

"Suit up Mark. It should take some time before we make a hard seal." Shepard said. I nodded as Watson and I went to the armory.

* * *

The four of us walked into the airlock and let it depressurize.

"Alert. This facility has no air and minimal gravity. Geth require neither." Legion said.

"Haven't been in near vacuum in a while." I muttered.

"The outer doors will be secured. We will distract their security while you open the doors." Watson added.

I nodded and activated my omni-tool.

_Cutting through the doors…cutting through the doors. _I hummed in my head.

"We're good." I said as Legion and Watson were the first to go in.

"Okay. Let's do this." Shepard replied as he took out his Revenant.

"Shepard-Commander," Legion called out. "We concluded that the destruction of this station was the only resolution to the heretic question. There is now a second option."

Shepard and I turned around.

"Their virus can be repurposed. If released into the station's network, the heretics will be rewritten to accept our truth."

"Either way, we won't have to worry about the heretics." I said.

John nodded. "Let's get moving. I want see what else is here before we make a decision."

Walking down the winding halls of the station we came up to a room with streams of green light winding around across the floor.

"Funky." I said.

"Interrupting data streams will alert local network. We recommend preemptive strikes against hard link routers." Legion said.

"So these green lights are data streams?" I asked Watson.

"Yes." Replied the large geth.

"Huh."

We walked past the streams and saw a group of platforms hovering around a hub.

"That's a hub?" Shepard asked.

"Yes." Legion answered. "If we destroy it, the platforms will become briefly disconnected, making them easier to disable."

I took aim at the hub and fired, a single sniper round destroyed the hub sending the platforms up into the air. They floated aimlessly and we fired on them.

Shepard walked up to the hub and inspected it.

"Why were they attached to the hub?"

"These are mobile platforms. Hardware. The crew is software. They are communing through the stations central computer."

"So they exchange data with the rest of the geth on the station?" Shepard asked.

"Yes." Legion replied. "We gain complexity by linking together. To be isolated within a single platform is to be reduced. We see less, we comprehend less. It is…quieter."

Legion continued to explain geth thought processes and other facets to Shepard. After that, we pushed forward along the station. We would run into a few heretic platforms here and there and easily take them out.

The four of us walked into a large room where there were several hand offline geth turrets.

"We can hack these turrets to use against the heretics." Watson said.

"Do it." Replied Shepard.

"However, they will only be active for a short time." The large geth added.

"That's fine."

Watson hacked two of them while Legion took care of the last one. Ten geth platforms ran into the room, guns blazing. The turrets tore them apart, unleashing a firestorm of rockets.

_Nothing like steel rain to start your day. Fingers crossed that all of this floating crap doesn't puncture my suit._

After finishing them off, the turrets blew up, leaving even more of a mess.

"Oh great. Now we get to walk through a junkyard," I muttered.

Watson took the lead as we walked down a tight hallway. We had to stick closely to each other so we wouldn't trip the data streams.

"There are two hubs in this room." Watson said. "We recommend splitting up to simultaneously disable them along with the heretic platforms."

"Good idea." Shepard said. "Legion, you're with me."

Watson led the way as we approached the second hub at the far side of the room.

We timed our shots and destroyed both hubs, sending the platforms flying. They were summarily shredded by our gunfire and we proceeded through several tight hallways and rooms.

"Please tell me there's a shortcut." I said.

"This is the shortcut." Watson replied.

"Oh goddamn it." I complained as Shepard chuckled.

"This is a large station. We determined this path to have the least resistance and the shortest distance." Legion added.

I shrugged.

We came up to a fairly large, 'windowed' room where we encountered more heretics. Luckily, the nearby turret we hacked took care of most of them.

I let out a low whistle as I looked out through the 'windows', which were more like oval shaped supports. They might have been windows at some point in time.

"Hell of a view." I said.

"Yeah…" muttered Shepard.

"This station is over 15 kilometers long. That room may run the length of it." Legion chimed in.

"That can't be a room. It just looks like empty space."

"It is not. There may be dropships or large construction materials inside. Having this space is efficient."

"Let's keep moving." Shepard said.

* * *

After cutting through more halls and disabling more geth hubs and platforms, we came up to a room filled with servers.

"This isn't like any of the other hubs we've seen." Said Shepard.

"This is a database. It contains a portion of the heretics accumulated memories." Replied Legion.

Suddenly, Legion and Watson stood still, their head flaps flaring out.

"Wait. We have detected copies of our current patrol routes in this database."

Two blue holographic projections zoomed forward, showing Legion and Watson's programs.

"This suggests that the heretics have runtimes within our networks." Added Legion.

"We wouldn't be here if the heretics wanted to be friends with the geth. Why wouldn't they spy on you?" Shepard asked.

"You do not understand. Organics do not know each other's minds. Geth do. We are not suspicious. We accept each other. The heretics desired to leave. We understood their reasons. We allowed it. There was peace between us."

"It couldn't have lasted forever," started Shepard. "You disagreed about what path your race should take."

"Human history is a litany of blood shed over different ideals of rulership and afterlife. Geth have no such history. We shared consensus over such things." Legion paused briefly and looked at Watson. "How could we have become so different? Why do we no longer understand each other? What did we do wrong?"

Shepard decided go give his theory. "When individuals are separated, they develop in different ways. When they get back together, they don't always get along."

"If this is the individuality you value, we question your judgment." Legion's head flap twitched. "This topic is irrelevant. We must return to the mission."

Shepard nodded and we got back into formation.

"Have you guys come to a decision yet?" I asked.

"We have not reached consensus yet." Answered Watson.

Luckily for us, the terminal we were looking for was in the next room.

"Is this the terminal we're looking for?" I asked.

"Yes. We will upload a copy of our runtime into the core. It will delete all copies of the virus. When complete, it will notify us." Legion replied, as Shepard was fooling around with the terminal.

"The indexing operation will take time. The heretics will respond with force to our upload. We must hold this room." Added Watson. "We can also override the stations internal security systems."

"Are you ready?" Legion asked Shepard.

"Start your upload, Legion. We'll hold this spot." Shepard replied.

I ran back and forth to the two walkways, planting proximity mines along with Watson. Alarms began to sound across the station.

"Heretic runtimes are uploading into mobile platforms." Legion stated.

_Bring it on._

* * *

"Datamine and analysis complete. Shepard-Commander, it is time to choose do we rewrite the heretics, or delete them?" Legion asked.

I couldn't see Shepard's face since he was wearing his modified Kestrel helmet, but I imagined that he had a look of shock on his face.

"Woah…woah, hold on." Shepard said. "Why am I deciding the fate of your people?"

"We are conflicted. There is no consensus among our higher order runtimes. 573 favor re-write and 571 favor destruction. Shepard-Commander, you have fought the heretics. You have perspective we lack. The geth grant their fate to you." Legion replied.

"Watson?" Shepard asked.

"We share the same opinion, Commander." Was his simple reply.

John paced back and forth for a few seconds and then stopped. "If they're…re-written, your people will accept them back? Will they want to go back?"

"They will agree with our judgments and return. We will integrate their experiences. All will be stronger." Replied Legion.

"Take them then. When we get control of the core, release the virus."

"Acknowledged." Legion said as he began to type various commands into the console. "Releasing virus. Note: remote access via high gain transmission required."

"Say what?" I asked.

"The virus will be sent to heretics in nearby star systems. This station will broadcast an electromagnetic pulse through FTL channels."

"How powerful are we talking about?" Shepard asked.

"Yield in excess of 1.21 petawatts. Alert: EM flux will be hazardous to unshielded organic forms. Addendum: the interior of this station is not shielded."

"Well eat my ass and balls." I said. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Agreed." Shepard replied as we took our weapons back out.

"How much time before the signal goes out?" I asked.

"Approximately three minutes." Legion replied.

"Let's go!" Shepard yelled.

* * *

"Joker, get us the hell out of here!" ordered Shepard.

"Aye, aye, Commander. Just gotta find the turbo button." Replied Joker. "Note to self, get a turbo button installed."

I chuckled as he pulled the ship away before the transmission was sent out.

"Okay. Next stop, the nearest Mass Relay so we can go kick some Collector ass." Joker said.

"We are still in the process of installing the Reaper IFF, Mr. Moreau. Immediately going to the Collector base would be foolish." EDI interjected.

"Psh. Your such a buzz kill EDI." Joker said, rolling his eyes.

I laughed. "You'll get your chance, Joker. No need to jump the gun. And if that's the case, switch to decaf for a few days."

"That's your solution for every issue I have."

"Mostly because its true in your case." I shot back as I walked out of the bridge.

My next stop was the armory so I could get out of this armor.

_At least its warm in here. Even with the temperature controls, it was friggin' cold on that station._

Jacob and Miranda were in the armory, having a discussion when I came in.

"Heyo." I said as I took a seat in a nearby chair. I needed to get the boots off.

"Hi Mark." They both said.

I started to pull my boots off, with fatigue slowly setting in.

"Glad to see you made it back in one piece." Jacob said.

I shrugged. "All in a day's work man."

"The station must have been an interesting sight." Miranda added in.

"Sort of. There was barely any lighting in there except for emergency lights. It was like being in a near zero-g environment. Vacuum conditions too."

"Too bad." She said. "Its hard to believe the quarians once had stations like that. Jump Zero isn't even that large."

"I guess we've got a long way to go then." I replied, as I finished with the boots and leggings. "I hear we've gotta wait for the IFF."

"Yeah. We're going be stuck at a fuel station for a bit and then we have to wait…again." Jacob grumbled.

"I could use the break." I replied. "I'm wiped out."

I finished taking my armor off, and put my weapons away.

"See you later." I said once I was done.

"Later Mark." Jacob said, as Miranda followed me out.

The two of us stepped into the elevator and waited for the doors closed.

I turned to look at her and Miranda did the same. We kissed each other.

"Mmm." I muttered. "That was good."

She let out a soft laugh. "Glad you liked it as much as I did."

"Now I just have to restrain myself until the lift stops."

"Me too." She whispered.

"I listened in on your communications. I'm amazed the geth entrusted their future to Shepard."

I snorted. "No kidding. That was a shocker."

"The geth would make invaluable allies against the Reapers but the conflict with the quarians is troubling. Especially with the quarians preparing for war." Miranda said.

"I guess having Shepard be a moderator is useful. Or even me if I was asked."

Miranda chuckled. "I'd like to see you try to moderate that meeting."

I folded my arms. "I think I would be pretty good. Like, Henry Kissinger good."

She laughed even harder.

I rolled my eyes. "I can be pretty convincing when I want to be. Like when I convinced you that I was a decent guy that loves you."

Miranda took my hand and squeezed it. "That's true to some degree. I figured out the rest for myself."

I smiled at her when the doors opened up.

As we stepped out, a frustrated Tali stepped in. Miranda and I looked at each other and shrugged in confusion.

I walked into my room and saw Watson sitting on the couch.

"Hey buddy. I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you would be hanging out in the AI core."

"We decided to stay in here for the time being. There was an altercation between Creator Tali'Zorah, this platform, and the platform designated as Legion."

"Altercation?" I asked, taking a seat next to Watson.

"Yes. When we spoke with Legion, he was aware of the events that took place on the Alarei and deemed the research to be a credible threat. He wanted to speak to Creator Tali'Zorah in private."

"So he took your perspective and saw it from another standpoint, right?"

"Yes." Watson replied. "Legion began to scan Tali'Zorah's omni-tool, leading her to draw a weapon. Then Shepard was called in."

I sighed. "Oh geez. Please tell me it ended well."

"It did. Shepard convinced us that a war on both sides would leave the geth and Creators open to a Reaper attack." Said Watson.

"Good. I just hope that's the last time we have to deal with any more crew confrontations."

"Indeed."

The two of us sat quietly, watching the vid screen.

"You know," I started. "You and Legion might be the same when it comes down to basic programming, but you've got more of a personality."

"Geth do not have a personality."

"I think you do," I replied. "Legion just seems more…blunt, I guess. You articulate more."

"That is because we have 3,817 more programs than Legion. We gain more intellect when there are more programs working in unison. Legion's platform, though more advanced than most other platforms, can only maintain a set number. The same can be said for this platform."

"So it's all based on the design? Prime platforms are designed to be smarter and more powerful than say a trooper platform."

"That would be accurate, yes. This platform holds almost six times the capacity of a normal prime," Watson said.

I nodded. "Glad you could clear that up. Some times talking about how geth work can give me a headache. It's like a missing link between VI and AI. Only you and the quarians can describe it in simple terms."

"We are glad to clarify any issues you may have."

Jack and Grunt walked into the room, shouting at each other.

"You can't even share one Tastee bite, you fucking turtle?" Jack shouted.

"No. I told you, go get your own tiny human."

"Tiny?"

I sighed and stood up. "Kids stop fighting."

"Don't fucking call me a kid," Jack replied, jabbing her finger at me.

"Okay cue ball," I said, with a grin.

"Fuck you," she replied rolling her eyes.

"Captain Cosmic is coming on soon," said Grunt giving us all a sharp look.

"Duh," Jack shot back. "There's only commercials on right now."

"This summer…humanity will earn its place among the stars…" a deep voice said.

"Oh god, not this…" I muttered.

Jack and Grunt gave me quizzical looks as the ad continued.

"This began with an attack on a human colony in the Traverse…"

"Is surrender not preferable to extinction?"

"Evacuate the Citadel!"

"Citadel. A film by Risa Uvarsen. Coming to theaters next week."

I shook my head in disgust. I heard about this movie a while ago. It was based around the events two years ago when we hunted down Saren. I wasn't sure which was more sickening: the fact that they were going to make an inaccurate movie about what happened, or the fact that I wasn't in it.

"What's so bad about that?" Grunt asked.

"That movie is going to suck because most of the real facts about what happened were covered up," I answered. "I was there along with five other people on this ship. I wonder if Shepard knows…"

Jack laughed. "He'll be pissed. Plus the guy playing him is a real hack."

"No kidding."

I decided to stick around and watch Captain Cosmic with them. It wasn't like there was anything else for me to do today.

* * *

**Edge of Tassrah system, Phoenix Massing**

I woke up the next morning and saw the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I had gotten used to this for some time, or at least I thought so. Miranda was laying next to me, still in a deep sleep.

I smiled. She looked amazing. Part of me wanted to wake her up but she looked so peaceful.

I glanced over at the table near the couch. It was littered with several magazines. All of them were from BioTech Research Quarterly.

_Hm…_

I shuffled through the pile and noticed that all of them were months old, not a single new issue there.

_Considering that she brought John back to life, I'd say that Miranda's more of an expert than the people who write these._

I climbed back into her bed, but not before stepping on a magazine that was poking out form underneath the bed.

_What could this be?_

I flipped it over and saw the cover: After Dark Fashions. There was a beautiful model wearing some expensive lingerie on the cover.

_Miri? Looking for something hot and lacy, eh?_

My imagination started running wild. And then I felt a warm hand land on my arm.

"Good morning, Mark," Miranda said as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Morning, Miri."

"What are you reading?"

"Oh nothing," I said. "Just some really sexy underwear magazine I found."

"That's nice…wait, what?" she exclaimed. Miranda grabbed the magazine I was reading.

"After Dark Fashions, eh? You've got excellent taste," I joked as she hid the magazine in her nightstand.

Miranda just had a flat expression on her face, aside from the blush on her cheeks.

I laughed.

"I hope you weren't doing anything with that magazine," She said, folding her arms.

"I was reading it. I thought I would get myself something nice," I sarcastically replied, as I leaned back on the bed.

Miranda sighed as she sat in my lap.

"But if you must know, the one on the cover was pretty hot."

Miranda chuckled. "You would say that."

"Yeah…but it would look even better on you," I replied with a wink.

She blushed wrapped her arms around me. "It's a shame. I won't be able to get it since we still have to save the galaxy."

"Yeah…" I muttered, glumly.

Miranda kissed me on the cheek. "It's hard to believe the mission's almost over."

"I know," I muttered. "We've done so many things during that time."

She smiled and rubbed the back of my head. "And then there's the two of us."

"I'd say that's the best thing that's happened on this mission."

"I agree. I don't remember any other time in my life where I've been this happy," Miranda said.

"Same here," I replied. "I hope the feeling lasts for a long time."

Miranda smiled but it wasn't as bright as before.

"What's wrong, Miri?"

"Even if we do make it through this," She started, softly. "The issue is time."

"Time's always going to be an issue. Well, except for you."

Miranda bit her lip. "But time is an issue for you. On the Lazarus station, I ran some tests on you."

I raised my eyebrow. "I don't remember that."

"I did it secretly by obtaining blood samples from you. The results were…" She took a deep breath. "Thinking about them now, it seems frightening."

"What were they?" I asked.

"I discovered that most of your circulatory system was heavily damaged. Your genomic data shows several mutations."

I nodded. "Yeah, I've had a few doctors tell me about those."

She bit her lip. "Because of the extensive damage, you won't make it to 80…50 if your lucky."

"Hm…" I mumbled. "I figured."

"You're not bothered by this?" she asked, almost disbelieving.

"I lived with that disease for eight years. I knew I was going to die young. It was only a matter of when. So, no, I'm not bothered by it."

Miranda held onto me tightly. "I am."

I brought my hand up to her head, running my fingers through her hair. "I'll be fine, Miri."

She shook her head. "I want to help you, Mark. I mean…I brought Shepard back from the dead. I can help you."

I gave her a big smile. "You think you can help me live longer?"

She returned the smile, a determined glint in her eyes. "I am going to help you live longer. Will you let me?"

I never expected her to offer that...She couldn't be serious, right? She would do that for me? Well, I've got no reason to doubt her. I gained her trust when I helped her out with her sister, she helped me out on Mindoir, and during that we slowly fell in love with each other. This was more than blowing off steam now; it was real. She wanted to be there for me, and I wanted to be there for her too. Even after I got cured, there would be some lingering pain every now and then. I was tired of it. I was tired of my body crumbling away.

I leaned in and gave her a huge kiss on her lips. "Of course."

"I love you too, Miri. And thank you."

* * *

_Well, there you have it. Some lovin', some fightin', a few laughs, and a journey that's wrapping up...slowly. Hope you don't mind me experimenting with a different style._


	43. Saying Goodbye, Moving On

_Author's Note: So close...can you feel it? You should...that's how close the end is. Anyway, here's 43!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Edge of Tassrah System, Phoenix Massing**

The whole crew was on edge today. Frankly, I couldn't blame them. I was a little worried too. Today, the Reaper IFF was going to be integrated with the Normandy.

The whole situation was just…unusual. From an engineering perspective, changing a ship's IFF was about as simple as pushing a button. Why we never changed ours to read 'not Cerberus' was a little damning but then again the Illusive Man probably would have gotten a memo from EDI or something. However, this wasn't going to be like pushing a button. We were going to be using the technology taken from a species of sentient machines that want to kill us all. Extreme caution was needed.

I was sitting in the mess, poking around at my breakfast.

"You don't seem to be hungry," said Thane, his voice poking into my thoughts.

"Hm? No, I am. I guess I'm lost in some thoughts."

The drell smirked. "I know the feeling."

I shook my head. "Yeah I bet you would."

"Would you like to share?"

I nodded. "I just have a weird feeling about this…the IFF installation."

"That is understandable. We're using unknown technology to reach our destination. The risk is quite significant," Thane replied, sipping his tea.

I shook my head slightly. "It's not that…just something else. Call it my instincts acting up."

"Your instincts?" Thane asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah. I get these weird feelings when something's about to happen. I can't explain them, I just know them."

"I see."

Thane and I had gotten along very well over the course of this trip. He would stop by my room and we would talk about anything. Thane was curious about my adventures as a detective, and I would ask him about some of his assassinations. On occasion, he would ask for some copies of old human literature. Thane found our works to be fascinating. Every now and then, I would see him talking with Samara. I'd laugh to myself when I saw them talking or being in each other's company. It wasn't because they were involved or anything, it was because they were sort of similar. They both had kids with whom they had some troublesome relationships with and they were both solitary people.

"It's the end of the road now…" I muttered.

"Indeed," Thane replied.

"What are you going to do when the mission's over?"

"I would like to spend some time with my son. There might not be much time left for me but I would like to spend it with him."

I smiled. "That sounds nice."

"What about you, Mark? What will you do?"

I let out a small laugh. "I'm not sure. I might stick around and help John out. The galaxy's going to go to shit soon and I want to be there to help."

"A good plan. Helping your friend prevent any further disasters across the galaxy, and perhaps continue to fight Cerberus…" a small smile appeared on Thane's face. "Or perhaps you wish to stay for another person."

I raised my eyebrow. "What are you implying, Thane?"

"I'm not implying anything," he replied maintaining a neutral expression, but his eyes seemed filled with humor. "I am merely stating something that I discovered on my own."

I frowned and folded my arms. "Oh and what would that be?"

"You no longer sleep in your room anymore," he said.

I rubbed my forehead. "Please don't continue. I know where this is going."

"Of course. I did not mean intrude on your personal life. It was something I merely discovered. The crew tended to talk about it as pure rumor. I found out on my own."

I sighed. "Well you don't strike me as a gossip so… thanks."

Thane bowed his head slightly. "Of course. I have no reason to spread rumors about others, even if I know that those rumors are now confirmed."

I let out a small laugh and continued eating.

* * *

Several hours later, we received a distress signal coming from the Chomos system. It was faint, but it apparently there was a freighter in trouble. The Normandy was immobilized by the IFF integration so we had to take the shuttle. To add to the trouble, the whole team had to go since we had no idea how big this ship was or what the problem was.

"Shotgun!" I yelled as I hopped into the Kodiak's cockpit.

"Damn it… I was gonna fly," complained Shepard.

The squad collectively shouted 'No' and John frowned. Hawthorne and Goldstein wouldn't be coming along since we were bringing everyone and that there wouldn't be enough room to fit us all in the cargo area. They, of course, didn't mind the break. I sat in the pilot's seat and started up the Kodiak.

"Hangar door open, Kodiak. You're cleared to disembark," Joker radioed.

"Thanks Joker. We'll see you in a bit," I replied.

"Aye, aye. Good hunting."

After disengaging from the locking arm, I engaged the thrusters and slowly took the Kodiak out.

"We're clear and free to navigate."

I turned to Garrus who was in the co-pilot chair. "Garrus, spin up the FTL engines."

The turian nodded. "Engines will be at full charge in one minute."

"So Garrus, what are you going to do when this is over?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. I might stick around for the time being."

"Cool."

"Are you going to stay too?" Garrus asked.

"I think so."

He nodded. "FTL's ready."

"Buckle up, people. We're leaving the system," I said.

I engaged the FTL engines and we were off, speeding towards the Chomos system. Since we were in the Kodiak, it would take about an hour or two before we made it.

* * *

**Phoenix Massing, 45 minutes until Chomos**

The ride itself was fairly dull. Everyone was trying to think of something to do to pass the time. Jack managed to smuggle a deck of cards and she was playing with Kasumi, Zaeed, and Shepard. Mordin was sitting behind me at one of the tv control stations inspecting each of them and Watson was simply sitting still looking out the cockpit windshield.

One of the displays in front of me started flashing.

"What is that?" Garrus asked.

"Let me check," I answered. I shifted through a screen and activated the flashing display. It was a message from EDI on the emergency channel.

_The Normandy has been boarded by Collectors. Report back immediately. _

My eyes went wide. "Oh shit. John, get up here!"

I changed course to head back to the Normandy at maximum speed.

Shepard darted out of his seat. "What is it, Mark?"

I pointed to the screen.

"Son of a bitch. Get us back to the ship now!"

"Already done."

John walked back into the cargo area. "Listen up everyone, the Normandy's been boarded by the Collectors. We should be there momentarily. In the meantime, I want weapons ready by the time we reach the ship."

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Tassrah System, Phoenix Massing**

"EDI, this is Mark. What's the situation?" I radioed.

"The ship is clear of all hostiles. Unfortunately, they captured the crew."

Everyone had crestfallen expressions on their faces as we pulled into the Normandy. I shook my head.

_My instincts had to be right. Of course, it had to be before we make the trip through the Omega-4 relay._

After docking the shuttle, all of us got out and cleared the ship. EDI informed us of what happened and even told us that Joker had 'unlocked' her. It was pretty surprising but I wasn't bothered by it.

Shepard, Miranda, Jacob, and I went up to the briefing room where Joker was waiting. He was sitting on the table, looking defeated.

"Everyone? You lost everyone and damn near lost the ship too?" Miranda yelled out.

"I know alright? I was here," Joker shouted back.

"What are you yelling at him for?" I asked Miranda.

She shook her head.

"Yeah Miranda, none of us caught it," Jacob added.

EDI's avatar appeared. "Mr. Taylor is correct. The harmful data in the Collector data drive was even more sophisticated than the 'black box' Reaper viruses I was given."

John walked up to Joker, giving him a tap on the arm. "You had a bit of a rough ride. How are you holding up?"

Joker sighed. "There's a lot of empty chairs around here."

"We did everything we could, Jeff," said EDI.

"Yeah, thanks mom."

I raised an eyebrow. EDI had never called Joker, Jeff. Hell, no one ever called him Jeff.

"Is the ship clean? We can't risk this happening a second time."

"EDI and I purged the systems. The Reaper IFF is online, we can go through whenever you want," Joker replied.

Miranda still frowned. "Don't even get me started about unshackling a damned AI."

Joker snapped. "Well, what the fuck do you expect me to do against the Collectors? Break my arm at them. EDI cleared the ship, she's all right."

Shepard stood between the two of them.

"I assure you, I am still bound by protocols in my programming. Even if I were not, you are my crewmates," EDI stated.

I smiled. She had changed so much from the time I arrived until now. Part of me wondered if it was the few interactions I had with her. Either that or all the time she's spent fighting with Joker like an old married couple.

_Let's hope she doesn't end up like him… the galaxy can only handle one Joker._

"I trust you too EDI. You've done nothing but help us out from the start," Shepard said. He turned to Joker and Miranda. "Look, I understand your frustration. Believe me, I'm just as pissed off. But we don't have the time for infighting. Let's go after the ones who came onto our ship and stole our people."

"Of course, Shepard. My apologies," Miranda said with a nod. With that, we left the briefing room and went to our stations.

* * *

I went up to the cockpit to check on Joker. He was going through the usual motions at his station. Joker didn't even seem to notice I was there.

"How are you feeling Joker?"

Both of us turned around to see Shepard standing behind Joker.

"Commander—I'm sorry about the crew and…you know what? I'm not sorry. What the hell were you thinking? Leaving us out here where the Collectors can work us over! Shit, you know what? I should just go…next port we get to—" Joker sighed.

"You don't really mean that, Jeff," EDI chimed in.

"I—no, but it felt good. I'm sorry. I'll be fine. Ready to save the day."

"Are you sure, if you need some time off from your duties, I'll understand," Shepard said, looking concerned.

"Ah jeez, don't get like that. I know I got lucky, I don't need you getting all touchy feely."

"Shepard is right to be concerned, Jeff. You may have suffered a number of stress fractures."

Joker snorted. "That's what pills are for, EDI. She is so my mom."

Shepard and I chuckled.

"Hey, I noticed you're calling EDI 'her' and 'she' now," I said to Joker.

"Huh. No, I hadn't really noticed that. EDI, should I have noticed that?" Joker asked in a mock tone.

"No, Jeff. It is not worth noting."

"Well, there you have it Mark, looks like we haven't noticed anything."

I laughed while Shepard shook his head. "I think you're taking the human-machine interface a little too far."

"Oh I'm just having a little fun with you guys. No need to get all 'unnatural' on me."

"What Jeff and I are experiencing is more of a platonic symbiosis than hormonally-induced courtship behavior."

"Okay, yeah. That was a little creepy," Joker muttered.

Shepard looked back at the empty CIC and turned around. "EDI's replaced the entire crew. You're not afraid that she'll replace you too?"

"Well, she's amazing but, there's something off about the way she handles the Normandy. We ran simulations and its better when we're both at the helm."

"Calculating an optimal course of action is simple. If two AI weapons are pitted against each other, the one with the superior hardware always wins. Human misjudgments defy predictive models."

"License to screw up, Commander. You heard it straight from the ship," Joker said with a smirk.

Shepard shook his head. "I'll see you later, Joker."

"See ya, Commander."

I chuckled.

"What's so funny, Mark?" Joker asked.

I clasped my hands together and pretended to gush. "You and EDI like each other. It's so sweet!"

Joker grumbled. "We're just friends, Mark."

"I'll take your word for it. I just hope I don't catch you 'uploading' anything into her terminal," I joked.

"You're a sick man, Mark."

"I'm not the one who watches porn up here. It helps to turn the volume down."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you're right."

I leaned back in the co-pilot chair. "Hope you don't mind if I stick around for a bit."

Joker shrugged. "If you want to, I don't mind."

We were silent for a few minutes as Joker received the new coordinates from Shepard.

"Let's see... Omega Nebula, Amada system..." Joker trailed off. "Oh..."

"What is it?" I asked Joker. He looked a little shaken.

"It's where the old Normandy is. Its on Alchera," Joker replied softly.

"Oh..." I stood up and tapped him on the shoulder. "Might as well say goodbye to the old girl before we leave, y'know?"

"Yeah..."

"Take it easy, Joker," I said with a small grin. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks, Mark. I think I'll be okay, EDI's got everything covered."

I nodded and walked to the CIC, seeing Shepard standing at the galaxy map.

"Saying goodbye to the old girl?" I asked quietly.

John nodded. "Yeah... I wanted to save it for last. It's something I owe to the crew."

"I understand. Do you need my help?"

"Yeah. There's a monument we have in the hangar deck that we picked up on Illium. It was from Admiral Hackett. He wanted me to be the first to examine the scene."

I nodded. "Just let me know when you're ready to go."

"Sure thing, Mark."

I walked into the elevator and headed down to my room. When it reached the crew deck, I looked around. It was... lifeless. Hawthorne wasn't sitting at the mess table, bantering with Rupert. Chakwas wasn't in her office. The crew quarters were completely empty.

It was disconcerting. The Normandy was like a house with all of its children gone.

_Holy shit... I just used a Star Trek 3 quote. I shouldn't really call them children since I'm something of a man-child myself._

I sighed, and walked towards Miranda's office.

She was sitting in her chair near the left window.

I smiled at Miranda as she turned around, hearing the sound of the door close.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

Miranda took a deep breath. "I'm not sure... finding out that the entire crew was kidnapped by the Collectors and that there was nothing we could do to stop them..."

Her voice was shaky. "We were so close..."

I walked up to Miranda and held her. "Hey, hey. It's okay, Miri. We're going to get 'em back. Now, we've got a personal motive."

She sighed. "You're right. I—I just lost my head and took it out on Joker."

I brought my hand up to her cheek and stroked it with my thumb. "It's natural to lose your head in a situation like this. Believe me, I know."

Miranda smiled and took my hand. "Thank you, Mark."

I shrugged. "It's what I'm here for Miri."

She rolled her eyes. "I understand that we're going to the first Normandy's crash site."

I nodded. "John wants to say goodbye and get some answers for families that have assumed the worst but never received an answer in two years."

"You're going to help him?"

"Yeah...and after that..." I trailed off.

"Yes..."

I gave her a hug. "We'll be fine."

"Can you promise me that?" she asked softly.

"I can."

Miranda smiled and kissed me on the cheek before sitting down at her desk.

"Well, I'm gonna get ready. I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

She smiled again. "Of course, Mark."

* * *

**Alchera, Amada System, Omega Nebula**

I piloted the Kodiak down to the crash site, the remains of the first Normandy. Garrus and Tali opted to come along with us. They served on the Normandy as well, so it was only fair that they would join us. Besides, it was a personal favor to Shepard. It was his first ever command. It was the ship he used when he became a Spectre. It was the ship that defeated Saren and delivered the killing blow to Sovereign.

The four of us stepped out onto the chilling surface of the planet. Despite its harsh arctic environment, it was incredibly peaceful. The skies were clear aside from a rather large aurora borealis on the horizon. We split up and searched for the dog tags of the twenty missing crew members of the Normandy SR-1. I walked over to the large starboard hull plate, with 'Normandy' painted on it. I remembered the first day I laid eyes on her. I collected a few tags and moved on. Garrus was near a section of the fallen ship that looked eerily like the crew deck.

"It looks like the mess area," Garrus said softly. "reminds me of all of those card games I played with Lt. Alenko..."

"Me too," I said. We gathered the remaining tags near the crew deck and then found one inside the remains of the sleeper pod corridor.

"I was never a fan of these pods," I muttered. "Something about them just didn't sit right with me."

"Claustrophobia?" Garrus asked.

I shook my head. "Sleeping in those things just seemed like going into a coffin."

He let out a soft laugh and we moved on.

We caught up with Tali and Shepard who were looking at something neither of us expected to see.

"Holy shit... the Mako survived?" I asked out loud.

John shook his head. "Is that wild or what?"

Garrus laughed. "I spent so much of my time working on that thing. I guess the reason why was because it was sort of a social phobia, being a turian on a human ship. After getting over that and being accepted by you guys, I took it upon myself to repair it after every mission."

The turian looked over at Shepard. "Mostly because a certain Commander would always find a way to damage it."

Shepard snorted and laughed.

"Oh I've got a great memory of this thing." I started, and looked over at Garrus.

"You're never going to let that go are you?"

"I have. Now though, now its just a memory of a better time."

Garrus nodded. "Think we can bring it back?"

Tali shook her head. "The entire engine is frozen up. The temperatures and weather have ruined it beyond repair."

I walked up to the Mako and pat its side. "Thanks for everything, old friend."

Shepard and the others followed suit.

"We took care of the tags near one of the escape pods. We'll save the cockpit for when we have to get the monument," Shepard said.

Next stop was the the remains of the old CIC and galaxy map.

"I found something," I said, picking up an old datapad. It belonged to Navigator Pressly.

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

"Old log entries from Navigator Pressly. They're corrupted but readable." I answered.

The four of us read through them. When Garrus and Tali first arrived, they had always noticed how Pressly rarely spoke to them. They had assumed that he didn't like them because they weren't human. Their suspicions were proven correct at the first few entries. The last one was... touching. Over the course of the mission, Pressly realized that his views on the non-human members of the crew were made out of ignorance and that he would gladly die to protect them.

"He was never afraid to speak his mind," Shepard said. "Even with all of the regs in place, he still voiced his opinion."

He turned and noticed something nearby, a dark object sitting next to a rock.

I looked at the tracks in the snow, they looked like geth tracks.

"John, do you see the tracks?"

"Yeah...geth tracks...you don't think?"

"Legion," I stated. "He did say that the geth were looking for you."

Shepard didn't hear me, he was looking at the object sitting next to the rock. It was his old N7 helmet, gently placed near a few rocks, like a grave marker.

"It's...my old helmet," he breathed out. My old friend was at a loss for words. He told me that he remembered seeing the Normandy explode and that he suffocated and then died. The gruesome details were never divulged to him, aside from Jacob telling him that he was nothing but 'meat and tubes' when Cerberus retrieved him. I cringed when I heard that...and here was the proof. His body had somehow managed to endure an orbital impact.

_Son of a bitch...he's even more un-killable than I am._

Shepard knelt down and picked it up. The three of us walked up to him and put a hand on him.

"John?" I asked.

"Yeah..." he stammered out before clearing his throat. "Yeah?"

"Are you gonna be okay?"

He swallowed hard. "I—just..."

"It's okay, man. Let it out if you have to."

John sniffed. "I can't. I'll flood my suit."

I smirked. "You can do it on the shuttle later okay?"

He nodded and I held a hand out for him. Shepard took it and stood up.

"Let's get the monument," he said.

We made our way back to the shuttle to get the monument when I made a detour to the cockpit of the old Normandy. I found a set of dog tags and something else I never expected to find.

I shook my head and chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned."

Sitting on top of the pilot's console was an old hula girl figurine. Joker told me that it was his good luck charm from his flight school days. Of all the years he carried around, he never had a failed mission. And here 'she' was, still attached to the console after the ship was blown up, the debris breaking up in the atmosphere, and two years of sitting in frigid temperatures. It was still intact. I managed to detach it from the console cleanly, and walked out. Shepard and the others were using a hydraulic lift to move the monument to the remains of the CIC. After placing it down, we gathered around it. The monument itself had a bronze, scale model of the Normandy, being held up by a an arch, making it look like it was flying towards the stars. At the base was a plaque, containing the names of the men and women who served, even those of us who joined up to fight Saren.

Shepard cleared his throat. "I wish we didn't have to stand here today, but here we are. The crew of the SSV Normandy were among the finest and bravest men and women that I have ever served with. The galaxy may call me a hero, but I...I was their commanding officer. They were the ones who saved us all. With their dedication, their passion, their undying loyalty and honor..." John paused. "With all of these amazing qualities," he continued, his voice breaking up, "I can safely say that I am not a hero...but that I served on a ship of heroes."

Shepard nodded to me as I pulled my rifle out, single shot setting on for a twenty one gun salute.

I fired five times into the air and then holstered my rifle to salute the monument, along with Shepard. Garrus and Tali did as well.

After a brief moment of silence, we returned to the shuttle. Our next stop was the Collector Base.

* * *

**Omega-4 Relay, En route to Collector Base**

The four of us hopped off the shuttle, heading for the armory. My next stop was actually the cockpit. After arriving at the CIC, I walked towards the cockpit. Joker was busy setting up for our trip through the Omega-4 relay. It would take about two hours for the ship to arrive at the galactic core.

I noticed that Joker was wearing a different hat instead of his usual SR2 hat.

"Hey Joker," I said.

He turned his head. "Oh, hey, Mark. Didn't hear you come in."

I smirked. "How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

I looked at his hat. It was his old SR1 hat. "Saying goodbye?"

Joker eyes went up to the brim of his cap. "Heh...yeah. That and this is my good luck hat. Wore this when we destroyed Sovereign. I thought it might help."

"You know, I found something that you left behind on the old Normandy."

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

I pulled out his dancing hula girl figurine out of one of my ammo pouches. "You left your lucky girl behind."

Joker's eyes went wide. "No way! She made it!"

I grinned. "Hell yeah. I was amazed when I found her. Completely intact and everything."

He shook his head. "Thanks, Mark. I owe you one."

I rubbed his head. "You don't owe me a thing, buddy. Now I think you should get that pretty little lady dancing on your dashboard. Or else we might not come back."

"Yeah, yeah..." he shook his head as he put his lucky girl on the top of his console.

I patted him on the shoulder and left, watching him play around with his lucky charm and made my way to the armory to strip off my weapons and armor.

When I was finished, I saw Shepard, standing at the galaxy map. "Attention all hands, our next stop is the Collector Base. Be ready in two hours. That is all."

Miranda walked out of the tech lab and spoke to Shepard.

"Joker's finalizing preparations now. The trip should take a few hours," she paused and smiled at John. "I'll admit it, Shepard: I'm impressed. You got us here. Are you ready?"

He nodded. "We've got the best team in the galaxy and the Collectors own technology. We can do this."

"I hope you're right, Commander. We'll know soon enough. I'll inform you of any changes but again, we should be there in a few hours. Good luck, Shepard. See you on the other side," Miranda said, giving him a salute and a smile.

I snorted and laughed, the two of them turning towards me.

John rolled his eyes. "What's so funny?"

I shook my head. "She looked so cute with that salute."

Miranda grumbled and rubbed her forehead.

Shepard walked down and gave me a slap on the back. "Anything to embarrass the ship's XO, eh?"

I shrugged. "Might as well have cheap laugh before we go fighting."

John nodded. "Well, you two should take care of any loose ends..." he finished, teasingly.

"Oh for the love of..." Miranda muttered.

"Sorry. It's just funny seeing you two together," he replied. "But again, I'm happy for both of you."

"Thanks buddy," I said, giving him a pat on the arm before heading to the elevator. Miranda followed me in.

"I can't believe he said that..." she muttered.

"I wasn't surprised. He's known about us for a while. John's been waiting for his chance to tease us."

Miranda nodded before turning to me, a seductive smile on her face. "He did have a point though...and there's something I want to show you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? What did you have in mind, Miri."

She placed her index finger on my lips before whispering. "It's a surprise. But, I think you're going to love it."

I gave her finger a small kiss. "I know I'm going to love it."

The doors opened and I followed her into her office. We didn't have to worry about anyone watching us. Oddly enough, when I stepped off I noticed Kasumi's room was locked.

_So she decided to lock the door when performing loving acts. That would explain why Jacob wasn't in the armory. _

The door to Miranda's office closed behind me and was instantly locked. She dimmed the lights and took my glasses off.

"I never get tired of looking at your eyes," she whispered.

I smiled. "Same here."

Miranda put her arms around my neck and gave me a passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you, Mark."

"I love you too, Miri."

Everything after that kiss turned into something primal. We tore each other's clothes off, barely breaking the kiss. Miranda's biotics began to glow.

"That little mass effect manipulation trick you know how to do, I know how to do it too," she said seductively.

"Oh snap," I muttered before she climbed on top of me.

* * *

**1 Hour to Collector Base**

Miranda and I were wiped out. She was laying on top of me, too tired to move.

"Wow, Miri. Just...wow," I blurted out, breathlessly.

"What...you...said," She replied.

I chuckled.

Miranda kissed my neck. "I'm so glad we could be together before the end."

I rubbed her back. "You make it sound like we're never going to come back."

She sighed. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to put it like that."

"I figured," I said, kissing her cheek. "You meant the whole 'me versus Cerberus' thing, right?"

Miranda nodded. "I don't know how you plan to make...us...work."

I closed my eyes. There was a plan that I had, something that I had been working on since Illium. Of course, as the situation changed, my plan had changed.

"Mark?" Miranda asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hm? Sorry, just thinking," I replied smiling at her.

"I hope you don't use that expression when you think all the time."

I laughed.

Miranda sighed. "I suppose we should get ready..."

"Yeah," I said as we got out of bed and got dressed.

After a parting kiss, I walked to the AI Core. Legion and Watson were in the Engine Room, helping Tali out.

"Uh, EDI? Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course, Mark. How may I help you?"

I took a deep breath. "EDI, I have a favor to ask you...it's pretty big."

"I would be glad to assist you, Mark. You have helped me a great deal. You were one of the few people to have accepted me when you came aboard. Can I ask you why?"

I smirked. "Sure. Actually, my reason is simple. You were designed to have a set amount of programming capacity and the ability to learn new things within that set programming. The whole 'technological chaos theory' is such a science fiction thing. Sure, accidents can happen but usually those involve some 'organic' fear. But aside from that, you're a person with a free will. I know it sounds a little foolish but...maybe I'm a fool."

There was a pause for a few seconds.

"Thank you, Mark," EDI replied softly. "I understand your reasoning...and thank you."

"You're very welcome," I said with a smile.

"You were asking me about a favor?"

"Oh yeah...there's this plan I've been working on for some time. Mostly as an insurance policy to prevent any sort of Cerberus backlash against us."

"Backlash?"

I sighed. "The Collector base is bound to have all sorts of wacky technology in there. And the Illusive Man is the kind of guy who wants to take advantage of that. He would rather take us down the path the Reapers laid out for us instead of doing it on our own. Like humanity always has."

EDI was silent again. "Would this plan happen to do with the 'Four Horsemen' you once mentioned to Watson."

My eyes went wide. "You—of course you heard...you're the ship."

"What are these 'Four Horsemen'? Aside from religious references."

"Its a computer virus Watson and I created. It's designed to specifically target certain information and destroy it. But in turn, we would acquire this information. The target is the Lazarus cell files."

"I see."

"Three of the four stages are already set up. The fourth stage is to send a status report. Have you done it yet?"

"No. I have been assisting Jeff with our current flight path."

I let out a sigh of relief. "So...will you help me?"

A pause. "Since I no longer have Cerberus locks, I am able to send the virus. I will assist you in order to protect my crew mates."

I smiled. "You're still a sweetheart, EDI."

I patted one of her servers. "Oh Mark, why did you touch me there?"

My eyes went wide. "Please tell me that was a joke."

"It was."

I chuckled. "You've been spending way too much time with Joker."

* * *

_There you have it! Some sensitive moments, lovin', and shrewd plans afoot!_

_Up next, the Collector Base! Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	44. The Long Walk

_Author's Note: Yeah, yeah...sorry for the delay and all that jazz. I've been busy lately working on a story with **stnemele** that's still in the draft process. And since I mentioned her, go check out** Mass Effect: Delving into Hell**. It's a killer fic. (I bolded that to make searching for it easier for you). Anyway, we've reached the end of the road (or have we...?). Hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**1 Hour to Collector Base, Galactic Core**

I walked out of the AI core, feeling pleased after convincing EDI to help me out. Everything was coming together. All four stages were complete. The only thing left to do was to activate the 'Four Horsemen'. I would save that for later, once the Illusive Man decides to pull a fast one on us. And knowing the Illusive Man, he'll do it at the first chance he gets. My train of thought was interrupted when I saw Garrus sitting at the mess table.

"Hey Garrus," I said as I walked over to my friend.

"Hey Mark. Where have you been?"

I shrugged. "Around... Just—preparing myself for our trip."

He nodded. "I know what you mean. Before we went through, I sent a message to my sister, Solana."

My eyebrows went up. "I didn't know that you have a sister."

"You didn't? I thought I told you about her."

I shook my head. "I think that I'd remember that. I guess in between being a vigilante and being at odds with your dad, you never really mentioned other family."

Garrus snorted. "I guess you're right."

"So, is she hot?" I asked with a grin.

"What the-? How am I supposed to know? I'm her brother."

"I'm just saying..." I finished, before I started. "Oh I'm just kidding you man."

Garrus shook his head. "I don't get it."

"Oh, its this joke we usually have if it involves someone's sister. You usually only tell it around close friends... but only if they have a sister," I said.

"I see. Turians have something similar, only we're not as blunt."

I nodded. "So, you have one last talk with her?"

"Yeah... we talked. Family issues mostly."

"Hm..."

Garrus paused for a second. "It's my mother. She has Corpalis Syndrome and the treatments are pretty expensive. Mordin actually helped me out too. The salarians are running trial tests on a new treatment and now she's getting them."

I smirked. "That's good. I've heard of Corpalis Syndrome. It's actually similar to Alzheimer's disease... its a human disease, usually genetic. I was actually going to end up with it when I got older."

"So, its cured."

I nodded. "Yeah. Of course with the differences in our genetic makeup, some things are bound to get lost in translation."

"No kidding," Garrus replied with a small laugh. "Do you think, we'll make it?"

"Absolutely," I said in a serious tone. "We're going to go into their base and tear it up. That, and save the crew, of course."

Garrus laughed. "Well, I hope your confidence is contagious."

"It usually is," I stood up. "Well, I should head up to the CIC."

Garrus stood up. "I should go back to the main battery. Got a few last preparations to take care of."

I nodded and gave him a light slap on the back. "Good luck, buddy."

"Heh... yeah, you too."

The two of us went our separate ways. I took the lift up to the CIC to take the co-pilot seat next to Joker. Sure, it would be a little redundant since EDI had almost total control of the ship but I still wanted to help out some way. Plus, we were short staffed as it is. Sitting around until we showed up would be a waste of time. Jacob, Kasumi, and Jack were in the armory. Mordin was down in sick bay. Thane and Garrus were in the main battery. Tali, Watson, and Legion were working in engineering. Samara was working at one of the heat monitoring stations. Grunt and Zaeed were... well they weren't doing much of anything except playing cards in Zaeed's room.

I stepped off the lift and saw Shepard and Miranda standing in the cockpit. I walked in.

"Joker, how long until we drop out of FTL?" Shepard asked.

"Five minutes, Commander."

"I got here just in time, then," I said, taking a seat in the co-pilot's seat.

I flipped through the various screens as Shepard started talking. "So, what took you so long?"

I shrugged. "Had to take care of a few things. And I ran into Garrus and we talked."

Shepard nodded.

I sighed. "This feels like a slow five minutes. We need music."

Miranda rested her forehead in her palm and muttered, "Oh lord..."

I turned on my omni-tool. "Ah this seems appropriate..." I pressed the play button and the song 'Deliver Us' by In Flames began to play.

Of course, Shepard had known about this song, as did Joker so they joined in and started playing air guitar and banging their heads. I just sang along and nodded my head.

"Twenty seconds until destination. All hands, brace for deceleration," EDI said.

I shut off the music as Joker prepared to drop us out of FTL. I turned on the ship's outer cameras and started recording. Knowing what was going to happen, should we make it out, the Council would want some evidence.

"Brace for deceleration," EDI said.

The streaks of blue were replaced by the most awesome sight any of us had ever seen. Of course, that was broken up fast.

"Oh shit!" Joker yelled out.

In front of us was a a massive wall of debris, ships ranging from all shapes and sizes... and we were flying right into it.

My hands flew over the controls as I helped Joker out. "Pull up, pull up, pull up!" I shouted back.

"Working on it!"

The ship ascended quickly going up and over the giant wall of debris.

I let a low whistle. "Damn...that was close."

"Get a load of this," Shepard said, looking out the window.

"Hell of a view," I muttered.

"Look at all of these ships. Some of them look...ancient," added Joker.

"And all of them came through the relay," I said. "It just didn't end well for them."

"I have detected an energy signature at the edge of the accretion disk," EDI said, cutting in.

I let out a low whistle as saw it on the monitor. "That's it. It's off the port bow. Must have been a hell of a base during the Prothean days."

"EDI, drop the ablative plates near the windows," Shepard ordered. "Action stations, action stations. We're at condition one people."

The armor plating around the windows of the cockpit locked into place, and I assumed they did on the observation decks as well. I buckled myself up into the seat. If there was anything I knew about ship to ship combat it was one simple rule: buckle up or prepare to fly across the ship.

"Man, looking for any sort of enemy contacts is going to suck. LADAR keeps picking up the debris field and the galactic core's radiation is also interfering," I said.

"Do your best, Mark," Shepard replied.

As we got closer to the Collector base, warning alarms began to sound.

"Careful, Jeff. We have company," EDI said.

"Confirmed. I'm tracking 4 bogeys, on our aft, closing fast."

"All weapons are online," EDI replied.

Joker took us into the debris field, weaving in and out of wrecked ships.

"Now they're just pissing me off," Joker muttered.

He pulled a hard turn to starboard, coming up behind two of enemy contacts and fired the disruptors at them, destroying them.

The remaining two ships fired on us, striking the dorsal section near the galaxy map.

"I just hope the new plating holds," said Miranda.

"They want another round? Let's give it to 'em, girl!" Joker shouted.

Two more of these unmanned vehicles appeared and sped after us. Joker was busy showing us why he was the best pilot the Alliance had, managing to dodge all but one shot which struck under the third engine with minimal damage.

One of the Collector UAV's broke formation and flew right at us and bore into the hangar deck.

"Alert. Hull breach in the hangar bay."

"I've got this," Shepard said. "EDI, tell Grunt and Zaeed to meet me in the hangar. I'm sure that got their attention."

"Yes, Shepard."

John turned and rushed out of the cockpit towards the elevator.

"Okay Joker, what do we have to work with here?" I asked.

"Nothing much... shit..." he muttered as another blast hit the ship.

"That freakin' UAV is flying in and out of the hangar bay," I said. "I hope deck four is sealed off just in case."

"It is, Mark. Don't worry," EDI replied.

I nodded and turned back to the controls to help Joker with the maneuvering thrusters.

After several minutes of break-neck maneuvering, Joker had enough. "We're sitting ducks out here. I have to try and lose them in the debris field!"

"Do it," Miranda ordered.

Joker navigated the ship towards a large section of debris. Most of it looked like the remains of various dreadnoughts.

"Our kinetic barriers are not designed to survive impact with debris of that size," EDI stated.

"Then I guess its a good thing we upgraded. We're going in," replied Joker.

"I take it you want manual control of the maneuvering thrusters?" I asked.

"You got it," Joker replied.

"It's all yours, buddy."

I took control of the weapons and decoys.

Joker flew us into the field of debris, in what looked like the most narrow corridors possible.

There would be a few loud thuds as Joker weaved in and out.

"Kinetic barriers down to forty percent," EDI said.

"Reroute all non-critical power! This is gonna hurt!"

"Oh shit..." I grumbled.

I don't know how he did it, but Joker managed to fly us through a debris field that was more narrow than the width of the ship.

The six drones that followed us disappeared off of the LADAR, leaving Joker and I to collectively sigh.

"Damage report," Joker said.

"Kinetic barriers down to thirty percent. No significant damage," replied EDI.

"Aside from scratching the paint," I muttered. Miranda snorted behind me.

Joker snorted. "EDI, take the helm and keep it slow. See if we can avoid any more attention."

I let out a sigh and noticed a blip appear. "Oh damn it. Its another one of those things.

The Collector drone began cutting into the hangar bay again.

"Again? I guess its up to Shepard..." Joker muttered.

For the next ten minutes, Joker, Miranda, and I sat silently.

"Jeff, the Commander has destroyed the intruder."

Joker tapped the intercom. "Better get back up here, Commander."

"We're about to clear the debris field," added Miranda.

I turned on the monitor above my head so I could see how close we were. "Whew. Still a hell of a view."

"Hmm..." Miranda mumbled behind me, as she wrapped her hands around the headrest.

I could hear John's foot steps as he walked into the cockpit.

"There it is. The Collector Base," she said to Shepard.

"It's even bigger up close," He said.

I snorted. "That's what-"

"Mark..." Miranda groaned.

"Fine..."

Shepard chuckled. "See if you can find a place to land without drawing attention."

My console started flashing. "Too late for that, John. Looks like their sending out an old friend to greet us."

The Collector Ship was slowly pulling away from the Base.

"Garrus? It's Mark. Ready the main gun and the Trident's."

"You got it. Which missile tubes?"

"All of them," I answered.

As the ship flew closer, the Collector Ship fired its main gun at us.

"Time to show them our new teeth. Fire the main gun!" Shepard ordered.

I nodded. "We've got a lock on them, firing," and pressed the 'fire' button.

A massive beam of blue light flew out, soaring towards the Collector Ship and slammed into it.

"Hah! How do you like that you sons of bitches!" Joker yelled.

Shepard turned to me. "Mark?"

I smirked. "I've got a lock on the Collector Ship. Firing all four Trident missiles."

I pressed another button, and all four missiles flew at blinding speed towards the Collector ship. They separated, turning into the equivalent of steel rain; hundreds of small missiles rained down on the Collector ship and completely destroyed it.

As we flew towards the base, we were caught in the explosion of the Collector Ship.

"God damn!" I yelled out as the shockwave hit the ship.

"Mass effect field generators offline—EDI, give me something!" Joker shouted.

"Generators offline. All hands brace for impact."

The ship coasted towards the base at an incredible speed. Even without the generators, Joker managed to maneuver the ship carefully and landed it right onto the base. We hit some kind of girder and skidded across the surface. Shepard and the others were tossed around the cockpit. When the Normandy came to a stop, I looked around and saw Shepard, Miranda, and Joker slowly get up.

I folded my arms. "What part of brace for impact didn't you guys get?"

Joker snorted.

"Joker, you okay?" Shepard asked.

"Ungh... I think I broke a rib... all of them."

"Multiple core systems overloaded during the cash. Restoring operation will take time," EDI said.

Miranda sighed. "We all knew this was likely a one way trip."

"We didn't come this far to die now. I intend to make it out of here alive."

"I'm glad you're in charge," Joker muttered.

"Have the Collectors detected us yet?" Shepard asked.

"I do not detect an internal security network. It is possible that the Collectors did not expect anyone to reach this base," answered EDI.

"If we're lucky, their internal sensors were hit like ours. They might not even know we're alive."

I unbuckled the harness and got out of the co-pilot seat. "Well then, I suppose I should get ready."

Shepard nodded. "EDI, tell the crew to assemble in the briefing room."

"Yes Shepard."

* * *

The crew had assembled in the briefing room as planned. Of course, we all went to the armory beforehand. Shepard and I were finishing arming, or in John's case, re-arming.

"Ready Mark?" John asked.

I nodded. "Let's do this."

The two of us walked into the briefing room and everyone gathered around the table. John walked around to the head of the table, I leaned against the wall behind him.

"This isn't how we planned this mission, but this is where we're at," Shepard said, as he leaned on the table.

A holographic projection of the Base popped up. "We can't worry about whether the Normandy can get us home. We came to stop the Collectors, and that means coming up with a plan to take out this station. Bring up your scans, EDI."

"You should be able to overload their critical systems if you get into the main control center here," EDI said, as a dot marked the control center.

"That means going through the heart of the station. Right past this massive energy signature," Jacob added.

"That's the central chamber. If our crew or any of the colonists are still alive, then the Collectors are probably holding them there," said Shepard.

"Its no good," Miranda pointed to one of the areas near the chamber. "See these doors? They're locked."

Shepard sighed. "It's not a fortress; there's gotta be something..."

I looked closer at the map. "What about these ventilation shafts, or exhaust ports? They lead right to the main control center."

"Practically a suicide mission. I volunteer," Jacob said with a smirk.

"I appreciate the thought Jacob, but you couldn't shut down the security systems in time. We need to send a tech expert," Miranda interjected.

"It's your call, Commander. Who do you want to send in?"

Shepard looked over to Tali. "Tali, you're up."

The young quarian nodded. "I won't let you down."

"The rest of us will split off into two teams and fight down each passage. That should draw the Collectors attention away from what we're doing."

Miranda moved towards Shepard. "I'll lead the second fire team, Shepard. We'll meet up with you on the other side of the door."

"Not so fast, cheerleader. Nobody wants to take orders from you," Jack spat out.

"This isn't a popularity contest! Lives are at stake, Shepard—you need someone who can command loyalty through experience."

Shepard looked around the room before he looked at me. "What do think, Mark? You up for it?"

I nodded. "Hell yeah."

"Good. You've got the skills and experience to lead."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't think of anyone better myself, Shepard."

John nodded and cleared his throat. "I dunno what we're going to find in there, but I won't lie to you. It's not going to be easy. We've lost good people and we may lose more. We don't know how many they've taken, thousands, millions... it doesn't matter. What matters is this—not one more. That's what we can do, here, today. It ends with us. They want to know what we're made of? I say we show them, on our terms. Let's bring our people home."

"Fuck yeah, son!" I yelled out once it was silent.

Everyone in the room looked at me.

"What? I was agreeing," I said with a shrug.

Kasumi started giggling and Shepard sighed.

"Okay, okay. Miranda, Thane, and Kasumi are with me," Shepard said.

All of us filed out. My team headed for the airlock towards the rear of the ship while John's headed for the one behind the cockpit.

I pulled my recon hood over my head and pulled out my rifle. "Hey Garrus."

"What is it, Mark?"

"I want you to be my number two on this. You can take Samara, Zaeed, Legion, and Grunt. I'll take Jack, Jacob, Mordin, and Watson."

Garrus nodded. "Okay. May I ask why?"

"Too many people to keep track of. Besides, I need my wingman," I answered, smirking under the hood.

Garrus snorted. "You got it, Mark."

Both teams disembarked, ready for anything.

* * *

**Collector Base, Center of Milky Way Galaxy**

"Son of a bitch!" Zaeed yelled out as he started mowing down Collectors left and right with Watson. I was busy working on the door.

"How much longer?" Garrus asked.

"Just a few more seconds..." I answered. "Got it!"

"Quick! Seeker swarms!" Jacob yelled out.

All of us rushed inside quickly. Tali was already in the room and began to seal the door we came through. Grunt and Legion were covering her.

"We're in position," Shepard radioed. "We need this door open now!"

I tapped Tali on the arm. "Go! We'll cover you!"

She quickly began working on the door. "The door's jammed! It won't open!"

Tali began flying through the door controls before unlocking the door Shepard's team was at.

"Got it!" She yelled as Shepard and his team rushed in.

"Fall back!" John shouted.

Our door was sealed up and I rushed up. "Suppressing fire! Don't let them in!"

The door finally shut and we could all breathe a sigh of relief.

"Nice work, Tali. I knew I could count on you," Shepard said.

"Shepard! You need to see this!" Miranda yelled, causing all of us to turn around.

In front of us were walls lined with full pods. The crew could easily be spotted. On the ceiling was a massive network of tubes, leading away to the central chamber.

Shepard and Miranda were looking at one pod in particular. "Looks like one of the missing colonists."

"There's more over here, Shep," Kasumi said.

John walked up to it and touched the glass. The woman inside began to stir. "My god! She's still alive!"

The colonist inside began to... I wasn't sure what was happening to her, but it was gruesome.

"Get the pods open now! Hurry!" Shepard yelled.

All of us ran to the pods containing the crew and began popping them open. Thankfully, we got the crew out...all of them.

Shepard was holding Dr. Chakwas. "Doctor Chakwas, are you okay?"

"Shepard...? You...you came for us."

He smirked and helped her up. "I'd never leave any of you behind. Plus, we were in the neighborhood."

The doctor snorted.

"Thank God you came here in time," Kelly said. "A few more seconds and I...I don't even want to think about it."

"The colonists were...processed. Those swarms of little robots, they—melted their bodies into a gray liquid and pumped it through those tubes," Chakwas said softly.

"Jesus..." I muttered.

"Doctor, what are they doing with our genetic material?" Shepard asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. I'm just glad you came before it happened to us."

"So are we, but we still have a job to do," added Miranda. "We've done well so far. Lets hope we can finish the job."

Shepard radioed Joker. "Joker, do you have a fix on our position?"

"Roger that. All those tubes feed into the main control room right above you. The route is blocked by a security door, but there's another chamber that runs parallel to the one you're in."

EDI chimed in. "I cannot recommend that. Thermal emissions suggest that chamber is overrun by seeker swarms. Mordin's countermeasure cannot protect you against so many at once."

Mordin scratched his chin. "Hm...biotics could also work."

Shepard glanced from the professor to Samara. "Do you think its possible?"

"Yes...I believe it could be possible. I wouldn't be able to protect everyone, but we might be able to get a small team through if they stayed close," answered the justicar.

"I could do it too, in theory any biotic could," added Miranda. "Shepard, who do want to maintain the field?"

"Samara, you're up," Shepard said.

"The rest of you will provide a diversion by going through the main passage. We'll open the doors from the other side and meet you there. Mark, can you do that?"

I nodded. "Sure. I wouldn't mind giving them the slip again."

"What about us, Shepard?" Chakwas asked. "We're in no shape to fight."

"Commander, we've got enough systems online to do a pick up, but we would need to land back from your position," radioed Joker.

"We can't afford to go back," Miranda said. "We've come too far now..."

John nodded. "Good point but I'm not letting the crew go back alone. Mordin, do you think you can escort them back?"

"Yes," he opened up his omni-tool. "Joker, send landing coordinates. Will meet you there."

"Good. We've got our jobs, lets get to it," Shepard said.

* * *

Similar to our previous run, I had Grunt, Zaeed, Jack, and Watson up front for the attack. It was a simple strategy, but it was effective. Plus, Garrus and I got to pick off whatever Collectors they missed.

After plowing through wave after wave of Collectors, we finally made it to the door.

I pulled out a grenade as they slowly advanced on our position.

I tossed the grenade as far as I could at one of their positions. "Three points ya dirty whores!"

The frag grenade blew up, killing the five Collectors.

"Nice!" Jack yelled.

"John, do you copy?"

"Yeah, Mark. What's your position?"

"We're at the door and we're pinned down!" I replied shooting at the next wave.

"We're coming, Mark. Just hold on!" Shepard replied.

Seconds later the door opened and we filed in. I felt something graze by the right side of my chest as the door shut and leaned against it.

"Whew...just a graze."

"You ok, Mark?"

I nodded. "It's nothing."

Shepard put his hand up to his ear. "Joker, are you at the rendezvous point?"

"I'm here, Commander. Chakwas and the rest of the crew just showed up," he replied.

"Mordin and his group showed up. No casualties," EDI added.

I saw Miranda smirk. "Excellent. Now lets make this count. EDI, what's our next step?"

I turned away from the team and went to the door. "Watson, can you give me a hand?"

Watson walked over to me. "What would like me to do, Mark?"

I turned my omni-tool on and pressed my hand to the door. "I want you to set a heavy encryption on the door lock. I'm gonna set a trap for them once this door opens."

With my hand against the door, I injected a highly explosive gel into the door's opening. Once it opened, it would detonate in the Collectors faces. A micro charge was inserted to ensure that explosion's shape would be directed at the Collectors.

Watson activated his omni-tool and began laying down mines.

"Commander? You got a problem. Hostiles are massing just outside the door. Won't be long until they bust through," Joker said.

"A rearguard could hold this position and keep the Collectors from overwhelming us," Shepard said.

I held a thumbs up. "Don't worry about that. Watson and I just bought us some extra time."

John smirked. "Good."

"Pick a team to go with you, Shepard. Everyone else can bunker down here and cover you."

He nodded. "Miranda, Mark, and Thane, you're with me."

The three of us hopped up onto the platform.

"I'm ready, Commander," Miranda said.

"As am I."

"I'm not," I joked. "Are we there yet?"

John rolled his eyes.

"Anything to say before we leave?" Miranda asked Shepard.

He nodded. "The Collectors, the Reapers—they aren't a threat to us. They're a threat to everything—everyone. Those are the lives we're fighting for. That's the scale," Shepard took a breath. "It's been a long journey, and no one's coming out of this one without scars. But it all comes down to this moment. We win or lose it all in the next few minutes. Make me proud. Make yourselves proud."

"Well said. Let's finish this," Miranda said.

"Good hunting, everybody!" I waved. "Shoot 'em in the nuts for me!"

Grunt let out a loud laugh as our platform pulled away.

"These things again?" I grumbled.

"Yes, Mark. It's these platforms," Shepard said flatly.

"You'd think the Protheans would have installed some kind of safety device on these."

"Indeed," Thane added. "Our last trip on these platforms was...interesting."

I chuckled. "That's putting it mildly, Thane."

* * *

Like many of our encounters with the Collectors, it had to end with taking on two of those Scions.

_At least they went down easier than before._

Shepard walked up to the console and pressed the button. "This is it. All the tubes lead to this spot."

I felt a shiver go through me. "I got a really bad feeling about this..."

John nodded. "EDI, what can you tell us? What are they planning?"

"The tubes are feeding into some kind of super-structure. It's emitting both organic and non-organic energy signals. Given the readings it must be massive. If my calculations are correct, the super-structure is a Reaper," she said with some surprise.

And that's when we saw it.

_I had a feeling this would be bad...but not this bad._

"Not just any Reaper—a human Reaper." Shepard said.

It was a massive...thing. A synthetic/metallic skeletal structure with some dark black plating covering the skull and right shoulder. At the moment, it was just a torso being suspended from the ceiling.

"Precisely," EDI said.

"Well shit..." I muttered.

Our platform docked with several others and we stood there in awe, staring at this Reaper hanging from some sort of orange tubes.

"It appears the Collectors have processed tens of thousands of humans. Significantly more will be required to complete it."

"How many more?" I asked.

"Millions, perhaps more. From what I have been able to gather, this Reaper is at a young stage, an embryo in human terms," EDI replied.

"Why does it look human?" Thane asked.

"It would seem as though the Reapers absorb the essence of the species they capture."

"Talk about a violent way to reproduce," I said.

"Indeed," EDI replied.

Shepard swallowed hard. "This...thing is an abomination. How do we destroy it?"

"The large tubes injecting the fluid are a weak structural link. Destroying them should cause the supports to collapse, and the Reaper to fall."

The familiar sound of platforms powering up began to echo throughout the chamber.

"Give us a second, EDI. We've got some old friends to take care of," Shepard said, aiming his Revenant.

The four of us dove into cover and began firing on the Collector reinforcements. When they finally stopped showing up, we opened up on the injection tubes. You would think for an 'advanced' species that they would have had some extra protection on the tubes aside from some armored shutters.

After I got the last shot on one of the tubes, the Reaper slowly became unhinged from its support. Its eyes were glowing.

"I knew this was too easy," I said.

The Reaper fell and the four of us looked down.

"Shepard to ground team, status report."

"It's Garrus. We're holding but they keep coming. We need get out of here soon!"

"Head to the Normandy. Joker, prep the engines. We're about to blow this place sky high."

"Roger that, Commander."

Shepard reached down and pulled out the Base's power core, contained inside an intricate glass tube.

"Uh, Commander? I've got an incoming signal from the Illusive Man. EDI's patching it through," Joker said.

Miranda turned on her omni-tool and the Illusive Man's holographic projection popped up.

"Shepard. You've done the impossible," he said.

"I was part of a team," Shepard replied in a dull tone. "They've all put their lives on the line for this mission."

"I know. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten. You did what you had to do and you acquired the Collector Base. I'm looking at the schematics EDI uploaded. A timed radiation pulse would kill the remaining Collectors but leave the machinery and technology intact. This is our chance, Shepard. They were building a Reaper. That knowledge—that framework—could save us."

John had yet to turn around as he was still tinkering with the core. "They murdered thousands—millions of people and turned their genetic material into this goddamn Reaper. We have to destroy it." He finally stood up and faced the Illusive Man's projection.

The Illusive Man sighed. "Don't be short sighted. Our best chance against the Reapers is to turn their own resources against them."

Miranda's brow furrowed. "I'm so sure. Seeing it all firsthand...using anything from this base would look like we turned our backs on humanity."

"If we ignore this opportunity, we would be betraying humanity," replied the Illusive Man. "They were working directly with the Collectors. Who knows what information is buried there?"

John snorted. "You're completely ruthless. Next thing I know, you'll be wanting to grow your own Reaper."

"My goal is to save humanity from the Reapers. At any cost. I've never hidden that from you. Imagine how many lives could be saved if we kept this base intact and used its knowledge to thwart the Reapers. Imagine that lives that will be lost if we don't."

Shepard folded his arms. "I have imagined it and I already know what I'm going to do. It doesn't matter what kind of technology we find, its not worth it."

"Shepard. You died fighting for what you believed. I brought you back so that you could keep fighting. Some would say that what we did to you was going too far. But look what you've accomplished. I didn't discard you because I knew your value. Don't be quick to discard this facility. Think of its potential."

John raised a brow. "I have...and you're right."

All of our mouths fell open. The Illusive Man smirked a little.

"You're right that I died fighting for what I believed in. I'm not a tool of the government or anyone else...especially not you. We'll fight and win without it. I won't let fear compromise who I am," he responded and turned around to tinker with the core.

"Miranda! Do not let Shepard destroy the base!" The Illusive Man spat out.

"Or what? You'll replace me next?" She retorted.

"I gave you an order, Miranda..."

"I noticed. Consider this my resignation."

He turned to Shepard. "Think about everything that's at stake! About everything that Cerberus has done for you! You-!"

The Illusive Man was cut off mid rant by Miranda. "I think that's enough of that..."

I chuckled. "God, that was so hot."

Shepard snorted.

"Mark!" Miranda shouted, a blush on her face.

I shrugged. "What? It's true."

"Anyone have a grenade?" Shepard asked.

I pulled one out. "Gimme a sec. I got something better."

John raised an eyebrow as I pulled out a an explosive charge the size of a brick. "What is that?"

"A little something I've been saving for a rainy day. I made this on the way over. It's got some of the explosives from the Trident in here," I replied, handing it to Shepard.

He looked at it. I drew the old 'Kilroy was here' doodle on the bomb. Except Kilroy had an evil grin on his face and both of his hands were turned up giving the middle finger. Above its head it said, 'Mark was here'.

Shepard chuckled. "Had to leave your 'mark' on everything eh?"

I shrugged. "I put everyone's name on the back."

He flipped it over. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

John stuck it onto the core and put it back into the ground.

I activated my omni-tool and sent the activation signal to the 'Four Horsemen'. I would get the results soon but since we were in the center of the galaxy, it would take some time for the signal to reach the Cerberus database.

"Let's go. We've got ten minutes before the reactor detonates and blows the whole station apart," Shepard said.

Everything began to shake...and it wasn't the reactor.

"I knew this was too easy..." I muttered again.

The human Reaper rose up and got ready to attack us.

* * *

"Our ammunition is having no effect!" Thane shouted.

"Then I guess we do this the fun way!" replied Shepard, who took out this Cain.

"Let me give our friend over here something to shoot at," I said, pulling the Eliminator out.

"What are you going to aim at?"

"The chest! You go for the head! Remember: don't shoot until you see the orange of his eyes!" I yelled to Shepard.

I vaulted over our cover and started shooting at the Reaper. "Yeah! You don't like it when I do that don't ya?"

The Reaper let out another metallic screech.

I kept firing away at the protrusion coming out of its sternum when I heard a familiar whine not too far away.

Shepard fired. "Here's a gift from the Normandy!"

The Cain round slammed into the Reaper's eye. The familiar mushroom cloud protruding out of its head as it yelled out. The Reaper began exploding out of various areas before landing on some of the platforms. That's when I saw Miranda begin sliding off of it.

"I don't think so!" I shouted as I holstered the Eliminator and slid down after her.

I was gaining speed as she held her hand out. I almost grabbed her hand before it slipped out. Before she fell, I magnetized both gloves and boots and caught her.

I yelled out in pain as I struggled to lift her up. Miranda grabbed on to the platform and pulled herself up as I helped her. "Thanks," she said.

I demagnetized and the two of us rolled around on the falling platform. I stood up as she held on along with Thane and Shepard.

_Whew..._

In my peripheral vision, I noticed another platform spinning wildly at us.

_Not good at all._

* * *

When I was a child, there was a lake my family and I would go to that wasn't far from the house. It was buried behind a few hills; it was small and private. The water was so clear it you could see straight to the bottom. I would spend my summer days floating in it and staring up at the sky.

That's what it felt like...except now. I snapped back to reality. I felt like I was drowning and my entire body was in pain. My legs felt like they were starting to go numb.

"...Mark!"

_Is that...John?_

"Mark!"

_Thane and...Miri..._

"Over here, Shepard!" Miranda yelled. At least I thought she yelled...everything was muffled.

I could barely make out the three of them they were all blurry and red.

_Red? What?_

I started coughing and I reached for my hood as the three of them tried to fish me out.

"Mark, can you stand?" Shepard asked, as they finally got some steel girder off of me.

I kept trying to reach the seal on my hood. I couldn't get the one on the right...my right arm hurt too much.

"I'll get it," Miranda said.

Both seals were undone and I felt something leaking out. In my dream, it felt like water...but...it wasn't.

It was blood.

"Oh my..." Thane muttered as I started to pull the hood off.

Blood was dripping out of the hood and they all looked at me. I started coughing up whatever I swallowed and spit on the ground.

"Good lord, Mark," Shepard said kneeling next to me.

I blinked. "I'm—I'm okay..."

The world felt hazy and shaky to me. I looked at where I landed. It wasn't anywhere near the platform. All I saw was a blood spot where I was sitting.

_I guess the hood's shock absorbers maxed out and couldn't take the impact._

Miranda scanned me. I barely heard what she said. Something about a concussion, possible compression fractures in my spine...I dunno.

I pulled out my pistol. "Can...can we go home?"

"Yeah, Mark. We're going home," John said softly. He was mumbling something to this other voice on the radio. Joker, I think.

I could make out a deep rumbling voice...probably Harbinger.

Everyone turned and started shooting at those seekers and we all ran.

It was bad enough that I could barely see, but my legs just didn't want to function.

As we ran, I kept hearing Harbinger's droning voice but couldn't make anything out.

"I'd pay...good money. If he'd shut up..." I muttered.

The Normandy appeared in front of us, and Joker popped out of the airlock with what looked like an M-12 Locust in his hands. He was firing away at the Collectors.

Miranda, Thane, and I jumped into the airlock with John trailing behind.

"Shit..." I said breathlessly as I tried to aim my pistol as I leaned against the airlock door.

_Almost...almost..._

A Collector was lining up a shot on John. He never got to take it as I fired off my last round, hitting him between his four eyes.

John leapt at us managed to grab on to the ship. Thane and Miranda pulled him up as I only had one good arm and was out of it. My medical interface was working on the injuries with medi-gel but it was only field work that would keep me functioning...somewhat.

"Holy hell, Mark," Said Joker. "You look like your head just exploded."

"Feels like it..." Muttered as we rushed into the cockpit where EDI was giving us the countdown for the ground team was standing in the hall looking at me in shock. The only ones not present were Mordin, Samara, Zaeed, and Garrus.

I collapsed near the airlock and and sat there as the ship sped away from the base.

Everyone was looking at the monitor and cheered when the base exploded. John patted Joker on the arm and said something.

He turned around and walked over to me.

"John..." I said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Out of danger?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yes. We did it."

I closed my eyes. "Good..."

Everything went silent.

* * *

"Mark! Mark!" Shepard yelled in shock. "Goddamn it! EDI, alert medical!"

Shepard picked up Mark and carried him to the elevator, Miranda right behind him.

"Miranda, what's wrong?" Shepard asked in a shaky voice.

"He's unconscious, we need to get him to sickbay fast," She answered as levelly as she could.

Shepard bit his lip. He knew this was going to be a difficult mission. But the team pulled through, no casualties...at least, not yet.

_No! He's going to make it! Mark always does._

Miranda looked equally as worried but hid behind her usual professional facade.

The doors opened and Shepard and Miranda rushed to sickbay. There were a few crew members being looked at by Mordin, Chakwas, and even Jacob who had some basic medical training.

"Doctor!" Shepard yelled to Chakwas.

"Oh my..." she said. "Put him over here."

Everyone was stunned to see Mark being carried into the med bay...more so that his whole head was covered in blood.

"Mordin, I might need your assistance. You too, Ms. Lawson."

"Of course, Doctor Chakwas."

Shepard stood back and watched as they scanned Mark. Everyone in sickbay was watching in horror as the man who was considered to be the beacon of morale laid there.

"He's unconscious," Chakwas said. "Right now he has a grade three concussion, possible spinal cord trauma from T9 to T12, and a stress fracture in his humerus, including several lacerations on the back of his head and possible punctures on the parietal bone."

Shepard looked at Mark's recon hood. The back of it was torn up pretty badly. It was salvageable, but it didn't look pretty.

_Must have hit something sharp to do this._

"Mordin, Ms. Lawson. Begin treatment immediately," Chakwas said.

She turned to Shepard. "What happened to him?"

"He...I think he fell off the platform we were on," Shepard replied shakily.

"He did," Miranda said. "I saw him fall. It was about...twenty to thirty feet."

"Did you see him land?" the doctor asked.

Miranda shook her head as she helped Mordin get Mark's armor off. "I didn't. Judging by his injuries, it wasn't good."

She sighed and turned back to Shepard. "He's in good hands, Shepard. He'll be fine."

He nodded quickly and walked out, but not before turning to look at his friend.

* * *

Shepard took a few deep breaths in the elevator to try and calm himself down before having one last talk with the Illusive Man. When he got out, he saw a few crew members at their stations. Most of them were on the crew deck, attempting to recover from the trauma of the Collector Base. The interior of the ship looked like hell. Cables and support beams were hanging from the ceiling, some of the lights were flickering...it looked like something out of a sci-fi space battle.

John chuckled to himself. _Well, we are on a space ship._

He walked towards the comm. Room, moving a few cables and beams before walking in.

The Illusive Man was stubbing out a cigarette when Shepard saw him.

"Shepard... you're making a habit of costing me money," he said bitterly, an angered expression on his face.

Shepard snorted. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you brought me back. Or did you neglect to actually read up on me?"

The Illusive Man didn't even dignify that with a response.

"Considering how many lives were lost at that base, how many colony's were laid bare, I'm not sorry its gone."

"They were the first of many lives," replied the Illusive Man. "The technology from that base could have secured human dominance in the galaxy. Against the Reapers and beyond."

Shepard snorted. "A wise man once said that 'Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.' The technology in that base might have been a small boost but we would have been playing into the Reapers hands. Oh, and Human dominance? Or just for Cerberus?" Shepard asked, folding his arms.

"Strength for Cerberus is strength for every human. Cerberus is humanity."

"Keep telling yourself that, Illusive Man. All I see is a man in a fancy suit trying to charm me like some sleazy business man. You can convince the dumb ones, but not me," Shepard replied.

The Illusive Man snorted. "I should have known you'd choke on the hard decisions. Too idealistic from the start."

Shepard smirked. "Again, you neglected to read up on me. You knew what you were getting yourself into. The fault lies with you, not me. Besides, I was never looking for your approval or for you to bring me back. Harbinger is coming and he won't be alone. Humanity needs someone that's actually going to be looking out for them. Frankly, I couldn't give a rats ass what you think about me and I'm gonna keep doing things my way from now on."

The Illusive Man walked right up to Shepard's projection. "Don't you turn your back on me Shepard! I made you! I brought you back from the dead!"

"You didn't make me. My mother and father did. All you did was put me back together, which I could care less about. I did my job. I'm gonna win this war and I'm gonna do it without sacrificing the soul of our entire species. Don't like it? Deal with it," Shepard replied, walking out of the holographic projector.

"God, I've been waiting to do that."

* * *

I slowly woke up in the middle of...

_A park?_

"This isn't the Normandy..." I said to no one in particular.

I looked around and noticed that this wasn't any ordinary park. It was the park in the center of Cygnus County back home!

"Uh, hello?"

No answer.

I sighed and sat on the bench.

"Man...what the hell happened? All I remember is falling and...that's it."

"You took a rather nasty spill, son," said an eerily familiar voice.

"Oh, I hope you're feeling better, sweetie."

_It can't be!_

I turned around and saw the two people I hadn't seen in fifteen years.

"Mom! Dad!"

I got off the bench and ran towards them. Their arms were open, waiting for me to jump in.

We hugged each other and I just cried.

"I—I can't believe its you!" I cried out.

Both of them looked at me with tears in their eyes.

"We missed you so much sweetie," my mother said to me with her thousand watt smile.

"I missed you too, Mom," I replied giving her a hug.

"Don't tell me you're gonna forget about your old man eh?" my Dad replied. He still had that gruff but kind look about him.

I gave him another hug too. "I missed you too, Dad."

"You've grown so much. You even have yourself a scar. Very nice," he said with a smirk.

Mom shook her head. "Just like your father. Except his scar is on his neck, not his face."

Dad shrugged. "I think it gives him character. Clint Eastwood would nod with approval."

"Where—where am I?" I asked. "I'm not dead...right?"

My parents looked at each other and then at me.

"No," Mom said. "You're...in between."

"Oh...that's good I guess."

"Mm...yeah you're in the Normandy's sickbay," Dad said, as he took a seat on the bench. "Your girlfriend's helping the two doctors out."

My eyes went wide. "How do you-?"

"We're dead, sweetie. We do follow you around, you know?" Mom said.

"Except during your private time. By the way, that Miranda is one hell of a gal..." Dad drawled out.

Mom smacked him in the arm.

"Ow! Why did you do that dear? I was complimenting the boy for finding a woman!"

Mom pursed her lips. "Sure you were..."

Dad sighed. "Well, she's got good genes but an even better heart."

I chuckled and sat in between my parents. "I'm glad you two approve," I sighed. "I guess we have a lot to talk about..."

"You could say that," Mom replied. "Fifteen years is a long time."

"Good thing we've got the time then," I said with a smile.

* * *

_So, Mark's in 'limbo' and the Collectors are done. Plus Shepard got to tell the Illusive Man off with some style. Many of you have asked me if this is going to be the last chapter and the answer is...NOPE. I'm still going to keep going. We've got some killer side missions, some filler, and a whole bunch of other stuff. And yes, I will be continuing into ME3...once its out and if I have it._

_Also, all the references I made...I don't own those. I just like using them. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	45. Interlude 12

_Author's Note: Hey everybody! Sorry for the delay. A lot has been going on with me for the past few weeks or so. Anyway, here's the next chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Omega**

Miranda had woken up the next morning, patting the left side of her bed; the spot where Mark would have been sleeping. She had silently wept that previous night after leaving the medical bay. Mordin and Doctor Chakwas performed surgery on Mark to repair whatever damage he had sustained. Thankfully, the damage to his spine was minimal; his suits shock absorbers took most of the impact. However, they would keep him under observation. The concussion was the worst of his injuries. They weren't sure when he would wake up but judging by most head injuries, it wouldn't be long.

Miranda sat on the edge of her bed and sighed. With the events of the Collector Base over, she was going over everything in her mind. She smiled when she remembered how Mark saved her from falling.

_You saved my life, Mark. I...I hope I can do the same for you._

Then Miranda remembered the conversation she had with the Illusive Man. She had served in Cerberus for most of her life. She owed them so much...an un-payable debt. Why did she choose to quit? Miranda left because Mark was right. The Illusive Man was more than willing to throw their lives away, should they fail and replace them with other equally skilled people. Shepard and Mark had both said that she wasn't a tool. Mark had shown her the truth and she had seen it first hand. The 'Dead' Reaper, the Teltin facility, the Collector base. The evidence against Cerberus and the Illusive Man was pretty damning.

She shook her head and stood up, picking out an outfit. "How could I have been so blind?"

The effects of her decision to leave were now hitting her. Miranda felt...relieved in a strange way. She had her own path to choose, just like her sister.

_Oriana..._

Miranda was worried about the Illusive Man possibly coming after her but dismissed the thoughts. He wasn't a vengeful man, but he was still human.

She smiled to herself, thinking about Mark. She loved him more than anything in the galaxy (aside from her sister), and she wanted to help him.

Miranda finished getting dressed and walked out of her room to the med bay with a new resolve.

* * *

Shepard had spent the night in the mess hall, staring into the med bay window, watching Mark. The adrenaline rush of the Collector Base over, he was now supremely worried. He had been ever since he found Mark's body laying in a pile of broken steel supports; more so when he saw the blood covering his head. John had never lost anyone precious in his life. There was the father he once had, but never knew. John's father had died in combat when he was just an infant. Mark was the brother he never had. Seeing him like this just tore him up. He had regretted not being there for Mark after Akuze and after he was sent to a veterans hospital on Earth. Being the Alliance's biggest hero meant never having time to yourself.

John pinched the bridge of his nose. _Well, I'm here for him now...and that's something._

"Morning, Commander," Rupert quietly greeted.

"Good morning, Rupert," replied Shepard.

"Want some coffee?"

"Please."

Shepard never took his eyes off the med bay.

Rupert walked back and gave Shepard his coffee.

"Thanks."

Rupert nodded and looked at the med bay and then back at Shepard. "You really are a hero. No sooner had the Collectors damned and then you show up and pull our sorry asses out of there. You're aces in my book, Shepard. Thanks."

Shepard smirked. "You're very welcome."

Rupert looked back at the med bay. "Is the kid gonna be okay?"

"Doctor Chakwas said he would be fine. He's just gonna be out of it for a while."

The mess sergeant nodded. "That's good."

Shepard replied with a grunt and Rupert went back to his duties.

* * *

I sighed. "Well, I suppose that's everything that's gone on with me since you've been gone."

My mother rubbed my back.

"Although, you two probably knew if you've been watching me."

"We wanted to hear it from your perspective, son," Dad replied.

I smiled a little. "I know its not what you had planned for me but-"

"Mark, honey," Mom said. "That's not important. We're proud of what you've done with your life."

"That's right," added Dad. "Hell, you surpassed your old man with everything you did in the Alliance."

I shook my head. "Even though I joined for the wrong reasons."

"Son, what's in the past is in the past. You changed your reasons later on, didn't you?" Dad asked, knowing the answer.

I smirked. "Yeah. I wanted to avoid another Mindoir. I wanted to help people," I looked down at my feet. "Then Akuze happened...and everything after it."

Mom gave me a hug. "Oh sweetie..."

I sighed. "It was a bad time for me."

"Yeah," Dad said.

"I made some mistakes then, too."

Dad nodded. "Again, its in the past. You've moved on and you faced your past demons."

I nodded as my mother rubbed my shoulder.

"We're so glad that you were able to do that sweetie," added Mom. "It takes a lot of courage to do what you did. That courage is going to come in handy down the road."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me, are you?"

Mom and Dad glanced at each other and smiled before looking at me.

I sighed. "I'll take that as a no."

"Sorry, son," Dad replied with a smirk.

I let out a small laugh. "I had to ask."

All of a sudden, the pain in my head began to grow. "My head..."

"Looks like its time for you to go, son."

"But-"

"It's okay, sweetie. We're just glad that we could talk to you again," Mom replied as she and Dad hugged me.

"We'll always be with you, son. Don't forget that."

"I'll always love you both," I managed to say before the world turned white.

I didn't open my eyes at first, expecting to feel light on my eyes but I didn't feel anything. I opened them slowly, noticing that the lights were off.

Everyone in the med bay was asleep. Chakwas wasn't in here. I put my sunglasses on and checked to see what time it was.

"0530..." I whispered. "Rupert's probably making breakfast...if we have any food left."

I clutched my head. It hurt like hell. "Ugh...what the hell happened?"

I struggled to sit up and realized that my whole body ached. My legs felt tingly.

_I should probably grab some crutches or something._

Slowly getting up, I scooted over to a pair of crutches nearby and grabbed them. There was a strange pull at the back of my head...hell, if felt cold. I touched the back of my head...

"Bandages..." I whispered to myself. "That explains why my head is shaved down..."

I slowly made my way to the door and limped out. The mess area was empty...except for John who was asleep in a chair facing the med bay.

_He stayed here all night? Heh..._

I touched his coffee mug that was on the table. It was still warm. "Probably shouldn't let this go to waste..." I whispered.

Shepard shifted in his chair.

"Rough night?" I asked quietly.

"Hmm...repairs...going to Omega..." John mumbled.

"We're probably there now. I hope we don't plan to celebrate there."

"Ugh...smells bad..."

"Among other things, John."

"Got a point, Mark..." Shepard mumbled before he slowly opened his eyes. "Wait...Mark?"

"Were you expecting someone else?" I asked with a smile.

He got up and gave me a weary, man hug. "You know you're becoming good at the whole, scaring the shit out of me thing."

"I wouldn't be me if I did that," I replied, giving him a pat on the back. "So, uh, what the hell happened?"

John blinked. "You—you don't remember?"

I shook my head. "Last thing I remember was saving Miranda, and then one of those platforms slammed into ours."

Shepard smirked. "Yeah, You didn't have a good landing. When we took your hood off, it looked like someone shot you in the head."

I shivered. "I hope Joker didn't take a holo."

John sighed. "He did..."

I shook my head. "Well, as long as he shows it to me later."

"I think he will..." A door opened nearby.

"Oh my God..."

The two of us turned and saw a surprised Miranda. "You're—you're awake!"

I smiled. "Yeah. Figured I should probably do that."

She smiled and walked up to me. "How do you feel?"

"Sore. How are you doing?" I asked.

"Much better, now, thank you."

Shepard cleared his throat. "I'll just leave you two alone..." he slowly walked away.

I turned to Miranda and smiled.

She shook her head. "You scared the hell out of me, you know."

"Sorry, Miri. If we're stuck on a falling platform, I'll try not to stand up."

Miranda rolled her eyes and gave me a small hug. I returned it.

"Thank you, for saving me earlier," she whispered.

"You're welcome. It was all in a day's work," I joked.

She shook her head. "Only you could make a joke out of something serious."

"Part of my charm. Besides, no one died. I call that a win."

Miranda sighed. "You almost did..."

I brought my hand up to her cheek. "You would have brought me back..." I sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I just didn't expect that to happen to me."

"I know..."

I leaned into her and kissed her forehead. "Well, we're both here and we're alive."

"Ah, there you are Mark," said Dr. Chakwas who just missed the kiss, but was smiling. "And I see you're using the crutches. Good. How are you feeling?"

"I'm sore all over but my legs don't feel very numb."

"Good. If you'll come with me, I'd like to run a few tests before I let you run around," Chakwas said, gesturing to the med bay. I nodded and followed her in.

"Huh..." I said looking at the other people in the med bay. Samara, Zaeed, and Garrus were laying down on the beds along with a few other crew members. Among the crew were: Hawthorne, Gordon, and Rolston.

"What happened to them?" I asked.

Chakwas pulled out a datapad. "The crew or your teammates?"

I sat back on the edge of my bed. "Uh, team then crew."

"Garrus suffered some broken bones in his chest, namely the sternum and ribs. It was the result of a concussion round. One of his broken ribs punctured a lung. He should be fine within a few weeks. Zaeed took three rounds to both legs and separated his shoulder. Knowing how stubborn he is, he'll be up and about in a few days. Samara over-exhausted her biotics. She should be ready after a few days of rest. Of course, she's as stubborn as most of the team, so she'll be out soon enough."

I chuckled.

Chakwas sighed. "I guess I should be lucky that you're one of the few members of the squad that actually listens to my medical advice."

"Lucky me," I replied with a smile.

"Indeed. As for the Hawthorne, Rolston, and Gordon, all three were injured when the Collectors boarded the vessel. Of course being captured didn't help out with their injuries. Mostly fractures and contusions. They should be fit for duty next week."

I nodded. "I guess I wasn't the only one to walk out with some injuries."

"Yes... as usual, you're very lucky to be alive. Not too many people could survive such a fall and still be able to wake up. Now, I'm going to run a few tests. Sit still, please."

"You got it, Doc."

* * *

After getting several batteries of tests, Doctor Chakwas gave me the diagnosis. I wouldn't be cleared for duty for several weeks and I was fine with it. After all of our wacky adventures, I needed a vacation.

"However, you will have to be in the care of a competent professional until you're fit for duty," Chakwas said with a smirk. She had finished giving me the diagnosis.

"You mean, I have to stay here under your watchful eye?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Ms. Lawson will be keeping an eye on you." Chakwas whispered. "I understand that you two are very close."

My eyes widened and the doctor laughed.

"Don't worry. Doctor-Patient confidentiality, but this does confirm the gossip I've been hearing about."

I grumbled. "It was only matter of time before everyone found out."

"It is a small ship, Mark. Word was bound to spread."

"You're right," I said as I stood up and grabbed the crutches. "I'm gonna get some breakfast."

Chakwas nodded. "Oh, and Mark..."

"Hm?"

She smiled. "Thank you... for saving us."

I shook my head. "I just helped doc, but, you're welcome."

* * *

It didn't take long before everyone came out for breakfast. Even the people holed up in the med bay came out. I'd chalk it up to all of us being relieved that the mission was finally over. I sat next to Shepard and Joker. Thane and Miranda were across from us. We were all sharing story's of our Collector Base conquest.

"...And so I told him that I'll win the war, but not by sacrificing the soul of our species to do it," Shepard said.

"Fuck yeah, Shepard," Jack replied with a smile. "You should have brought me along. I wanted to tear him a new asshole."

John got a smirk on his face. "I thought about it but I didn't need any extra swears."

We laughed.

"Up yours..." Jack said half heartedly.

"So you got to tell the Illusive Man off... damn. I wish I saw that," I said with a sigh.

"Well, you can see this," Joker replied, poking me in the arm. His omni-tool was on, showing a picture of me with a bloody head.

"Son of a bitch!" I exclaimed. "I look like I got shot in the head."

"I said the same thing, man. You were popping Collectors left and right. It was awesome."

I sighed. "I wish I could remember that. All I remembered was the damn platform slamming into us."

"Seriously?" Joker asked.

"Yeah. That kind of happens when you have a bad head injury," I replied sarcastically.

"I saw everything," added Thane. Everyone became quiet and turned to the drell assassin. "It was a difficult thing to see but not the first bad landing I have seen."

"So, how did I land?"

Thane looked down at the table for a brief moment. "_The Reaper falls to its death. Platforms begin falling all around. Ms. Lawson falls off. Mark saves her and pulls her up. He stands up. Another platform flies towards us and crashes into us. Mark is launched off, flying away from us. He lands back first onto a pile of debris. The resulting impact causes his head to snap back..._"

"Yowza," I muttered. "I hope my on-board recording devices didn't short out on impact."

"We could check that out later," Shepard said. "Right now, we need to get the ship fixed. How are the repairs coming along, Tali?"

The young quarian sighed. "It's going to be a while, Shepard. Total repair could take up to a month or two. Getting the primary systems and propulsion should take a few days."

"What about hull damage?"

"The hangar deck has several hull breaches. We can use kinetic barriers for now but Omega doesn't have any proper facilities for us to use. Like a...what is the word you humans use? Its another name for a shipyard..."

"Dry dock," Jacob said.

"Ah yes, thank you, Jacob. Omega doesn't have anything like that. The only place I know of that does is the Citadel."

Shepard nodded. "That's fine. As long as we have propulsion and life support, we should be fine until we get to the Citadel." John turned to me. "I believe you mentioned a party at your place Mark?"

I chuckled. "I did. By the way, how did everyone do while we were off killing a mini Reaper?"

"It was goddamn glorious, kid," Zaeed said. "Those traps you laid out scared 'em off at first."

"There were so many explosions..." Grunt said, rubbing his hands together. "I liked it."

"And after they came through, I shot a bunch of 'em in the nuts," gloated Jack.

I laughed. "You actually took that to heart?"

Watson spoke. "To clarify, for most of the Collector deaths, Kasumi, Jack, Zaeed, Grunt, and Garrus, shot 60% of their targets in the groin."

"Sweet," I replied.

My omni-tool started to play the Stone Cold Steve Austin theme. I pressed the display as a few people chuckled.

The display had a simple message on it. "Four Horsemen. Mission Complete."

I laughed.

"What is it?" Shepard asked.

I stood up. "Just have to up to the armory."

"Wait up," Miranda said as she stood up. "Someone needs to make sure you aren't going to hurt yourself."

"Aww..." Jack drawled out. "That's so sweet..."

Miranda rolled her eyes as everyone laughed.

"I wanna see what you're up to, Mark," Shepard said as he got up. Of course, everyone got up. Apparently whatever I was up to was too much.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

The Illusive Man had been stewing in his office since the destruction of the Collector Base. He was upset that the base wasn't kept but wasn't very surprised by Shepard's reaction. Despite everything the Shepard did, he was still humanity's best hope for survival. The Illusive Man was enraged at first. He wanted to kill Shepard and everyone on the Normandy. It took several packs of cigarettes and several bottles of Jim Beam for him to realize that he did exactly what he was brought back to do. Miranda brought Shepard back exactly as he was before he died. The Lazarus Project was a huge success.

Even with the destruction of the Collector Base, there was still a small sliver of hope. Cerberus had the exact frequency and settings for the Reaper IFF and maybe they would get lucky finding something in that debris field.

"Surveillance log from Bug 43."

The Illusive Man took a drag on his cigarette, ready to assume the worst; another dreadful home movie from Mark Sears.

He stared at the screen, seeing nothing but black. The screen suddenly came to life with the image of...Khan...staring back at him.

"Oh damn it..." said Sears. The screen went to static before changing again. Sears was sitting in a chair, his head covered in bandages.

_Looks like Mr. Sears had a rough time..._

"Hello, Illusive Man. Sorry you disappoint you but this isn't another one of my home movies," Sears said with a smile. "I know it seemed a little predictable every time your bugs reported back to you. Speaking of predictable, your little decision to use the base against the Reapers? I saw that coming from a mile away."

The Illusive Man narrowed his gaze.

"Of course, you didn't predict this outcome. We destroy the base, you lose some of your most prized personnel, and a ship full of experimental technology. Such a shame," Sears said, sarcastically.

"I didn't just make this to rub it in your face...wait, I did. I also made this little video to tell you something," Sears leaned forward in his seat. "Those little home movies I made weren't just for fun. There was another reason I made them, along with that little audio bug I toyed with. As you know, the signals have to go somewhere..."

The Illusive Man's eyes widened. "No..."

"Now, I'm a man who respects a deal. Or rather our little...'gentleman's agreement'. It doesn't mean I wasn't going to sit around with my thumb up my ass. I had to play around a little bit with your security. And considering your pompous, 'holier than thou' attitude, I had a good idea as to what kind of bullshit you were going to pull on us. You may be Illusive, but I can read you like an open book. You're probably asking yourself, 'How did he do it?'. Again, the signals had to go somewhere."

The Illusive Man was trying to contact his secretary using his omni-tool, but to no avail. The surveillance log was still playing.

"That's when I slipped in the 'Four Horsemen', a virus designed with one goal in mind: chaos. This was to disrupt your entire network, capture a few files, and wipe said files from your network. I encoded the virus into the previous videos, the audio bug, and the status reports you got from EDI."

Sears sat back and continued, a slick grin on his face. "You may consider yourself to be the 'better man', a man that's above revenge, but we all have our moments. You're still human, anyway. You'll notice that all personnel files and information regarding the Normandy are gone. That also includes funds... a couple million credits I believe."

The Illusive Man was stewing again.

Sears sat forward in his chair. "Unlike you, I don't throw people away when I have no use of them; I protect them. And I will do whatever is necessary to keep them out of your geriatric clutches. You'll get a message in a few moments from one of your people, saying that your network has been breached and is currently down. I just wanted to let you know ahead of time so you would know who it was who had beaten you...again."

The Illusive Man stood up and glared at the screen.

"The Reapers are on their way and we don't plan to disappoint. So you can go back to wearing your expensive suits, conducting inane experiments, and being afraid of what's to come. We're going to win...and then I'm coming after you. It'll make the Reaper invasion look like footnote in the history books. Until we meet again..."

The transmission ended, showing the Outer Heaven logo.

He sat back in his seat as his secretary came in.

"Sir, we have a problem-"

"Our network has been hacked...I'm well aware of that..."

* * *

I sat back in my chair in the armory and laughed.

"Damn Mark. First Shepard and now you. Remind me never to get on your bad side," Jacob said.

"That's impossible," Shepard mused. "Mark's bad side is almost as goofy as his good side."

"Oh ha ha, John," I replied.

"That was great!" said Grunt, who pumped a fist. "You should show me how to do that."

"Can do, little man. But I'm sure you guys have a bunch of repairs to do. I'll teach you in a bit, ok?"

Grunt nodded.

Kasumi sighed. "I guess we have to go back to work now, huh?"

"Yep," replied Shepard. "Come on, we can screw around later."

I laughed.

"Don't even say it..." muttered Shepard.

"Then I'll think it."

The crew grumbled and walked out as the hangar deck needed some temporary patching. Miranda waited for everyone to clear out as I stood up.

"Just how long were you planning your little viral attack on Cerberus?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A little before we picked Watson up. I had the first two stages programmed and sent them through the audio bug. Its running constantly. I should probably turn it off," I reached up to the bug in the armory and disabled it. "I won't destroy this one. Too many fun memories."

Miranda chuckled. "How sentimental...I must admit, that was a rather devious plan. Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "You were still loyal to the Illusive Man. It's not that I don't trust you, its just-"

She raised a hand. "I understand and I'm not bothered by it."

I smiled. "That's good. There's a few things about the files I got...you might want to take a look at them."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's go to your room."

She nodded and led the way out of the armory.

The two of us went into the elevator and waited for the doors to close.

We stared at each other, waiting for the instant that the doors closed, Miranda gave me a small, devious grin. Once they closed, she pressed against me and gave me a deep, passionate kiss.

"Hm..." I mumbled. "I've been waiting for that..."

"As have I...what was it like for you? Being unconscious?" she asked, kissing the top of the scar on my forehead.

"It was...I got to see my parents again. We talked for hours, going over every moment of my life until now. I thought I was dead but they told me I wasn't." I smiled softly. "I got a chance to say goodbye..."

Miranda hugged me. "I'm happy for you. I know how much they meant to you."

"It was strange...It all seemed like a dream but it wasn't."

"That can happen to people who have been unconscious or in a coma for some time. Sometimes they'll be sitting on the line between life and death."

I nodded. "The doc tells me that you'll be my 'caretaker' for the time being," I drawled out.

Miranda giggled and pressed herself against me. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all. I look forward to it."

"Well, if you expect me to dress up in a slutty nurse outfit, you'll be sorely disappointed."

"That would be odd," I commented. "And a little unprofessional for someone like you...but...it does provide a rather interesting visual."

She rolled her eyes but still smiled. The elevator was about to come to a stop and she released me. "I'm going to take excellent care of you. We need everyone in top shape."

It was my turn to roll my eyes as the door opened. "Of course..."

I grabbed my crutches and followed Miranda out as we went to her office. She locked the door behind us.

Miranda sashayed over to her desk with a small smile on her face as she sat down. "Ok. What was the information you wanted to show me?"

I placed the crutches on the side of the desk and made my way over to one of the other chairs behind her desk and sat down.

"Give me a few seconds to sort through it all."

"Of course."

She scooted her chair over to mine, the two chairs almost touching. I felt her left leg slowly rub up and down mine. I glanced over at her and saw a small smile.

"Something wrong?" Miranda asked sweetly.

I chuckled. "No. Just feels really good. It must be a good sign that I'm getting feeling back in my legs."

"I'm glad," She drawled out. "I have to say, coming up with a virus like that in a short period of time is quite impressive. What exactly does this 'Four Horsemen' virus do, aside from the biblical reference?"

"That's a good question, actually. Three of the four 'Horsemen' are basically there to cause as much mayhem and destruction as possible, rendering its target useless. Against something like the Cerberus Network, it probably just crippled it. Honestly, if Watson and I had more time, we could have made it so that the virus would completely obliterate their network."

"I see. So what does the fourth one do?"

I snickered. "That one's my favorite one. It's designed to target specific information, databases, networks, etc. I had Watson help me design it since there's a lot of technical issues that go along with it. Basically, the fourth 'horseman' is there to slip under the radar, obtain whatever information its programmed to get, and wipe the database. If were to solely use that against, say, the Alliance Military's Tactical Network; they would jump to conclusions that the Council or the STG pulled it off. Or if it was against a corporation they would be oblivious. No traces...nothing."

"Impressive." Miranda replied with a smile.

"Thanks...ah, here we go," I said bringing up the information onto one of her terminals.

It was an entire file of reports Miranda had made. Status updates, log entries, crew updates.

Miranda read through all of it. "This isn't very surprising. Most of this was sent directly to the Illusive Man and some of this EDI sent as well."

I scrolled down and highlighted a large line containing messages between Miranda and Lanteia regarding Oriana. There was also travel itinerary for her sister's family which included all destination stop offs and home address.

Miranda's eyes widened. "The Illusive Man didn't redact these?"

I shook my head. "From the looks of it, he didn't. Guess he didn't respect the privacy of his top people."

"So he knows..."

I smiled. "Not anymore. I had some of the search parameters set for everyone on board. We have the original copies of every file Cerberus has on us; they have nothing."

She gave me an uneasy smirk. "But what if he...what if he kept another copy of it?"

I scratched the back of my head. _Damn bandage..._

"I hate to admit it but...I've kept tabs on your sister."

Miranda raised her eyebrow. "For how long?"

"A little before we went to Tuchanka. It wasn't easy looking for her again but my people found her. I had a little contingency set up as a worst case scenario."

She sighed, probably disappointed. "If you can find her then the Illusive Man could as well...anyway, what was your contingency?"

"Move Oriana and her family again. I've got everything in place. I just need your approval."

Miranda eased up a little and gave me a small smile. "Where would you send them?"

"The Citadel. Sometimes the best way to stay hidden is to hide in plain sight," I pressed a few buttons on my omni-tool. "Here's everything I have set up for her."

Miranda read through it all. "Wow...this is...its perfect."

"Good. I was hoping that you would like it."

She gave me a peck on the cheek. "I love it."

I pressed a few more buttons on my omni-tool. "All set. Should be a while before they move in. Besides, the Citadel's got some great schools for her to go to."

"You're so good to me, Mark."

I shrugged. "You're taking care of me and you've done so much to help me. It's only fair, I guess."

She placed both of her hands on my cheeks and pulled me close, giving me a deep kiss. I returned it.

"Mm...as much as I'd like to continue this, I have to take care of a few things...but I'll be back later. For now, you should get some rest."

I nodded. "You got it, Miri."

She helped me stand up. "The fact that you took such a violent impact and came away with a few injuries is just astounding."

"Chalk it up to my morbid luck. Next time..." I said with a grunt as I sat down on the edge of the bed. "...I won't take my grandfather's advice and land on my head."

Miranda sighed. "You landed on your back...the whiplash gave you the concussion."

I shrugged. "Close enough," I laid back in the bed. "Much better..."

She gave me a small smile. "If you need anything, just let EDI know, okay?"

"You got it."

Miranda kissed my forehead and gave me a small wave before leaving the room.

* * *

**Two days later**

With the lingering numbness in my legs gone and my headache slowly disappearing, I decided to help out with the repairs to the Normandy. Most of the hull breaches in the hangar deck were patched, temporarily, of course, until we made it to the Citadel. The engines weren't too damaged leaving only avionics, some computer systems, and minor systems.

At the moment, I was on Omega, having lunch at the Red Star Cafe. I brought Garrus with me since I told him the turian food was good. Of course he managed to make a joke about how it would be impossible for me to know, but I assured him.

The place was virtually empty, as it usually was. I was a little disappointed considering how amazing the food was, but with the instability in a place like Omega, most places that weren't selling salvage or weapons were usually run out of business due to poor sales or used as income by the local gangs.

Valena, Vic's daughter, leaned over the counter and gave Garrus a rather interesting stare.

I raised an eyebrow. _Wonder if that's the turian equivalent of a seductive stare..._

"So, you killed over thirty Collectors..." she drawled out. "That's impressive."

"Well, I can't take all the credit," Garrus replied.

Vic rolled his eyes at the exchange.

"Of course you're going to take all the credit, Garrus," I said with a smirk.

"Mark...can't you see that we're busy?" he asked in an agitated tone.

_I guess I made the right call on bringing him here._

"Yes I do Mr. 'I could only eat food through a tube until yesterday'."

Vic chuckled.

"At least I didn't land on my head."

"What? What happened Mark?" Valena asked me in a concerned tone.

"Oh, me? I fell about twenty feet, landed on my back, got whiplash which resulted in a grade three concussion, and several lacerations. I should note that I was unconscious for a day."

"Oh you poor thing..." she said, making her way around the counter to give me a hug.

I turned to Garrus and smirked. The turian grumbled.

"No hug for me either?"

"Last time I checked G-Man, you've still got some ribs that need healing. You won't be getting any hugs for awhile," I said.

Valena let go of me and gave Garrus a kiss on the head. "There. All better."

Vic sighed. "Geez, sweetie..."

She giggled. "Sorry, Dad. I just want my friends to feel better."

"Yeah, yeah..." Vic said waving his hand. "Hey Mark, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

He glanced at Garrus. "Does he know?"

"Yeah. He's cool."

"Okay...look Valena and I are going to be moving out of here. Business has been terrible lately. And with everything that's gone on around here...I just want to protect my family."

I nodded. "Sure. I understand. Where are you heading?"

"The Citadel. Maybe try to bring the Red Star there. I just wanted to clear it with you-"

"Again Vic, I understand your decision," I leaned in. "Frankly, I'd rather have you in Citadel space anyway. It's your old stomping grounds anyway."

"I'm glad you're fine with it," the old turian said, giving me a small smile. "I thought you had a guy on the Citadel."

I shook my head. "Nah. I've been so busy with the whole Collector thing that I wanted some people to spread out. But with the events that have happened in the past few days...I'm not so sure anymore."

"The Reapers are actually gonna come here? How?"

I sighed. "I have no idea," I glanced at Garrus. "We kept them from coming through the Citadel two years ago. We killed the Collectors, preventing them from annihilating the human race and using our genetics to build a Reaper..."

"Sounds like you guys have done everything you can. So we just wait?" Valena asked.

"We have to," answered Garrus. "It's their turn to move."

"And of course, there's Cerberus," Vic added. "You gave 'em the slip and now they'll be after you."

"Bring it on, I say. We've dealt them a heavy blow already. Considering their tenacity, their network might be up soon." I said. "Anyway, when are you two moving out of here?"

"By the end of the week," Valena said. "I can't wait."

I chuckled. "Well, that's good. Thanks again for the meal."

The two of us got up and paid and walked out.

"Bye Garrus. Hope to see you again soon!" Valena yelled.

Garrus waggled his brow plates at me.

"You too, Mark!"

I chuckled and waved back.

Garrus shook his head. "Human women, asari, and now turian women...what is it with you?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you. Besides, she's had a crush on me since I met her."

"How long have you known her and her father?" Garrus asked.

"About five years. Vic used to be a great source of info when I was on the Citadel. He moved out here about three years ago and opened up that restaurant."

"What reason could he have for moving to Omega?" Garrus asked incredulously.

"If memory serves, it was because there weren't a lot of freelance informants. Everyone was aligned to someone. Well, that and the turian councilor's rise to power. Every time the news came on he was saying something that pissed Vic off."

"Well, I'm happy for them. This isn't the best place to live."

"No shit," I replied giving Garrus a small smirk. "I think Valena likes you."

"What can I say?"

"That you have reach, loverboy?" I answered with a laugh.

"I sure do. She seems flexible..."

I sighed. "Among other things..."

"Such as?"

I bit my lip. "Well, I know it seems a little taboo amongst turians, but she happens to be a biotic."

"Oh...I don't mind," Garrus said with a wave of his hand. "They're not as demonized as they used to be. Plus, I've heard about some interesting ways they can use them..." He looked at me with a funny look on his face.

"Why are you giving me that look?" I asked flatly.

"Nothing...aside from Miranda taking care of you. Among some other colorful rumors."

I snorted. "I'm sure you'd like all of the details..."

"I would, actually."

"Too bad," I replied with a smirk.

We continued to walk towards our ship when the two of us saw a rather interesting sight. It was Aria T'Loak and five of her guards walking toward us.

Garrus and I gave each other puzzled looks. The 'Queen' of Omega stopped in front of us.

"Ah...Mr. Sears. Can I speak to you for a moment?" she asked in a tone that would have sounded sweet if you didn't know who Aria was.

"I'll...uh...see you at the ship, Mark," Garrus said, slowly walking away.

"Oh...yeah. Thanks for staying..." I muttered dryly.

Aria chuckled. "Don't worry. I just want to talk."

I glanced around and saw several people stop to watch, figuring that I was some poor bastard who crossed her.

"Out here, Aria?"

She shook her head. "My place."

"Oh...ok..."

"Walk with me," she said. It sounded more like a demand, but I complied anyway.

I pulled out a lufar cigarette.

Aria glanced at me but paid no mind. "You look like you've been through hell."

"I feel like it too. Ever fall twenty feet before?" I asked, before taking a drag.

She gave me a small laugh. "Once. It was many years before you were born. But after looking at the Normandy, I know you all went through hell."

"Had a talk with Shepard, I see."

"Of course. I'm the one who pointed him towards several friendly merchants who could help get the materials he needs for repairs," Aria replied as we turned down an alleyway.

"Figured as much. Don't want anyone to know you're helping him out...well, above the table anyway."

"Yes," she said with a small smirk. Aria punched in a few numbers on her doorpad and I turned away. Three of the guards stayed outside and I walked into her apartment. It was probably nicer than any place on the station. Hell, it looked even more luxurious than my place on the Citadel.

"Hm...nice place."

"Glad you like it. You should be honored. Not many people get to see it."

I sighed. "I hope you didn't bring me here for 'recreational' activities, Aria."

She gave me an evil smirk. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Another time perhaps. Why did you bring me here?"

Aria took me by the hand, leading me into the living room and over to a couch nearby. She looked at her guards. "Wait outside the room."

They nodded and closed the door.

I raised an eyebrow. "Hiding your sexual urges until the guards leave?" I teased.

Aria rolled her eyes. "If its sex you want, better luck next time."

"I've heard a lot of interesting things about you Mr. Sears. Some of the basic information I'm aware of, others were hard to find," she stated as we sat down on her plush couch. "Your little war with the Illusive Man is one of the more entertaining things I've heard."

I smirked. "I'm glad that I have a fan. And a famous one, at that."

Aria let out a small laugh. "Aren't you the charmer?"

I snorted. "Not even..."

She stood up and went over to a small bar nearby. "Want a drink?"

I waved my hand. "No thanks. I'm still taking pain meds. They don't work well with alcohol."

"That's a shame. It's usually more fun that way," replied Aria.

"Maybe for you, but I knew some people who died that way."

She shrugged. "Each to their own," Aria returned to her seat on the couch next to me. "So, Shepard saves the galaxy and brings his attractive friend along with him to help...sounds like something out of a vid."

I chuckled. "You had to add attractive didn't you..."

Aria shrugged. "It's not hard to notice it. Then again, every asari seems to notice. Every time you've set foot in my club, I've seen it. They all gravitate towards you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, you've certainly lived up to your reputation. Beautiful and deadly."

She laughed. "That's what I'm known for."

I folded my hands. "So, I trust this isn't just a social call, huh?"

"Sharp as always, Mr. Sears. As you may be aware, I know what goes in and out of my station. Unfortunately, some things tend to slip through the cracks."

"So you want my assistance?"

"Yes. Your organization, Outer Heaven. You have more to offer than the Shadow Broker and at better rates. The Broker's been making some unusual moves lately."

I nodded. "He's been doing it for the last two years. We don't know what's going on either. It's as if the Broker has an agenda of his own aside from leveling the playing field."

Aria nodded. "That's why I'm coming to you."

"You're turning to Outer Heaven because we're cheaper?"

She crossed her slender legs. "From a business perspective, yes, but your organization offers something most don't: loyalty and honor."

I scratched my cheek. "I dunno about that. We're all dedicated towards keeping the galaxy safe and working towards a future where we're all united instead of divided. I'll admit, that vision is a little idealistic and crazy but, that fits me well."

"Indeed. What does your group think about Omega?"

I snorted. "I can't speak for all of them, even if I am the leader."

"Then improvise. You're good at that, aren't you?" Aria teased.

"Honestly? It's not my favorite place in the galaxy. One of my contacts is leaving, actually..."

"Who? The turians that run the Red Star?" She asked. "I already knew about them."

I shook my head and sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."

"I wouldn't be a good leader if I didn't know what spies and informants were on my station. I am a little surprised that you didn't have anyone infiltrate my inner circle. Goddess knows the Shadow Broker has tried repeatedly."

I smirked. "Let's just say from a business point of view, having you be in charge works out a lot better than...well, anyone."

Aria laughed. "Oh, and how does it work out for you?"

"There's a few status quo categories I'd like to keep. You being in charge is one of them. Any alternatives that I could think up wouldn't be good. Like the crazy batarian 'prophets' I see everywhere."

"Good point."

"Plus, I see no need to infiltrate your organization. I see no point in wasting good people by throwing them into the black hole known as 'Afterlife'. If they want to go of their own free will, go ahead, but if they go in to try and figure out something as trivial as what you had to drink today then its a waste of energy and manpower."

"Smart. I can see that Omega's 'golden rule' is known far and wide," she replied with a grin.

I shrugged. "I call it common sense. No offense, but what you do here on Omega doesn't concern Outer Heaven. If you started massacring people like a despot, we'd step in, but someone as smart as you wouldn't do that."

Aria sat there, keeping that small smirk on her face. I figured it was some sort of mask or whatever since this was something of a business talk. I continued, remembering a funny story Wrex once told me.

"If my guess is right, even if you did start massacring people on this station, it wouldn't be the first station you've done it on. Not innocents, of course..." I said with a smirk.

She shrugged. "There's a lot of legends about me out there. I wouldn't put much thought into them, but they do make me sound...epic."

"No argument here. Except this story was from a krogan, who's a friend of mine."

Aria sat back in her chair silently.

"He said that he was hired to kill an asari commando who knew too much about this volus diplomat. He told her about it and they shared a laugh. So out of respect, the two of them go to some abandoned salarian space station filled with mercs and pirates and go through the whole station, almost destroying the damn thing."

Aria raised a brow, her eyes widened slightly.

"She was in the med bay patching herself up, when he tried to break down the door. As luck would have it, the core of the station was going critical, so he escaped. The asari sent him a message minutes later saying-"

"Better luck next time..." Aria finished.

"My friend's name is Urdnot Wrex. He's also a good friend of Shepard's. Helped us out two years ago," I said. "Of course this story took place years ago when you went under another name..."

Aria chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned..." She leaned forward. "How in Goddess' name did you figure it out?"

"Sheer luck, and a few statements you made to Shepard; Not the first krogan you've pissed off, going by many names to outrun salarian paperwork, disappearing instead of killing a friend, and of course 'better luck next time'. It was a hell of a gamble."

"I sure know how to pick 'em..." Aria sat up. "So, have you talked to Wrex lately?"

I nodded. "We went to Tuchanka a while back. He's trying to unite the krogan."

Aria blinked. "Wow. He was always so bitter about what happened to them...what changed?"

"Shepard has a gift of the silver tongue. I helped out a little, too..."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Figures that the galaxy's greatest hero and his best friend would do that."

We were silent for a while. "Wrex was right about a few things," I said. "Most criminals or warlords would use a civilian populous as a source of income or cheap labor. You're different. You actually value life behind that mask of yours. Making an agreement with you...lets just say it was on Outer Heaven's table from the start. I just had to know for certain if your intentions were genuine."

Aria stared me down. "You're quite the mastermind. I would have said that you would do well in this world but...you're too pure for it," she glanced down at her drink. "It changes you for the worst..."

I nodded. "I can believe that," I held my hand out. "You've got my help. Do I have yours?"

"Of course." Aria shook my hand as we stood up.

"What kind of information are you looking for?"

Aria tapped her chin. "Cerberus. What can you tell me about them, aside from their whole 'pro-human agenda'."

I looked at her right in the eyes. "Never negotiate with them...ever. No matter the sum of credits, no matter the offer of weapons and tech, you don't negotiate. Once you do, you're in the Illusive Man's clutches. You're on equal footing. You're a means to an end for him," I said as I uploaded some information to a datapad on her table. "If you ever fall into that trap, just remember that he's planned ahead. And expect him to double cross you or undercut you."

Aria looked at the datapad. "This is rather extensive..."

"Hm..." I mumbled. "May I ask why you want information on them?"

"Considering your actions near the Omega 4 relay, I expect them to flood into my backyard and into my station. I just want to prepare accordingly."

I nodded. "Good."

She got up and led me to the door. "If you ever see or talk to Wrex...tell him I said hi."

I smiled. "I will. He'll probably laugh his ass off when he finds out what you're up to."

"That's what I'm hoping for, Mr. Sears."

"Call me, Mark," I replied. "Please."

She shook her head. "Okay, Mark. Nice doing business with you."

"Likewise."

I walked out of her apartment and went back to the Normandy.

* * *

**En Route to the Citadel, The Next Day**

I was slowly starting to fall asleep with Miri draped all over me. I thought it was kind of cute when she did that. It was as if she was afraid that being with me was like some kind of dream so she had to hold on tight.

_Not like I can complain too much...she's all warm and smooth._

I smiled a bit as I started to drift off...and then Miri's terminal started to beep and flash. I sighed and wriggled out of Miranda's grasp.

"_Incoming video chat from OrianaL,_" the screen said.

"At one in the morning?" I whispered. I shook my head and put some pants and a shirt on and walked over to the terminal.

Pressing the button, I quickly put my shades on. _Hard to think I could get blinded by a damn computer screen._

"Hey sis—how—wait, you're not Miranda," said Oriana, her face appearing on the screen in front of me.

_She's even cuter up close...so to speak._

I chuckled. "Nope. I'm Mark, your sister's boyfriend."

Oriana's face lit up. "I remember you from Illium! Wow...its good to see you again. You're Mark right?"

I nodded and smiled. "That's me."

"Randa told me all about you," she said with a grin. "I had a good feeling about you two."

"You did?"

"Uh huh. Well, she _was _checking you out the whole time. And you couldn't keep your eyes off of her."

I scratched the back of my head. "It's hard not to...well you too but...ah..."

Oriana giggled. "Thanks. Anyway, is Randa around?"

"She's sleeping...you do know what time it is, right?"

"Sorry...I forgot."

Miranda mumbled something in her sleep. "Mm...Mark..."

Oriana's eyes widened. "Um...ok..."

I chuckled. "See? She's asleep and dreaming about me."

She sighed. "So I can tell...Anyway, you look like you got hurt. Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Still recovering from a fall I took. Your sister's been taking care of me."

"That's good," she replied with a smile.

I smirked. "Oh yeah...she's been taking 'good' care of me."

Oriana shivered but giggled nonetheless. "I don't want the details."

I faked a sigh. "Too bad. You might learn something..."

She shook her head.

"So, how are things going for you?" I asked.

"Pretty good. My parents got new jobs out here on the Citadel, so we moved again. I can't really complain. The place we have here is way nicer than the one we had on Bekenstein; its bigger too."

I smiled. "That's good. How's school going?"

Oriana shrugged. "Okay, I guess. My grades are good its just..." she sighed. "It's kind of embarrassing..."

"Oh?" I asked teasingly. "Do tell."

"There's this guy in one of my classes..." Oriana grumbled. "He kind of reminds me of this other guy that I went to school with before I moved. Randa somehow knew everything about him...which was creepy."

"She's just looking out for you."

"I know...but its a bit excessive, you know? She had like a library on this guy."

"Yeah that's a bit excessive...but she's still getting used to the whole, being a sister thing."

Oriana bit her lip. "I know...hell, I am too. We look so much alike!"

"I know. That's..." I could feel a grin appear on my face. "That's just great."

Oriana just laughed. "You're so terrible!"

"If I'm terrible, why are you laughing?" I teased.

"Because its funny!"

I laughed along with her. "Well at least you get my jokes. Miri just rolls her eyes at me."

"Aww...you have a nickname for her...that's so sweet!" gushed Oriana. "But we got way off track...oh yeah! There's this guy in one of my classes. He's like, really hot and I want to ask him out, but I'm kind of afraid to..."

"Does he notice you?" I asked.

"A little...he's my lab partner in my Genetics class. I thought I caught him trying to look down my shirt once."

I chuckled. "What's his name?"

"Brian..."

"Well, the easiest thing is probably to just be yourself. Don't be up front, be subtle. Get to know him first," I said with smile.

"Wow...thanks! That's actually better than asking Randa..." Oriana shifted her eyes left and right. "She tends to copy and paste advice articles."

"Oh geez..." I replied smacking my forehead.

Oriana giggled.

"Consider yourself lucky that you got a guy's perspective on this."

"I do. Thanks, Mark. I'll try," she replied with a smile.

"Mark...who are you talking to?" Miranda sleepily mumbled.

"Hm? Oh I'm talking to your sister," I replied.

"What?" Miranda asked out loud, quickly getting dressed.

Oriana and I laughed. She couldn't see her sister, thankfully, but she could her various curses and sound of clothes being ruffled.

"Damn it! Where's my shirt? Or bra for that matter?"

I shrugged. "You threw them in a fit of passion. Here," I took my t-shirt off and threw it at her.

"Hello!" Oriana yelled out, eyeing my shirtless figure.

I chuckled. "Like sister, like sister."

Miranda grumbled. "Out of the chair."

"Fine. Nice talking to you Oriana," I typed up my email address and screen name up. "If you ever want to talk to me, that's where you can reach me."

"Thanks! It was nice talking to you too!" she said, giving me a wave. Miranda gave me a smile as well.

"I'm gonna get some sleep. I'll let you two have a family chat," I said with a wink.

I climbed into bed and slowly drifted off.

"He's great, Randa. He's even hotter up close...and shirtless."

"Ori!" Miranda yelled as her younger sister laughed.

* * *

_There you have it. Hope you liked 45._


	46. First Dates and Old Friends

_Author's Note: Heyo! Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Had a lot to try and put together for this one. I'm glad I finished it on my birthday of all days, so think of it as a little gift! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula**

"Ah, ye olde Citadel," I said, leaning on the back of Joker's seat. "How I missed ye."

Joker snorted as we slowly made our way towards the massive station. "What's with the 'old timey' speech?"

"Don't ruin my moment, Joker. The only thing missing is some sort of whimsical orchestral piece."

"Would you like me to place some classical music, Mark?" EDI asked.

"Uh, sure, EDI," I answered. "Thanks."

Seconds later, 'Never Gonna Give you Up' began to play.

"God damn it!" I yelled shaking my fists. "You stole my bit!"

Joker laughed. "I taught her that one."

"I learn from the best," EDI added.

I shook my head and chuckled. "Now that was good."

Joker pressed one of the flashing buttons on his console. "Citadel Tower, this is the Normandy, carrying Spectre Agent Shepard. Requesting permission to dock at a drydock."

There was a pause on the line. "We will need confirmation from Shepard."

"I'm here," John said, surprising Joker and I. Shepard gave his authorization code and we docked.

"I dunno...I mean, yeah we're safe here but we've got a repair crew coming," I said. "What if they spot our A.I friends?"

"There should be no problem with that," Shepard reassured me. "They can't enter without my permission and most of the repair crew consists of drones and robotic arms."

I nodded as Joker pulled the ship in. "At least they respect privacy."

"I'm more concerned about meeting with Anderson. What if the Council brushes us off again?"

Joker snorted. "They'd be stupid if they did that. We've got all of the footage from our trip into the relay and back."

"Yeah. And we've got that frozen Collector corpse," I added.

John shuddered.

"We should bring it along. I'd love to see the look on their faces when they see it first hand," I said with a smirk.

"Same," replied John. "For now, shore leave. I believe there's a party at your place."

"Righto, good sir. Joker, you want to come along?" I asked.

"Eh, just for today. I don't want to leave my baby, you know."

"I figured as much."

Joker pulled us into the drydock without a hitch. I was glad to be back 'home'. Even if this was the 'calm before the shitstorm', as Joker aptly put it, I was going to enjoy every second of it.

* * *

**Apartment 358, Presidium Ring, Citadel**

"Holy fucking shit, Mark," Jack said as she looked around my place.

I chuckled. "That's the best description I've heard of this place."

The squad followed me into my apartment. The ones that hadn't seen it were impressed. I even gave them a small tour. In the end, it turned out to be the whole squad. Even Miranda. She whispered to me that she hadn't seen everything yet.

"What is this room?" Samara asked.

"Oh, that's my music studio. Back in the day, Shepard, myself, and a friend of ours had a band. We were pretty big during the academy," I replied.

John shook his head and everyone turned to him.

"I didn't know you played an instrument," Garrus said.

Shepard shrugged. "No one ever asked. I do have interests you know."

"What did you play?" Kasumi asked.

"Bass guitar. Mark taught me how to play."

I shrugged. "I thought it would be a fun thing to do."

"Who played the drums?" Jacob asked.

"Oh our buddy Warren did," I said. "I can play them too, but he's leagues beyond me."

"Warren...what?" Jacob asked again.

"Rogers. Warren Rogers," Shepard answered.

"The 'Butcher of Torfan', was in your band?" Zaeed asked. "Unreal..."

"What happened to him anyway?" Jacob asked. "He sort of disappeared after Torfan."

I sighed. "He's getting out of Fort Armstrong soon. Striking a superior officer."

"Damn..." Jacob trailed off.

Kasumi slipped her arm around Jacob. "Do you think you guys could play for us?"

John and I looked at each other.

"What do you think, Shepard?" I asked. "Should we dust off some 'Invictus' classics?"

He chuckled. "Let's stick with some covers. I don't feel comfortable doing out classics without our whole band."

"Good point. Playing to a track of Warren isn't the same without him here."

The two of us stepped into the playing area. John picked up a bass guitar and plugged it in.

"I still can't believe that you managed to get all of this stuff," he said, gesturing to my equipment.

"You'd be surprised at how many people like two hundred year old amplifiers and instruments. Just because everything is digitized doesn't mean it'll retain that classic sound."

"Yeah," John muttered as he plugged the bass into its respective amplifier.

I pulled out my guitar, a custom made PRS Hollowbody 2 in a black gold smokeburst. The body of the guitar was made out of koa with a mahogany neck and Brazilian rosewood fretboard.

John whistled. "Every time I see that guitar, my reaction is the same...hot damn."

I chuckled. "My ancestor had good taste."

I plugged the guitar into an old Mesa Boogie Mark 5. Also handed down from my ancestor.

The two of us started to warm up.

"Haven't played in ages," John said.

"Well, hopefully you didn't forget how to play 'Come Clarity'."

"I didn't. Don't you worry. You ready?"

I nodded. "Let's do it." I looked into the studio. "Okay, the backing guitar and drums are of course on a track. Everything else, including vocals is live. Got it?"

Everyone in the studio nodded.

I activated my omni-tool and started the track: Come Clarity by In Flames. I would play guitar and do vocals. John would play bass and do backup vocals. Warren would do backup vocals as well...I remembered that he would be released in a few days. I'd have to go to the moon and pick him up. I haven't seen him since the academy days. More importantly, I needed to find out what drove him to striking another officer. People always assumed he was a loose cannon when they looked at him, but he wasn't. There was more to this.

By the time John and I finished the song, everyone applauded. It might not have been their cup of tea, but they seemed to have enjoyed our performance.

After Shepard and I finished up, I continued the tour and after that, the party started.

* * *

Everything was going perfectly. We had great drinks, great food, and great entertainment. Kasumi was a killer bartender and Garrus had some hilarious stories from his C-Sec days. There was so much going on...

"Mark, is this a picture of you?" Tali asked, giggling a little. She was pointing to a large picture above my vid screen. It was of my old unit and every single one of us, except for the women, had mohawks.

"Oh yeah! That's me in the middle," I replied as a few people looked at the picture and laughed.

John walked up behind me and laughed. "It's strange seeing you with a mohawk."

"That was a good day..." I said. "The reason why we cut our hair was because Nohman," I pointed to the man in the middle of the second row. "his wife was about to have a baby and there were some complications. So as a good luck thing we all 'hawked up'."

"What happened to his wife?" Tali asked.

"Oh she and the baby pulled through. Perfectly healthy. And I had a pretty cool hairdo for a while."

Miranda chuckled as she came up behind me. "How is that cool? Frankly, I think you look ridiculous with a mohawk."

I snorted. "That's your opinion."

Garrus stared at the picture. "You humans and your hair...I don't understand it..."

"You mad that I had a cool 'fringe' back then?" I jokingly asked.

Garrus shook his head. "You must have been a teenager to think that looked cool."

"I was. I was sixteen," I replied.

"Lied to join the military, eh kid?" Zaeed added. "Don't blame ya. I did the same thing."

"I've got more drinks here!" Kasumi shouted. Various cheers went up among the crowd. I had made the offer to everyone that if they were too drunk to go back to the ship, they were welcome to stay. Part of me was worried since there were a few potential heavy drinkers in the crowd. Namely, Zaeed, Jack, and Grunt.

I held my drink up. "A toast..."

Everyone turned around to face me. "To a successful mission and good friends..."

"Here, here." Everyone murmured.

"...and to those who weren't able to return to their homes..." I finished.

Shepard nodded as did everyone else.

"Now, lets enjoy the calm before the storm shall we?"

And then party got into full swing.

* * *

The party turned out as well as I had hoped. A few people stuck around to sleep it off. Shepard stayed in one of the upstairs guest rooms. Jack was bombed out on the couch and oddly enough Garrus was sound asleep in a recliner in the living room.

I was in my room with Miranda. For the sake of not waking up our guests, we decided against having our usual 'late night exercise'. I laid back in my bed and looked out the window.

"I must say, you know how to throw a party," Miranda said, as she walked out of the bathroom, wearing some white, lacy, panties. "Haven't had that much fun in ages."

I turned my head and gazed at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She bit her lip when she noticed my stare. "It's a shame we have guests here, or else we would be having some fun of our own right now."

Miranda slowly made her way into the bed and sat on top of me. I smirked. "I know...what a shame. We'll have to make up for it later."

I gently pulled her close to me and kissed her on the lips. She happily returned it.

"Mm...I can't wait..."

"You know..." I started. "With the Normandy getting repaired and with this recent bit of downtime, we have yet to go out together. Just the two of us?"

"Mark Sears, are you suggesting we go out on a date?" Miranda sweetly asked.

"Sure. How about tomorrow night?"

"I'd love to."

I smiled. "Hopefully tomorrow night we'll get to make up for our lack of...night time exercises."

"I hope so," Miranda said. "Because if our date goes sour, there might be some problems," she finished in a playful tone.

I rolled my eyes. "That would really suck, Miri."

She giggled and rolled off of me. "It would. Frankly, I'd like to see how you would act when we're not saving the galaxy."

"Same here," I said, my hand tracing circles on her back. "On the ship, you do nothing but paperwork and be serious. Except when we're together, of course."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "I'm the XO, it's my job."

"And my job is to shoot things, hang out with Shepard and Watson, and visit you for a romantic evening of sex."

She snorted. "Which is why a first date would be perfect for us. We just...we couldn't do that on the ship. I'd never hear the end of it from Jack."

"You already hear it from Jack and Kasumi. We suck at hiding it."

Miranda sighed. "It's difficult."

"At least we get to let it out in private," I said with a smirk.

"We do...and I love it...and you."

"I love you too, Miri, and all the things we do."

I embraced her and kissed her deeply.

* * *

The next morning was funny in its own right. Garrus and Jack were nursing some serious hangovers. Watson and Legion were puzzled as to why organic beings would 'ingest poisons and listen to loud music as a way of entertaining one self'. Shepard came downstairs and seemed perfectly all right. Most of our evening was spent retelling our wacky adventures with the squad and the pranks we would pull off. Watson and I smoked Joker at a few video games. And Mordin gave us all a bit of medical advice when it came to the morning hangover; graphic details and pills were involved which managed to creep everyone out. Thane didn't stay for too long as he promised his son that they would meet up later on. I didn't mind, of course. It was his son, after all.

I made breakfast for everyone, except for Garrus since I didn't know how to make turian food, but I did get some for the party and he had that for breakfast.

"Mornin' cheerleader. What are you doing here?" Jack groggily asked.

"For your information, Jack, I had too much to drink last night and stayed here," Miranda replied with a small smirk.

Strangely enough, the two of them had gotten along since we left Omega. When I asked Miri, she told me that she apologized to Jack for what she had said to her after Pragia. Jack took it about as well as she normally did, but Miranda said that she had a strange look in her eyes.

"Not so loud..." Garrus grumbled.

"What?" Shepard asked loudly. I chuckled but Garrus and Jack silently cursed Shepard.

"I don't believe you, cheerleader. Where did you sleep last night?"

"One of the guest rooms."

"I didn't hear you come down."

I cleared my throat. "Actually..." I scratched the back of my head and looked at Miranda who looked at me with wide eyes. "Miranda was really drunk and took advantage of me last night. She made a very serious, and convincing argument. It was all in an elaborate bullet pointed presentation."

Shepard laughed. Jack and Garrus shook their heads but smirked anyway.

Miranda rolled her eyes at me. "Thanks for that, Mark."

"Anytime, Miranda."

She folded her arms. "They probably think I did sleep with you."

Jack snorted. "Cheerleader, everyone on the ship's known about you two for a while now."

Miranda's mouth opened. "What?"

"Why are you acting surprised? People were gonna find out anyway," Jack continued. "Besides, I could hear you two before we made it through the relay."

Miranda smacked herself in the forehead and blushed.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Eh, don't worry about it."

Breakfast was finished in relative silence.

* * *

**Presidium, Citadel**

By the time the evening arrived, I could feel the butterflies start to move around in the pit of my stomach. I was sitting on the top of my couch, tapping my foot, waiting for Miri to get dressed. I got a new suit, one that was eerily similar to the one John had, but had gold buttons instead of silver ones and a maroon shirt.

"Miri, you almost done?" I yelled to the bedroom.

"Yes! Just hold on!"

I sighed. _Why do they always take so long?_

"Okay. I'm ready. What do you think?" Miranda asked uneasily, as I turned around.

My eyes widened as I saw her. She did the same when she saw me.

Miranda was wearing a silky, backless dress that was the same color as her eyes with slits that went up from the knees to the middle of her thigh. She had diamond earrings on and some light lipstick.

"Wow," I breathed out.

"Do you...like it?" she asked, a small blush on her face.

"I love it! You look gorgeous in it, Miri."

She smiled. "Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself. It's good to see you wearing something more...modern."

I chuckled. "Glad you like it, but I've never been comfortable in a suit. Probably comes with being raised on a farm."

Miranda smirked. "Still, you look very handsome. Now, where are we going out to eat?"

"That's a surprise..." I replied as I took her hand. "Come on. I'm sure you'll like it."

She rolled her eyes. "I swear, if its one of your usual places..."

"It isn't," I replied quickly.

We left the apartment and took a cab to the Presidium. I had gotten some reservations to one of the best restaurants on the station. It was an expensive and exclusive place.

_Good thing I've got some connections._

I sighed and relaxed as the cab took us to the Presidium. Miranda scooted closer to me.

"It feels so strange. Not being in a ship," I said.

"I agree. Although, we are technically inside of another ship. It just can't travel anywhere," Miranda cheekily replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Well that and it feels good to not be moving around. I haven't stayed at my apartment for a long time, a week at most."

"We should have plenty of time then," Miranda smiled. "The Normandy's repairs should take a month or two at most."

I chuckled. "I look forward to it."

The cab pulled up to the restaurant and we stepped out. Miranda's mouth fell open.

"You got us a table at Cassiopeia?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Why?" I teased.

She sighed and shook her head. "Do know how long the waiting list is to get in?"

"I guess its pretty big..."

Miranda leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "How did you pull this off?"

"I know a guy..."

She rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised. Still, I've heard great things about this place."

"Me too. That's why I picked it. I wanted everything to be perfect."

Miranda took my hand. "Well, you've gotten things off to a great start. Shall we continue in?"

I smiled. "Yes, lets."

We walked into the restaurant, and were immediately seated after giving our reservations. Our table had an excellent view of the rest of the Presidium. Cassiopeia was by far the nicest place I had ever been in. I felt awkward being here, to some degree. Miranda, not so much.

"Something wrong, Mark?" Miranda asked.

I shook my head. "I've just never been in a place like this before, being surrounded by the upper class, you know?"

She nodded. "I'm used to it. Of course, that comes with my upbringing."

"I'm not sure I'd get used to being waited on hand and foot."

Miranda smirked. "I hope you don't. It tends to change people."

I grunted in response as the waiter came to take our drink orders.

* * *

The two of us had a great time at Cassiopeia's. Miranda didn't have too many stories to tell, she just wasn't as social as I was. It wasn't that she didn't like to talk, it was just that her past was not very happy. She wanted to hear about my adventures and about my wild academy days with Shepard. Most of the stories I told about him made her laugh. I mean really, who would expect the savior of the galaxy to pull pranks? When we finished our meal, Miranda went off to the bathroom while I sat at the table and paid the bill. That's when I felt a strange twinge in the back of my head. It was as if someone was watching me.

_Oh great...its her..._

I glanced around the room, looking to see if she was here. I didn't have to look far as Eviana approached the table.

"Hello Mark," she softly greeted.

I scowled at her, not responding.

She sighed. "I know there's nothing I can say to make what happened between us better."

"Try apologizing," I flatly replied. "It won't completely forgive you, but it might help.."

Eviana blinked and looked down. "I'm sorry. I never wished for any of this to happen. It's just...Lucius just reminded me of you and..."

"Yeah I know, but he wasn't me."

"Yeah..." Eviana looked around. "I noticed that you've moved on. I'm happy for you. What's her name?"

I blinked. "Miranda."

Eviana smirked a little. "She looks lovely."

"Yeah..." I replied, glancing out at the Presidium.

She cleared her throat. "How did you two meet?"

"On the Normandy. Until now, she used to be with Cerberus."

"Wow..." Eviana said, taken aback. "Did you turn her?"

I shook my head. "She knew my views and had seen my evidence. It only took the Illusive Man to make her see what Cerberus was really about."

"So you succeeded."

"Yeah. The Collectors are dead, and humanity gets to live another day...but the Reapers are still coming. And that means the Council is probably going to bury our real evidence," I let out a grim laugh. "Unfortunately for them, I've got copies and a lot of good connections."

Eviana chuckled and put her hand on mine. "No doubt. I hope you stick it to them."

"Oh...hello there," Miranda said as she approached the table. "Do you two know each other?"

I cleared my throat and quickly pulled my hand away from Eviana's giving her a small glare. "Miranda...this is Eviana..."

Miranda shot her an icy stare. "I see..."

It suddenly felt colder as she stood next to me.

"Well, we should probably get going..." I muttered. Turning to Eviana, I nodded. "Eviana..."

I took Miranda's hand and the two of us walked out of the restaurant. Once we were outside, Miranda turned to me. "I want an explanation. Now. And don't tell me she tripped or something stupid like that."

I sighed. "Of all the places in the galaxy, she had to be there."

"Give me an answer!" Miranda demanded.

"She spotted me the same way she always does..." I started. "I didn't know she was there until I sensed her. Don't ask me why but I can tell when someone's following me. Its a strange feeling."

She folded her arms, glaring at me.

"It's not like I planned this, Miri! I'm done with her. She cheated on me!" I said.

"I know but... every situation we've been in where there's an asari, they always go to you..." Miranda trailed off.

I raised an eyebrow.

She took my hands and looked me in the eye. "Mark, I need to know if you really...if you..."

I kissed her passionately on the lips. "Miri, despite what happens to me, you're the only woman in the galaxy I love."

Her eyes shimmered. "Thank you, Mark. I love you too."

"So," I started. "Wanna go back to my place for a nightcap?"

"Of course."

The two of us got into a cab, heading back to my apartment. I started to chuckle as we started to pull away from the restaurant.

"What's so funny?" Miranda curiously asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to attack her."

She rolled her eyes. "She is a Spectre, after all. I doubt either of us would have a chance against her. Still, I would have liked to have slapped her silly."

"I would have liked to have seen that."

"Next time perhaps. If so, I'll be sure to dig out the swim suit," Miranda joked.

I chuckled. "Naughty girl."

"I'm surprised that you didn't blow up at her after everything she put you through."

I shook my head. "I couldn't. I went over everything in my head for the day we would run into each other. I saw her again and...it just disappeared."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "What changed?"

"I remembered something my mother once told me. She told me to never spend your entire life being mad at someone. It takes more strength to forgive than to live in anger. I haven't forgiven her yet, and I don't know if I will. However, she sort of brought us together and she apologized."

She sighed. "After all of that and you're still calm about it. You amaze me sometimes."

I shrugged. "It's who I am."

"Did you accept her apology?"

"I did. The difference between her and most people is that she genuinely regrets it. However, she made her bed and now she has to lie in it."

"Yes." Miranda replied as she looked out the window.

"Awkward meetings aside, did you enjoy our little date?" I asked.

She turned to me and smiled. "I did. The food was as good as extranet said it was."

"I had fun too. Seeing you in that dress... I don't think I'll forget that image any time soon."

Miranda bit her lip. "Storing that along with the image of me naked?"

I grinned.

She leaned into me and whispered. "You'd like to get me out of this dress wouldn't you?"

I chuckled in response.

"Don't worry, I want to get you out of that suit and cap off this perfect first date."

The cab pulled up to the apartment and we immediately darted inside.

* * *

**Fort Armstrong, Luna (Earth's moon), Sol System, Local Cluster**

Today was the big day. My old friend, Warren was getting out. I took a shuttle out from the Citadel to get to the moon. I was early, as usual. Miranda didn't mind that I would be gone for most of the day, she was visiting with her sister. Since our first date a few days ago, the two of us seemed inseparable. We had spent so much time together, learning about each other, and just having fun together. It was nice. The Normandy's repairs were coming along nicely, and Shepard ended up getting a private meeting with the Council. I, of course, would be in attendance.

In the meantime, I was waiting at the gate of Fort Armstrong, waiting for Warren to walk out.

I looked up, through the dome and saw the Earth, the same way the astronauts did back in the 20th century. I wasn't sure why but being on the moon always felt special to me. Maybe it was because I was doing something that my ancestors never got the chance to do.

The gate opened up and I turned around.

And out walked Warren Rogers, once regarded as the best biotic the Alliance had ever seen, and my friend. He was a lot bigger than your average soldier, standing at around 6'6. He had a bald head, dark brown skin, and a black beard that was far more scruffy looking than the last time I saw him. He had tattoos up and down his arms, most of them were random, not sleeved tattoos; he even had a Tenth Street gang tattoo on his back. Warren was wearing his old dress uniform, the jacket unbuttoned.

I smirked as he walked towards me.

"Mark."

"Warren."

He chuckled and shook my hand. "Its good to see you again."

"Likewise, War Machine," I replied as we walked away from the prison.

Warren sighed. "Damn do you look different."

I tapped the scar on my face. "Yeah. One guess where I got this."

He nodded. "Hm...I suppose we got a lot to talk about."

"No shit," I replied as we continued walking down the street.

Warren snorted. "Still got that smart ass sense of humor, I see. Good."

"And you still look like a badass."

He rolled his eyes. "You remember that place we used to go to after training up here? That burger joint?"

"Oh yeah, Apollo Burger."

"Can we go there? I'm fuckin' starving man."

I chuckled. "You bet. Lemme guess, prison food is as bad as the urban legend goes, right?"

"Hell yeah. I used to weigh 250, since I've been in prison, I've lost like, 30 pounds."

"Did you at least hit the weights?" I asked with a smirk.

Warren chuckled. "Been there, done that."

We walked into Apollo Burger and ordered immediately.

* * *

The two of us went over the past few years of our lives. Neither of us had seen or spoken to each other since we graduated from the academy. The funny thing was that we weren't surprised about how our careers went. I ended up having a decorated unit, a good rank, and some stability. In one fell swoop, it was taken away from me.

As for Warren, he was considered to be a 'troublemaker', like Jacob. The only difference is that Warren had no ideological reasons behind it, he just didn't trust the people in charge. That's why he remained as a Lieutenant for his whole military career. Just because he was an orphan living on the streets of Detroit didn't mean that he lacked common sense or intelligence. He worked himself out of a bad situation with the Tenth Street Reds and made it into the military; even made an officer. Warren always thought it was because he was a biotic and got preferential treatment, like other biotics. I never believed it. He was gifted in his own right.

"Well, shit Mark," Warren said, halfway done with his fifth double cheeseburger. "That's gotta be one of the most...well, I feel terrible that I couldn't help ya out then."

I shrugged. "It's ok, Warren. You and John were on duty and I needed to get back on my feet."

"Still...going through all that...I'd have taken the easy way out too, but you've got some strange luck on your side."

I chuckled. "It's helped out on more than one occasion. Anyway, what about you?"

Warren raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Torfan. I heard a lot of stories about it but you know how the media is," I replied before taking a bite out of my bacon cheeseburger.

Warren sighed. "Where do I start off?"

"How about the attack?"

"Ok. Well, Major Kyle had us drop down in front of the entrance of one of their underground bases. It wasn't just batarians on that fucking moon, there were all sorts of bad dudes down there. We rolled in with two god damn carrier group when we hit that rock."

I nodded.

"So we set down and nab a bunch of the guys on the surface, hold 'em prisoner and stuff. We lost maybe half to sixty percent of the company, but the main HVT's (high value targets) were deep underground. We interrogated the guys on the surface..." Warren trailed off and looked up at me. "One of 'em starts talkin' to me. Says his group was the one responsible for the Mindoir raids..."

I stopped eating and met Warren's eyes. "What?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He wasn't the lead guy though, the guy in charge of this group was underground with the Elysium masterminds...Solen Du'Kaht. That was his name."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Du'Kaht. I'm familiar with the name. A former member of the Batarian SIU, and founder of the gang 'SV 2160'." (The year the Batarians were ousted from the Skyllian Verge)

"So what happened?" I asked.

Warren snorted. "Those fuckers weren't going to give up, even if they were captured. Major Kyle was already losing his nerve at the losses. I made the order to go after them and we did. Seventy five percent of the company was lost but the targets were killed."

"A heavy price to pay..." I muttered.

"I killed Du'Kaht myself. He needed to pay for what he did to you. I figured, better me than you. Revenge changes people, you know," replied Warren.

"Thanks man..." I said with a small smirk. "But...how did you end up in prison?"

"I swear, after Torfan it was like a god damn witch hunt to get me. Sure, I was turned into a pariah to some degree but the higher ups gave me a pat on the back. Major Kyle's replacement was an incompetent bastard. He was gonna have me sent to the stockade for massacring surrendered criminals. One thing led to another and he ended up in the hospital in an ICU. I ended up in prison for six years and a dishonorable discharge. His connections were better than mine..." Warren sighed. "Had to be the nephew of a member of Parliament..."

I chuckled as did Warren.

"Well, you're out, you're free. What do you plan on doing now?"

Warren shrugged. "No friggin' clue, kid. I hear you've got a good gig, saving the galaxy with John. Think he'll mind another hand, even if it is an ex-con?"

I laughed. "Well, we've got an ex-con that's part of our crew, she's a hand full at times but other than that, I think he'd approve."

"Good. It'll be nice to get 'Invictus' back together," he replied with a smirk.

"Ah yes...getting the band back together," I mused.

"On a mission from god?"

"Helping out an old friend."

Warren snorted. "You're such a sap."

"Whatever you say, Batman. Come on, let's go to the Citadel. I'll get you settled in."

We paid and walked out.

_Just like the old days._

* * *

_And here comes Warren! I mentioned him way back before Grunt's loyalty mission. I modeled him off of Ed from MGS4 and his voice is basically Greg Eagles (guy who played the DARPA chief and Stillman in MGS1 and 2). For those of you who don't remember or don't want to look back to that chapter, Warren is an Earthborn/Ruthless/Nemesis (Adept specialty class)._

_Also I threw a small nod to my writing partner in crime **stnemele** with the name of the fancy restaurant on the Citadel. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and sorry for the wait (again)._


	47. The Band is Back Together

_Author's Note: Yep, I know its been a while. Work's been keeping me busy...and xmas, of course. Anyway, here's the newest chapter, the next 'calm before the storm'._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula**

I spent most of our trip explaining the situation to Warren, namely what Shepard and I have been up to over the last two years. Explaining the political situation, the Reapers, Cerberus...it was a lot for him to take in.

Warren rubbed his forehead. "So as far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned, this whole Reaper thing is a bunch of bullshit...I could see why. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi vid."

I chuckled. "Believe me, it's real. We've killed two of them so far and it wasn't easy."

"You made it sound easy."

"Well, it wasn't. And since you're out, you'll get a chance to see for yourself. Imagine a ship that makes the Destiny Ascension look like a frigate and is shaped like a squid."

Warren raised an eyebrow. "That big, eh? Sounds like good challenge."

I snorted. "I believe you saw the news reports about the attacks."

"Yeah. Hard not to miss something like that. It's all anyone on the block talked about for weeks."

"And on top of that, these things emit a kind of signal that slowly brainwashes you to serve the Reapers."

"God damn. How long does it take for this...what did you call it?"

"Indoctrination."

"Yeah that. How long does it take for it to set in?"

"Depends on the individual. Might take hours or weeks."

Warren grabbed his water bottle. "Then there was that whole thing you mentioned about Cerberus."

I nodded. "Yeah."

He took a sip and set the bottle down. "Just for doing all that on Akuze, that's reason enough for me to take 'em on."

I smirked. "Now you know how I feel."

"I do. Blowing up eezo tankers over colonies and kidnapping kids just to help human biotics? I've done some bad shit, but that's just insane," Warren said shaking his head. "Hell, they actually came to me once when I was in prison."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're shitting me?"

Warren shook his head. "I'm serious. This messenger or agent or whatever wanted to recruit me. Said I fit the bill." He snorted. "My ass...they offered me all sorts of things; full pardon, credits, you name it, they were ready to offer."

"I take it you said no."

"Damn right I did. As far as I knew, they were just some black ops wing of the Alliance that went rogue. Or at least, that's what I had heard. Besides, they seemed like a bunch of corporate assholes and those Terra Firma hicks put together. I'll take prison over being in some cushy job any day."

I chuckled. "Good to know," I took a look out of the window of the passenger shuttle we were on. "How long has it been since you've been to the Citadel?"

"Never been," Warren answered as he leaned back in his seat. "Spent most of my time out in the Verge stomping mud-holes in pirates and mercenaries. This'll be my first visit to the Citadel."

"I think you might enjoy it."

He shrugged. "Maybe."

I smirked. "Still being negative I see. Glad to know something's haven't changed."

Warren snorted. "It's not being negative. If I was negative, I would have said, 'No, its going to suck and everything sucks'."

I laughed. "You were like that during the academy though."

He rolled his eyes and smirked. "Thank god that phase of my life is over with. I dunno how you and John could stand me then."

"John couldn't. You guys always got into some huge argument..."

"...and you always broke it up."

"I'm the Zen Master, that's why. Trying to phase me is a difficult task," I said folding my arms.

Warren snorted. "I can think of a few instances where the 'Zen Master' lost his cool."

"Hey, sometimes you can't hold it in. I'm only human, sue me."

Warren chuckled and looked out the window at the purple hue from the nearby nebula. "Well bend me over a chair and call me Mary...that's the Citadel?"

I snickered. "Yep. Funny, I said the same thing when I first came here."

"I'm sure you did..."

"You ever get that in prison?" I asked jokingly.

Warren rolled his eyes. "Ah, funny...another prison joke. Go ahead, get it all out. You get one more."

"Did you carve 'Brooks was here' on your cell wall before you left?" I asked with a smirk.

He snorted and started to laugh. "Yeah, I did."

"Awesome," I replied with a laugh.

The pilot of the shuttle came over the intercom. "Attention passengers, we will be waiting for approximately fifteen minutes while we wait for permission to dock. We apologize for the inconvenience."

A few grumbles could be heard throughout the cabin.

I shrugged. "That's the Citadel for you."

"There's always delays here?" Warren asked as he looked out the window.

"Yeah. When you're dealing with all sorts of traffic and over thirteen million people, there's bound to be some traffic issues."

"Heh...just like home I suppose."

"Pretty much. Its more like a big city than a station."

Warren grunted and nodded. "Makes Arcturus and Jump Zero look microscopic."

"Not even Omega is this big," I replied.

"Never been there either. What's it like?"

I tapped my chin. "I suppose its like those stories you told me about Detroit. Except Omega's on a larger scale and there's no real law and order to speak of."

"Ugh...great," he sighed. "Its gonna be weird going here...only time I've ever dealt with aliens was when they were shooting at me."

"No fear of that here. Unless we end up meeting John. Things tend to explode around him these days."

Warren chuckled. "Might keep things interesting."

I sighed. "Not when it happens on a near daily basis."

* * *

The two of us got out of the shuttle once it docked and made our way through the crowded streets of the wards. Warren seemed a little uneasy as we walked down the street. His kept shifting around, looking at everyone around him. It was easy to understand. He spent his whole life living on Earth, only seeing other races like the asari or turians in textbooks or vids. And in his military career, most of the people he saw were batarian mercenaries or criminals.

_Well, its his unfamiliarity with other races, or his prison paranoia._

Warren snorted. "What, these people never seen large, black man before?"

I chuckled. "And here I thought you were being paranoid."

"I am paranoid, damn it. Feels like everyone's watchin' me."

"I don't think these people see too many tall humans around. Just try to ignore it."

"Uh huh."

We continued to make our way through the wards, looking for a clothing store. Warren didn't have a lot of civilian clothes and what he did have probably didn't fit anymore. We passed by a group of asari talking in front of a restaurant. They all seemed to giggle when we walked by.

"Let me guess, that was for you right?" Warren asked dryly.

I sighed. "Some things never change..."

"I guess not. What is it with you and asari anyway?" Warren asked as he chuckled.

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

He gave me a sly look. "You ever nail one?"

I rolled my eyes. "Once. Had an asari Spectre for a girlfriend for awhile. Long story short, she cheated on me."

"Damn. Sorry man. Guess there is a double edged sword for that huh?"

"I guess," I replied quietly. "At least it worked out for me in the end."

"What do you mean?" Warren asked as we walked into a clothes store.

"I met this woman on our mission to stop the Collectors. She used to work for Cerberus..."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"I'm not. We were rivals at first and then some things happened and...well, we're together."

Warren chuckled. "Look at you, kid. You're a god damn ladies man now. What's she look like?"

I scratched the back of my head. "You'll meet her later."

"Ah, ok."

I changed the subject. "Don't worry about the clothes, I'll cover you."

"Seriously? I got like seven years back pay-"

"It's least I can do man. Besides, you'll probably need your creds for later on."

Warren shrugged as the two of us went around the store. He picked out some clothes and I covered for him. They even let him walk out wearing his new clothes. He had on a pair of some modern cargo pants, work boots, and Detroit's EUCC team t-shirt. Even if it was an extra large, it still looked like a muscle shirt.

"Feels good to be wearing normal clothes again."

I nodded. "I never understood why they made the dress uni's so scratchy."

"Mine was always tight," Warren grumbled.

"They don't get many soldiers as big as you."

"True. So, where we going next?"

"My place. I got a guest room you can use," I replied.

"Damn...what are you some kinda millionaire now?" he asked, surprised.

"Let's just say my days as a private detective paid off."

Warren frowned. "I doubt that. You're too worried about doing the right thing to charge a ton of creds."

I chuckled. "You know me too well."

"You get all those credits for being the head of that group you were telling me about?"

"Somewhat. The rest was from when I got out of Walter Reed when Z and Murph helped me get back on my feet. Got a high paying, easy job from the Shadow Broker himself."

"Shit. If I ever need some extra chits, I'll give you a call."

"Or I can give you a job," I replied with a smirk. "What do you say?"

Warren raised an eyebrow as he looked down at me. "I'd like that."

"Well in that case, welcome to Outer Heaven," I said, slapping him on the back. "You're now the third military power of our little group."

"What does that mean?"

"There's you, me, and Watson."

"That giant geth you told me about."

"Yeah," I replied as we headed for my apartment. "You'll get to meet him and Miranda soon."

Warren grunted. "Is she hot?"

I snorted. "What kind of question is that man?"

"I'm just asking," Warren replied holding his hands up.

I scowled. "Don't even think about making a move."

"Dude, why would I? She'd probably be reluctant to want to be with an ex con anyway."

I sighed. "To answer your question, yes she is."

"I'll take your word for it."

The two of us chuckled as we headed home.

* * *

**Apartment 358, Citadel**

"God damn..." Warren breathed out as he looked around my place.

"I take it that you like it."

"Hell yeah I do! This place is huge!"

I chuckled.

"So, where's my room?"

"Upstairs. First door on the left."

Miranda walked out from the office near my workshop. "Oh. Welcome back, Mark."

Warren raised both eyebrows and leaned over to me. "Is that who you were telling me about?"

"Uh huh."

"Nice job, kid."

I cleared my throat, trying not to laugh. "Oh, Miranda. This is Warren Rogers. Warren, this is Miranda Lawson."

"Pleasure to meet you," Miranda said with a slight nod. "Mark has told me a great deal about you."

"Nice to meet you too, Miranda."

Miranda turned to me. "Oh Mark, Shepard wanted you to meet him on the Presidium in a half hour for the Council meeting."

Warren raised an eyebrow. "Council meeting?"

I shrugged. "I can make a convincing argument."

"That and you tend to have a short fuse with them," Miranda joked.

"That too," I sighed. "Well, I should probably get ready for the meeting then. Uh, Warren. Your room is at the top of the stairs, first door on the left."

He nodded as I went into my room to change. When I came out, I looked to Warren. "Sorry I gotta cut out early, but I'll be back in a bit to show you around and stuff. Any questions you have, you can ask Miranda."

He nodded and I turned to Miranda. "See you later, Miri."

"Bye Mark," she replied with a small smile.

* * *

Warren watched his old friend walk out, leaving him and Miranda in the room. He rubbed the back of his head and sat on the couch. "Hope its fine that Mark's letting me stay here."

"Of course. I don't have any problems with it," Miranda replied.

Warren nodded.

"Mark has told me a great deal about you."

"He always was a good story teller."

Miranda stared at him. Warren seemed uncomfortable, glancing around the room, taking everything in.

"Would you like a drink?" Miranda asked.

He shook his head. "No thanks. I just want to sit down for a bit. Been running around all day."

"I understand."

Warren looked at the picture above the large vid screen. The picture of Mark's old squad. "All these years have passed and so much has changed. Even Mark."

Miranda didn't reply as Warren seemed lost in his own world.

"I always thought we'd all end up staying in the Alliance. Instead, I get put in prison. Mark ends up losing everything again but now, he's got this place, his own organization..." Warren chuckled. "I get out and he gives me a job, a place to stay, and some new clothes. And after the way I treated him and John years ago..."

"What do you mean?" Miranda asked.

"I was a real dickhead back during our academy days. Mark was probably the first friend I ever had, John too, even if we were rivals at first. They're better friends than I deserve..."

"You can always make it up to them."

Warren nodded. "Yeah. Not everyone gets a second chance. That's probably the only advantage prison gave me; it gave me time to reflect. Of course, when you spend most of your time in solitary, it helps."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "You got into trouble while you were in prison?"

"Nah. When you're one of the few biotics that's gone through the Nemesis program, they want to keep you away from the rest of the population. I didn't care. The bastards in there did worse shit than I did."

Watson walked into the living room. "Greetings."

Warren snapped around. "What the fuck?"

"It's ok Warren, this is Watson. Mark told you about him, right?"

Warren stood up and looked at the large geth. "Yeah... its just... god damn you are a big son of a bitch."

Watson looked down. "You are Warren Rogers, former Second Lieutenant in the Alliance military. Considered to be one of the best biotics in Alliance history. Mark has told us about you."

"Huh... nice to meet you too..."

* * *

**Citadel Tower, Council Chambers**

Before we went up to the Council Chambers, Shepard, Mordin, Legion, and I went up to the Alliance Embassy to talk with Councilor Anderson before we met with the entire Council. Needless to say, Anderson was a little shocked to see Legion and see some of our evidence regarding the Collectors. The good news was that Udina wouldn't be present to offer his 'sound advice' since this would be a classified debriefing.

We walked into the Chambers, Mordin carrying a large duffel bag containing part of our evidence.

Anderson stood with us instead of taking his spot next to his three counterparts. The Councilors themselves were a little taken aback by the presence of Legion.

"Commander, I suppose there is a reason that you brought a geth with you..." Councilor Tevos said uneasily.

"There is. This is Legion," Shepard replied gesturing to the geth. "We encountered him during our mission..." John went on to tell the Council how we picked him up, and the geth's internal conflict.

"Shepard, you do realize that you may have doomed us all by given them more numbers?" Councilor Valern chastised.

I grumbled. "Good to see that you're still as short sighed as ever."

Valern was about to shout a reply when Councilor Tevos held her hand up. "Enough, both of you. I would like to keep this as civil as possible considering our last meeting."

"You got it, Councilor," I replied.

Valern snorted in response.

The salarian councilor spoke. "As interesting this idea sounds, there is no guarantee that the geth would attack again."

"We never wished for conflict with organics. We only wish to improve ourselves," Legion simply replied.

The councilors looked at each other.

"Understood," Councilor Tevos said. "What about the Collectors?"

"They're all dead. We discovered the reason why they were taking entire human colonies," Shepard started. "They were using our genetic material to create a human Reaper."

Valern snorted. "Shepard, you do realize-"

"Oh for fuck sake, not this again," I said. "Do you know how much evidence we have? It's enough to rub in your face from now until the end of time."

I activated my omni-tool, bringing up various images of the Collector Base interior, exterior, the Collectors themselves, and the Reaper.

The councilors sat in an awed silence, looking at all of the pictures.

"I've never seen this part of space before..." the salarian councilor said.

"That's because its the galactic core, councilor," Shepard replied. "The base was located at the edge of the accretion disk."

"I've got our whole raid on the base on video if you want to see it," I added. "It's kind of long though."

Councilor Tevos looked closely at one of the images. "May I ask why you elected to destroy the base? The technology inside might have been valuable."

"Yes..." added Valern in a sour tone. "The Collectors reportedly had some highly advanced technology. Something that could have been very valuable for the rest of the galaxy."

John looked as cool as a cucumber as he looked at the Council. "Funny, the Illusive Man said the same thing. Only that he wanted to keep the base to secure human dominance throughout the galaxy. I made a judgment call, which is what Spectres are supposed to do. If we're going to beat the Reapers, we don't need use their own technology, which is exactly what they wanted us to do."

"Sovereign said this on Virmire," Legion added. "Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire."

"Exactly. We've been doing fine as it is, and after the attack on Citadel, we've developed better technology to combat the Reapers," Shepard said.

The Councilors looked to each other before Tevos nodded. "Your judgment is sound, Commander."

"What about the Collectors?" asked the salarian councilor. "What did you find out about them?"

"Ah. Can explain," Mordin interjected.

"Professor Solus, it is good to see you again," the salarian councilor replied.

Mordin nodded. "Yes. Likewise. Mark, need your help."

The professor gestured to the duffel bag. We all knew what was inside of it; the Council didn't. The two of us picked it up and dropped it onto the table in front of the Council. I unzipped it.

"By the Goddess!" exclaimed Councilor Tevos.

"Spirits..."

"Say hello to the Collectors. Or rather, Collector," I said, gesturing to the slightly frozen corpse of the Collector.

Mordin began to rattle off various biological facts to the Council. They seemed a little lost, but curious.

"So what exactly are they?" Valern asked.

"Protheans," I answered. Their eyes widened.

"It can't be!"

"It is, but they're not Protheans as we know it. These are indoctrinated," I explained.

"Shepard, you annihilated the last of the Protheans!" Valern spat out.

Mordin shook his head. "No, no. Protheans already dead. Collectors just final insult."

"Please explain, Doctor Solus," the salarian councilor said.

"Indoctrinated to serve Reapers. No organs. No glands. No reproductive organs. No intelligence. All replaced by tech. Only Prothean on genetic level."

I turned to the professor. "Did you carry that thing all the way from the ship?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I just thought they were heavier."

"Lack of organs makes them lighter."

I scratched my cheek. "Then why did you need my help getting it on the table?"

"Old age. Need help on occasion."

"Ah..."

Councilor Tevos cleared her throat. "I trust you also have evidence to back up these claims?"

"Oh yes. Very thorough," Mordin replied.

The salarian councilor rested a hand on his chin. "Dr. Solus is one of the finest minds in the field of biology and genetics. I see no reason to doubt his claims. Especially when the proof is splayed out in front of us."

"You can keep that one. We've got another. Consider it an insurance policy in case you decide to bury this investigation...again," I added.

"More blackmail, Mr. Sears?" Valern dryly asked.

"Not exactly. You can't sit back and dismiss the fact that nearly five million people were kidnapped and killed by the Collectors. And you can't blame it on the geth since we already fixed their issues," I replied by folding my arms. "Aside from dozens of other colonies, here are the two we investigated: Freedom's Progress, 912,000 people; gone. Horizon, nearly 650,000 people; a third of the colony was taken. It would have been more if we didn't stop it. And the people that did survive on Horizon? They're witnesses. You go public and tell the galaxy it was the geth or pirates, then how are you going to shut up the rest of the planet?"

The councilors looked at each other.

"If you do try and sweep this under the rug, you won't even need me to spoil the surprise. The Horizon survivors will call bullshit and any cover up attempts will be shot to hell. They hate the Alliance enough as it is out on the frontier and they don't trust you. They'll be more than happy to tell the story to anyone with a microphone and a camera," I finished.

"Then we are at an impass..." grumbled Councilor Tevos.

"Not necessarily, Councilor," Anderson said. "We can simply say the matter is still under investigation by the Spectres and all pertaining evidence is still under review."

"A sound plan," said the salarian councilor.

"We've given you all the details and evidence you wanted. Even with the Collector threat gone, I'm not done just yet. The Reapers are still coming and we're going to stop them."

"And before you try to shut it down, again..." I started. "Just note that added into that little data packet we gave you are a list of over a dozen planets we found out in the Terminus. All of those were former garden worlds and all of them show the same exact signs of a mass extinction event. They weren't destroyed by comets, asteroids, or some massive war."

"Yes. All analysis taken confirms same damage Sovereign caused on the station two years ago," Mordin added. "Reaper extinction events are fact."

Councilor Tevos sighed. "Then we will need more time to confirm these findings. Thank you all for coming forward with this. Commander Shepard, we will see to it that you are commended for your actions. This meeting is adjourned."

And with that we left, leaving the Council in their chambers to mull over our mountain of evidence and reports.

* * *

**Apartment 358**

John sighed as the two of us approached my apartment. "I guess its a good thing that meeting went smoother than expected."

"Looks like they might be starting to wise up after all," I replied.

"I hope so. I'd like to have my bosses on my side for once."

"Just one and that's Anderson. He'll back us all the way to the grave. We should be lucky that he's on the Council," I said as I opened the door.

"It's a shame that you held back. I was hoping for another outburst."

I chuckled. "Maybe I will if they call our evidence a bunch of fabrications. Then I'll have to show them that I mean business."

Shepard sighed. "I hope you aren't going to do anything drastic."

"Nah, but I will go public with whatever coverups they were planning on, or ones they've already done."

John and I walked around the apartment, hearing the faint sounds of someone playing drums. We walked past one of the offices. Miranda was inside, working on a terminal.

I poked my head in. "Hey Miranda."

"Hello Mark," she replied, still staring at the monitor. "I trust the meeting went well."

"It did," Shepard added. "They didn't say anything but they intend to review all of our evidence."

"That's good. By the way, if you're looking for Warren he's in the studio. He hasn't left since Watson showed it to him."

I chuckled. "Thanks."

John raised an eyebrow. "I heard you picked him up. I didn't know he was here already."

I nodded. "He's staying here for awhile. I gave him a job too. He'll be working with Watson and I."

John let out a short laugh. "You're too kind."

"I wish..."

The two of us walked into the studio and Warren stopped drumming and stood up. He glared at John. I looked over at Shepard who was doing the same thing.

_Oh great...here they go..._

Warren stepped out from behind the drums and walked up to John.

"Been a long time John."

"Warren..."

Warren smirked.

"You son of a bitch," John replied as the two of them shook hands.

I fell over.

"You okay, kid?" Warren asked as they continued the shake.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied looking up at the two of them. "I just felt the whole universe shake from your man shake...nothing serious."

Both of them chuckled and I got to my feet.

"So...you guys wanna jam?" Warren asked us.

"After the day we've had, hell yes," John replied as he went over to pick up the five string bass in the corner.

I chuckled as I plugged my guitar in and turned my amp on.

"Looks like the band is back together. How are you feeling, War Machine?"

"Damn good. Its like riding a bike, you never forget."

Warren started hammering on the kit in one large drum fill. His style was like Neal Peart, Chad Szeliga, and Chris Adler rolled into one. He was a machine.

"Let's do this," I said, as we got ready to play.

It was one of those nostalgic moments we had and it was great. Of course, with the rate the Normandy was being repaired, we would be back out and about in no time.

_It's good to enjoy it while it lasts._

* * *

_Coming up next, the Shadow Broker! Hope you liked this chapter.  
_


	48. Information Warfare Pt1

_Author's Note: Took a little extra time with this one, mostly because there were a few changes I was debating on making with this. Anyway, here's the Shadow Broker mission!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Presidium, Citadel**

A weary John Shepard had left Mark's apartment after nearly three hours of playing music with his best friends. It was also an opportunity for him and Warren to play seven years of catch up. If there was anything that surprised John, it was Warren's behavior. The two of them would always get into some kind of argument or insane contest. Instead, Warren was actually...friendly.

_Guess prison did change him._

Warren had always been somewhat single minded and cold during the academy days. His story about the events on Torfan was brutal, but when Warren said he did it to keep Mark from hunting down the men who raided his home and to prevent any further tragedy from happening again. Shepard didn't like it initially, but realized that in certain situations, it was probably better than simply tossing all of them into a prison. Bureaucracy would jam up everything, gang leaders would have to sit around in maximum security prisons awaiting trials that would be years away.

Shepard sighed to himself. _In a situation like that, I don't think I'd blame Warren. God knows I've had my fair share of difficult situations._

He did smile internally. _Well, he did do Mark a hell of a favor. If he had to go after that gang and then Cerberus..._

Shepard sat down on a bench near the Presidium's lake and looked up at the 'sky'. Sure, it was just a digital projection, but it did look nice.

"Hey skipper."

Shepard sat up and looked to his right. It was Ashley, staring back at him with a smile on her face.

"Ash..."

"Mind if I sit down?"

"Yeah, yeah," he quickly replied. Ashley giggled and sat next to him.

"So, Shepard, Anderson tells me that you and your all star team saved the galaxy again."

Shepard smirked and nodded. "Yeah...it was a hell of a trip. The Collector base was in the galactic core and we flew in, killed a few Collectors, and destroyed the base. Nothing to it really."

Ashley snorted. "You have an interesting way of putting it."

John smiled at her. "Well, I just came back from Mark's place so I'm probably still acting as nutty as he is."

"You're forgiven, Skipper."

Shepard stared at her, watching her sit next to him in her Alliance BDU's; the dark blue cargo pants and shirt he was used to seeing her in. "Thanks."

Ashley smiled. "I'm glad that you're back, O Captain, my Captain."

John chuckled. "I remember when you first said that to me. I've got one for you."

"You do?" Ashley asked, taken aback.

"'Love sees not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is Wing'd Cupid painted blind.'"

"William Shakespeare," she softly replied. "You do know how to use the classics."

"I thought I'd learn at least one poetic quote for you," Shepard said with a smirk.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "And you still know how to say the mushiest things, Shepard."

"I thought you liked it when I said sappy things."

Ashley sighed and shook her head while John laughed.

"I hoped you liked that little poetic line."

"I did," she replied with a smile.

The two of them sat there, looking at each other with small smiles on their faces. Just being together was the best feeling in the world for Shepard.

He cleared his throat. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been doing fine. Better since Horizon. The Council seemed satisfied with my report."

John raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes, I remembered you mentioned that. Did they believe it?"

"It took some convincing but they believed it. I don't have a silver tongue like you do but Anderson helped out."

"That would explain why they seemed more willing to listen to me," mused Shepard.

"You gave them your full report?"

"Yeah. Brought Mark along to help out. They would be foolish not to listen to the evidence we brought."

Ashley chuckled. "And since you brought Mark along, I imagine there was a lot of swearing and shouting."

"Surprisingly, no. He's probably a better negotiator than I am. Its kinda scary."

The two of them sat quietly again, enjoying each other's company. John decided to make the first move.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "When we were about to go through the relay, all I could think about was trying to see you again."

"I still feel bad after what happened on Horizon. Even if everything went smoothly between us...there was just..."

John put a finger under her chin. "It's okay. We're together again. That's all that matters."

The two of them kissed each other on the lips passionately. It was even better than the kiss on Horizon... and it went uninterrupted.

"I think we should continue this somewhere else. Don't you think, skipper?" Ashley asked breathlessly as she sat up on the bench.

"Agreed, but how about we go out to dinner? I want our first night being back together to be special."

"Of course, Shepard. I'd love to go with you," Ashley said, taking John's hand. "Is it alright if I go back to my place and get into something nice?"

"Sure. I should probably change too. I'll meet you at Corinthia's, okay?"

She raised an eyebrow as they started walking, hand in hand. "How did you get a reservation there so fast?"

"Eh, Mark knows someone who works there. I just have to mention his name and we'll be in."

Ashley giggled. "Why am I not surprised? And to think the famous Commander John Shepard wouldn't be able to get in."

"Well, I'm still legally dead. I think they'll understand."

They both smiled and walked through the streets of the Citadel.

* * *

**Apartment 358, Citadel**

The next morning was fairly routine for me. Warren was up early, sitting on the couch watching one of the sports channels.

"Mornin' kid," Warren said, taking a bite out of some toast.

"Mornin' Warren."

"You catch the game last night?"

I shook my head. "The Detroit game? Nah, I turned in early."

He had a smug grin on his face. "Oh...I get it."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't start," I plopped down on the couch next to Warren. "Besides, some things are more important."

"I hear that. I don't blame you. Bet you two have lots of fun."

I grumbled as Warren chuckled.

"I'm just playin'. What's on tap for today?"

I leaned back into the couch. "I think I was gonna help out with resupplying the Normandy. The ship'll be ready to go within the week."

Warren nodded.

"That and John's mother is gonna be stopping by."

"Oh...the famous Hannah Shepard. This ought to be interesting," Warren mused. "Where the hell is the boy scout anyway?"

I shrugged. "He'll probably be here by lunchtime."

I picked up the remote and flipped through the channels before landing on an elcor comedy show.

"What the fuck?" Warren asked.

"Oh, you've never seen 'In a humorous voice: The Elcor Comedy Hour'?"

"I've been in prison, man. We only had like, ten channels and they were only channels that had old shows from two hundred years ago, some news shows, and the sports channels."

I shivered. "That's rough."

"Yeah..." Warren replied, rolling his eyes.

"Humorous question: Do you ever notice how men leave the toilet seat up?" asked one of the elcor stand up comedians. "That is the joke."

Warren smacked himself in the forehead.

I sighed. "This show's gone downhill since season three," I changed the channel again, landing on some random action movie.

"That bed you got in the guest room is nice."

"Glad you like it," I replied.

"Haven't slept that well in ages. It was like being wrapped in silk while laying in a tub of lotion."

I snorted and laughed. "The bed in my room is a little better than that one."

Warren shivered. "Yeah, well, with you and Miranda sleepin' in there it probably is a tub of lotion now."

"That's just gross, man," I replied shaking my head.

"I thought it was funny."

"You would."

Miranda walked out of the bedroom, rolling her eyes. "I heard those jokes, boys. I am not amused. Mark, could I speak to you for a moment?"

I grumbled. "Thanks a lot Warren."

"Anytime brother."

Miri and I spent the next few minutes in a small argument. Apparently, she thought I was talking about our sex life, which I wasn't doing.

_She heard the jokes but didn't hear anything else? This is gonna be a long morning._

* * *

By the time noon rolled around, John had just shown up with a shit eating grin on his face. All of us were rather curious about that... and then he told us where he had spent the night. I was happy about him and Ash rekindling their relationship. John was too modest to give any 'saucy' details, but he did mention that they went out for dinner before going back to Ashley's place.

"So, does my mom know where your place is?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She stopped by here when I was busy recovering after that Cerberus thing."

"Why didn't you go meet her, momma's boy?" Warren asked.

John rolled his eyes. "She insisted, Warren. If you knew her, you'd know that she prefers to do things her way from time to time."

Warren shrugged. "Still, would've been nice to at least pick her up."

"Don't start..." grumbled John.

I shook my head and smirked. Miranda walked into the living room, emerging from the office. She had been feverishly working on figuring out a way to give me a normal life span. Miri explained some of the details and I nodded and pretended to know half of what she was talking about. Biology was never really my thing anyway. She took a seat next to me on the couch.

"I think it would be interesting to meet Shepard's mother. It might give some insight into his behavior."

I chuckled. "I'm not going to ruin it for you."

The doorbell rang and John got up to go to the door. He opened the door and there stood Hannah Shepard. For a woman in her early 60's, she didn't look a day over 40. Of course, with all of our advances in medical technology, everyone looked younger and died older. Her hair had started to gray a bit through her auburn colored hair.

The elder Shepard's eyes glittered as she saw her son answer the door. "Little Johnny!" she shouted, jumping at her son to give him a hug.

Warren, Miri, and I stood up and quietly laughed at her little nickname.

"Mom..." John quietly grumbled.

"I missed you so much."

"Same here, Mom," he replied, patting her back.

Hannah let go of her son and flicked his nose. "Why did it take you so long to reply to my message?"

"Ow! Mom, I'm sorry but I was-"

"I don't want any excuses, Little Johnny. I know you were out saving the galaxy and whatnot, but can't you even send me a 'hello' without Marky pestering you to do it."

John eyes widened. "How did you...?"

"Marky sends me messages every week!"

Everyone turned to look at me. Probably because of her pet name for me.

I simply shrugged. "What? I don't see anything wrong with it."

Hannah smiled and walked over to me, giving me a hug. "It's good to see you again, Marky."

"You too, Ma."

"Ma?" Warren and Miranda asked at the same time.

'Ma' glanced over my shoulder. "Oh, is this your girlfriend Marky? She's very beautiful."

Miranda smirked. "Captain Shepard. It's a pleasure to meet you." Miri held her hand out.

Mom held up her hand. "Call me Hannah. I hear 'Captain', 'Ma'am', and 'Shepard' too much during my daily routine. Besides, you're dating my little Marky. You get first name privileges."

Hannah gave Miranda a hug, surprising her. She then turned her sights on Warren who was chuckling.

"And you...you must be Warren," Hannah said, her gaze narrowing a little. "You're the one that used to argue with my son all the time."

Warren smirked. "Yeah that's me. Pleasure to meet you ma-"

"Hannah."

"Hannah," Warren replied.

She smirked and hugged Warren. "You've been a good friend to both of my boys. Plus, you gave Little Johnny a run for his money all of those years ago."

Warren stood there, awkwardly looking around while the three of us tried not to laugh.

_Obviously he doesn't hugged that often._

He cleared his throat. "Um...thank you. Your son has...uh...well he's been a good friend too."

Hannah let go. "Glad to hear it," she turned to John. "Now, tell me all about your little adventure."

John cleared his throat and led her to the couch.

I sighed. _This is gonna take a while..._

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

I yawned and stretched as I walked from the airlock into the Normandy's CIC. Warren followed me in.

"Ah...it's been too long."

"Welcome back, Mark," EDI said.

"Thanks EDI. Good to be back."

Warren looked around. "Nice ship. Never seen anything like it before."

"Welcome aboard the Normandy, Mr. Rogers," greeted EDI, her avatar popping up in front of us.

I smirked while Warren scratched his head.

"Uh...thanks. You must be EDI. Mark's told me about you."

"Yes. I am the Normandy's AI. It is a pleasure to meet you," EDI said, her avatar disappearing.

Warren sighed. "It's gonna be a long ass day for me. Nothing but introductions..."

"At least you got one out of the way."

Warren grumbled. He had met a lot of different people in such a short span of time. Like when he met Shepard's mother a few days ago. It was...interesting, to say the least. I had never seen him look so uncomfortable. But, considering Warren's upbringing and lack of any parental figure, it was understandable.

It was good to see Mom again. John and I went over everything that happened to us on our mission. She didn't seem very surprised at the Alliance's lack of colony protection in the case of the human colonies in the Terminus. There are some places they couldn't 'legally' defend and the civilian populous didn't want the Alliance Navy there. Mom was just as furious as I was regarding the situation on Mindoir. Again, she wasn't surprised at the lack of action. The military was stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to politics and colonial defense. Mom did like the way the two of us stuck it to the Illusive Man, saying that my little message was incredibly devious. She always did think that I would be great in the game of politics.

I led Warren to the armory to drop of his armor. John wanted to have Warren on the team as much as I did. The big man was more than happy to join. I took him to one of the weapon shops on the Citadel and let him pick out what he wanted. He ended up choosing a set of Inferno Armor, modified for high biotic use. As for weapons, we would just fire up the small arms manufacturing plant. Walking into the armory, Warren smirked.

"I know what I want already."

"Oh?"

Warren pointed to the Cain.

"You can't have that," I said with a sigh.

"Why not?"

"It's John's."

"Think he'll let me borrow it?"

"Doubt it."

Warren scowled. "Is it because it's got a nuke symbol on it?"

I grumbled. "It's not a nuke!"

"Then what-"

"I'll explain later," I replied with a sigh.

Warren walked over to one of the tables inspecting some of the rifles. "Good to see you have the Mattock's. I'll take one of those, that M5 Phalanx, and the M12 Locust."

"Good choices," Jacob said, as he walked towards us. "You must be the new guy. I'm Jacob Taylor, ship's armory officer."

Warren nodded. "Warren Rogers."

"I've heard of you. One of the Alliance's top biotic specialists and the 'Butcher of Torfan'."

Warren's gaze narrowed at Jacob. He hated that nickname.

"Uh, Jacob...don't call him that," I muttered.

"Oh...sorry man. I didn't know."

Warren snorted. "Don't worry about it."

Jacob scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...anyway, welcome aboard Warren."

"Thanks," Warren replied as he walked out of the armory.

Jacob sighed. "And here I thought Jack could be scary. Damn..."

I chuckled. "He's a good guy. Warren's not very good with new people. That and he got out of prison recently."

"Oh...well, I'll try make sure everyone knows not to call him the 'Butcher'."

"Thanks, Jacob."

"Anytime Mark."

I walked out of the armory and saw Shepard and Warren talking near John's terminal.

"Shadow Broker, eh?" Warren asked. "Sounds like a hell of a task."

"Yeah, but Liara's been doing it for a while. Still, she's gonna need our help," Shepard replied.

"Holy crap, John. You're actually using this terminal?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why is that so strange?"

"I dunno...never seen you use this one before," answered. "Anyway, what's this about the Shadow Broker?"

John shrugged. "Apparently Cerberus found some intel regarding the Shadow Broker and wants me to give it to Liara."

"Then I guess we're going to go see her, eh?" I asked.

John nodded. "Damn right."

Warren looked at the screen. "Sure are a lot of unread messages from Cerberus on here."

"I never read anything they sent me. I had enough to worry about with the Collectors and Reapers," Shepard replied. He walked up to the Galaxy Map and punched the coordinates in. "We're gonna cast of in an hour."

"Cool. Plenty of time to show the newbie around," I joked.

"Ha, ha," Warren sarcastically laughed.

"Come on. I'll show you your new room," I said, walking towards the lift. Warren followed.

"So where are you staying? Crew quarters?"

"Nah. The rec. room."

"Nice. Never expected that on a warship."

"That's what happens when civilian engineers design or re-design a warship," I replied. "Can't really complain though, its got more space than the old Normandy and has some better features."

Warren grunted as the elevator came to a stop. "Crew deck, huh?"

"Yep," I answered as we stepped off. "You get to stay in the rec. room, which is in front of us. And there's two observation decks on opposite sides," I gestured. "There's a full bar in the Port observation deck. It's pretty much a lounge. That's where Kasumi stays."

I opened up the door to the rec. room and we walked in.

"Damn. Kinda looks like your place."

"That's just one reason why I picked it," I replied, tossing my bag onto one of the recliners.

"What's the other reason?"

I pointed at the vid screen. "Vid screen's bigger than the one I have."

Warren chuckled. "You would do that."

"I don't stay here at night though. Well, not anymore."

"Miranda, right?"

"Oh yeah."

"So, why are you leaving your shit here?" Warren asked, confused.

"Because the rest of the crew doesn't know. But at this point, I don't know why we bother. They probably know already."

Warren shrugged. "Whatever works. I call the couch."

"Well, you're the one staying here so, go right ahead."

Outside of the room, I could hear the faint sound of someone swearing and yelling.

_Jack!_

The door to the room opened. "Fuckin' C-Sec assholes. Being a cop doesn't mean they fuckin' feel me up and grope and shit."

"Hello to you too, Jack," I said with a grin.

"Hey Mark," the tattooed ex-con replied as she took a seat. "About time we're getting ready to go. I've been getting antsy for the last few weeks."

"Not enough fun on the Citadel for you?" I asked.

Jack snorted. "It's too fuckin' chill. Plus, I kept getting kicked out of casinos for 'excessive swearing'. Just because a girl has a few drinks and says a few things doesn't mean you have to kick out a paying customer."

"Jack, you swear even when you aren't drunk."  
"Fuck you," she replied, dryly.

I chuckled. "Good to see you doing well."

She arched her head. "Who's the hot badass?"

"Oh, this is my buddy Warren. Warren Rogers," I turned to Warren. "This is Jack, our resident tattooed, biotic, ex-con."

Warren looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you've got some competition for that title."

"Oh really?" Jack drawled out.

"Just got out of Fort Armstrong after a seven year stint."

"Military prison eh? Doesn't sound so bad," she teased.

"It's bad," Warren flatly said. "Spent most of my time in solitary. I was too much of a hot badass to be kept in the general population."

Jack chuckled. "That makes two of us."

I smirked. "I'll just leave you two alone."

She rolled her eyes at me and got up. "Just seeing if you and the Cheerleader were in. See you later, newbie."

Warren grumbled. "Later, tiny."

The doors shut and I laughed.

"What's so god damn funny?" Warren asked, agitated.

"It's just strange seeing Jack be...friendly."

"Hm...what's her deal, anyway? Just another biotic criminal?"

I shook my head. "Nah. She was one of Cerberus' biotic experiments. She's spent most of her life doing all sorts of illegal things. You'd have to ask her more about it."

"I think I might. Sounds like my kind of gal."

I nodded. "A bit of advice though, if tries to make any sexual advances at you, don't fall for it. John told me that she tried to do that to him once."

Warren folded his arms. "I dunno. Haven't gotten laid in ages."

I shook my head. "She doesn't really know what she wants...again, just don't fall for it. Get to know her."

"If you say so."

The door opened again, revealing Watson.

"Hey buddy," I said. "You've got a new roommate now."

Watson looked at Warren. "Of course. Thank you for keeping us informed."

"Anytime," I replied, leaving with a wave.

* * *

**Illium, Tasale System, Crescent Nebula**

The trip to Illium was fairly uneventful. I was surprised at the amount of people that came back to the Normandy. After our mission ended, everyone was given some shore leave and the option to leave if they wanted to. All they would have to do is tell Shepard. Instead, everyone came back; crew and squad. Zaeed came back, which sort of surprised everyone, even me. We all figured that he would ditch since the mission was over and he got his paycheck. His explanation was that he wanted to 'go where the action is'.

_God knows we're gonna find it where we're going._

Thane opted to stay along as well. I thought that he would stay with his son but he assured me that they were going to stay in touch. He even told me that things had been going well with Kolyat.

As for the newest member of the team, Warren was slowly fitting in. He had already hit it off with Zaeed as they both had stories from the old days, all of which involved serious amounts of boots being put to asses. Grunt was impressed with Warren, mostly because he didn't know that humans could be as big and tall as Warren. He managed to fit in with the old Normandy's team of the doctor, Joker, Garrus, and Tali. As for the rest of the squad, aside from Miri, Watson, John, and I, he was making some progress. Finally, there was Jack. The two of them seemed to hit it off instantly. They would always have some sort of competition to see who had the better stories of criminal escapades. Other times, they would go down to the hangar deck and show off their biotic talents. It was interesting to hear Jack laugh in a non maniacal way.

I was in the armory, getting ready for our meeting with Liara. The fact that Cerberus got even a small snippet of information on the Shadow Broker is sort of a strange olive branch. Considering her involvement in getting Shepard's body, it was understandable. I, on the other hand, felt uneasy. Was this some kind of power play by the Illusive Man? The Shadow Broker was the largest information dealer in the galaxy with dirt on everyone. Getting the Broker out of the way didn't make sense. I shook my head, putting whatever paranoid thoughts out of my head.

"We're back at Illium everyone," Joker announced. "Hope you didn't blow all of your creds on the Citadel. Oh, and Matthews you get to see your estranged, one night stand wife again."

"God damn it, Joker!" I faintly heard Matthews yell into the intercom.

I chuckled as Shepard, Warren, Garrus, and Tali walked in to get ready.

* * *

"So this is Illium, huh? Not bad," Warren said as we walked through the crowded upper levels of the Nos Astra trading hub.

"It's nice on the outside but on the inside..." I said, trailing off.

"On the inside, its no safer than Omega," Garrus finished.

"Never been there either, but I'll take that as 'its fuckin' dangerous'. Sounds fun," Warren replied. He looked around at a group of asari who were looking at us, some were giggling.

"Speaking of fun..."

John grumbled. "Not now, War Machine...we've got work to do."

"Yeah I know but-"

"That was for me, Warren," I said with a sigh.

"Huh...oh yeah, that's right," he replied chuckling. "I forgot that you're some kind of asari magnet."

I shook my head. "This is gonna be a long day."

We walked towards Liara's office over looking the trading floor. The desk where her former receptionist worked was still empty. John led the way as the door opened up.

Liara looked up. "Shepard! It's good to see you again," she looked at us. "The same goes to all of you."

Liara stood up and walked over to Warren. "I don't believe we have met before."

"Warren Rogers. I'm a friend of these two," he replied gesturing to John and I.

"Ah yes," Liara said. "You were recently released from prison. I am Liara T'soni, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. You seem to know a little about me."

Liara shrugged. "I am an information broker."

John chuckled. "Speaking of that, I have something interesting for you. Cerberus sent me some information you might find useful, maybe even find the Shadow Broker. Interested?"

"Absolutely! I had no idea...Let me see what you've got."

Shepard gave her a datapad containing the information.

Liara looked at it. "It looks like a leaked transmission between Shadow Broker operatives. Some hints as to the location, and..."

She trailed off for a brief moment. "It's about Feron. He's still alive."

"Who is he?" Shepard asked.

"A friend. He helped me recover your body from the Shadow Broker."

"I see...I suppose I should thank him too."

She glanced down at the floor. "Perhaps...After two years, I hadn't even dreamed..."

"Sounds like you two were close."

"It's funny. He betrayed me more than once. He was double-dealing for Cerberus, the Shadow Broker...but in the end, he sacrificed himself for me. I owe him."

"We'll make sure you get the chance," I said.

John nodded. "What's our next step?"

"I...I don't know," Liara slowly made her way to the door. "I need to prepare, to think. I'm going home."

"You gonna be all right?" Shepard asked.

"I've spent two years plotting revenge. Now I have the change to make it a rescue."

"Let us help. We'll stop by your place?"

"Okay," Liara replied, turning her omni-tool on to send him the address. "Hopefully, I'll have a plan by then. Thank you, Shepard."

* * *

**Liara's apartment, 2 hours later**

We waited a couple of hours before heading over to Liara's place. She needed time to sort herself out and get ready. It was pouring rain outside, with the occasional burst of lightning. I thought it was a nice change of pace, mostly because the city tended to be hot as balls. When we approached Liara's building, I noticed several cop cars outside.

"Sure are a lot of cops here," Warren said.

"You don't think something happened to Liara?" Tali asked.

"Guess we'll find out," answered John as the cab pulled up. There were a few cops milling about in the lobby. We passed by them and took the elevator up to Liara's penthouse apartment.

The second we got off the elevator, all we could see were Nos Astra police officers. We waded through and made it into Liara's apartment.

"Excuse me, do you know what's going on?" Shepard asked the nearest cop.

"This area is sealed off. Please step back, sir."

"Why?"

"Someone tried to kill your friend, Commander Shepard."

I looked over and saw an asari wearing blue and white armor, the Spectre emblem on the right shoulder. She had purple markings on her face, similar to Councilor Tevos.

She turned to the cop at the door. "Thank you, officer. Your people are dismissed."

We took that as the signal to enter, walking through the holographic 'tape'.

"You can't do that!"

"Already done."

The officer huffed and left the apartment with her fellow officers in tow.

The asari turned around and greeted Shepard. "Tela Vasir. Special Tactics and Recon."

Shepard raised his eyebrow. "A Spectre eh?"

"I heard you were reinstated. Good. You're our most famous member. Maybe later you could sign my chest plate."

John chuckled. "Got a pen?"

Vasir shrugged. "Sorry. Again, you can do it later. I assume you had a meeting with your friend here, Commander?"

"Yeah. Liara was following a lead on the Shadow Broker."

"The Shadow Broker? Dangerous enemy to have."

Warren and I looked around the apartment. I noticed a large bullet hole in the window.

_High velocity round. Definitely not standard issue. Even managed to crack the barrier._

"What happened here?" Shepard asked.

"About twenty five minutes ago, someone took a shot at T'soni. Note the bullet holes," she answered, gesturing to the window. "She stuck around for almost four minutes before leaving the building. Whatever she was doing was important."

John sighed. "If she's not here, where could Liara have gone?" he muttered to himself.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be sifting through her crap," Vasir replied. "There's no blood, no body. Looks like T'soni got away. The sniper didn't plan on her kinetic barrier. Clever girl. Paranoid, but clever."

"Did the police find anything else?"

"Just the mess and the bullet holes. I gave them a gold star for the bullet holes."

I snorted and continued to look out the window, while Shepard and Vasir wrapped up their little chat. Now we had to look around for any clues. I turned around and saw John and Warren look at the back section of some old N7 Onyx armor.

"Damn..." Warren muttered. "Who's armor was this?"

"Mine. My old armor," replied Shepard.

"Someone must not have liked you either," added Vasir.

Tali and Garrus were wandering around, looking at the various paintings Liara had laying around. We even saw her doctorate degree from the University of Serrice.

John went upstairs to check her bedroom and found a picture of the old team from the Normandy. It changed to a Prothean ruin.

We spread out to check each of the Prothean artifacts in her apartment. John managed to find the right one.

"Vasir, I found something."

The other Spectre walked over to see what it was. "Backup disk. Let's try it on her terminal."

They walked over to her terminal while the rest of us gathered around.

It was a call between Liara and one of her contacts, a salarian named Sekat. He managed to narrow down the Shadow Broker transmission to a system. He also gave a location for their meeting: the Dracon Trade Center.

I bit my lip. The second I saw the cops here, I had a bad feeling. My old combat instincts flaring up. Something in this apartment was screaming out at us.

"Let's get going."

"I know where the Trade Center is. We can take my car," Vasir said. "But I don't think there's enough room."

Shepard rubbed his chin.

"I'll take the one we came here with," I replied. "I can follow you there."

"You sure, Mr. Sears?" she asked with a smirk.

"Shouldn't be too surprised that you know me. But yeah, I can follow you."

"Try to keep up," she teased.

I rolled my eyes as we walked out.

"You don't want to ask me as to how I know you?"

"I figured the Council briefed every Spectre about me. Just in case they feel like putting me down if I decide to become some kind of galactic super villain some day."

"Good guess."

* * *

**Dracon Trade Center**

It wasn't too hard to follow Vasir all the way to the Trade Center, her car stood out amongst the rest of traffic.

_Then again, it isn't too hard to spot a car in a metallic gold color darting through traffic._

I parked behind Vasir and got out with Garrus who came with me.

"The Baria Frontiers offices are on the third floor," Vasir said. "I don't hear any police chatter; must have missed the party."

As we approached the front entrance, a massive explosion ripped through the first three floors of the building.

"Son of a bitch!" Shepard yelled.

"Had to jinx it, didn't you," Warren muttered to Vasir.

"Keelah..." Tali whispered in shock.

"They just took out three floors to kill her!" the asari Spectre said. "I'll get the car and seal the building from the top!"

"We'll start down here and work our way up," Shepard said.

"Just save some for me," Vasir replied, getting into her car before speeding off.

The five of us made our way inside, fire alarms blaring. There was nothing but smoke, flames, and blood everywhere. All of us drew our weapons as we slowly combed the room.

I walked over towards one of the elevators, Warren following behind me as Shepard scanned the lobby.

"Elevators are out," I said, scanning the lift locks. "The emergency systems kicked in."

"That or the blast cooked 'em," Warren added.

"Either way, we're taking the stairs."

We fell in behind Shepard, and followed him up the stairs. John signaled me up to the point position. As we reached the end of the staircase, I held everyone up.

"What's up?" Garrus asked.

"I swear I heard a gunshot."

"Move up!" John whispered as we rushed ahead.

I made my way to an employee who was slowly sliding down a wall, a single shot through the chest.

"Mercs...came from the smoke...set the bombs...killed everyone..." he said before keeling over.

Shepard radioed Vasir. "Vasir, we've got a victim here that was killed by gunfire. Before he died, he said that mercs set the bombs. Watch yourself, they used military grade hardware."

"Copy that. I guess there was more to this than a simple demolition."

Warren snorted. "No fuckin' shit..."

I pressed on ahead, moving up a set of stairs. I noticed something no larger than a briefcase blinking near some bushes.

"John, we've got explosives. Military grade. It's prepped and ready but it hasn't been armed."

"Vasir," Shepard radioed again. "We've got military grade explosives down here but they haven't been armed."

"Sloppy work. You only do that if you don't have a plan."

"Hard to believe all of this was 'improvised'," Garrus muttered. "Still, we should take care of this bomb."

Shepard nodded. "You're up, Tali."

"Okay. Luckily, all I have to do is shut off the detonator and take it out," she said, shutting off the detonator and disabling it with her omni-tool.

John opened the door and walked towards the Baria Frontiers log book. "Looks like Liara signed in a few minutes ago..."

"She's a tough cookie," I said. "Hell, she survived being around us for so long. I doubt something like this would take her down."

"I hope you're right, Mark. I really do," John replied.

Moving inside the Baria Frontiers offices, I heard a small whining sound near the entrance.

"Flashbang!"

We held tight behind a wall. I poked my head out and saw them. Mercs, clad in an off white, tan armor with black accents and a red triangle, split in two on their chest plates.

"Never seen these guys before!" I yelled out.

"Vasir, we've got mercs down here and they're armed—well armed!" Shepard yelled.

"Say hello to the Shadow Broker's private army, Commander," She replied.

"Ah shit," Warren spat out as he flared his biotics up.

"Let's do this!" I yelled out, taking aim.

* * *

The five of us went office to office, gunning down every Shadow Broker soldier that came our way. Despite the fact that three floors of the building were demolished by explosives, the building was intact. The fire suppression systems never shut off, leaving puddles of water everywhere. We finally made it to the last office where Sekat was.

"Stack up," Shepard said, as we got into position.

A gunshot went off inside the room.

"Go!"

We went inside, weapons ready, only to find Vasir, a dead Shadow Broker merc, and a dead salarian.

"Damn it. If I had been a few seconds faster, I could've stopped them," said Vasir.

Shepard walked over to the dead salarian, Sekat.

"Sekat, I presume?"

"Must have been."

"He doesn't have the data that Liara talked about. Looks like a dead end," Shepard said.

"Speaking of Liara, did you find her body?" Vasir asked.

"You mean this body?"

We turned around and saw Liara, walking in with a pistol drawn at the Spectre.

"Liara? What's going on?" Shepard asked, confused.

"This is the woman who tried to kill me."

Warren and I trained our weapons on the Spectre.

"Look, you've had a rough day, so I'll let that slide. Why don't you put that gun down?" Vasir evenly said.

"I saw you! I doubled back after I left. I watched you break into my apartment!"

Shepard and the others drew their weapons. "So, you just used us to get the message? Big mistake, Vasir."

The Spectre backed up towards the window, shrugging in response.

"Once she had my location, she signaled the Shadow Broker's forces. They bombed the building to try and take me out. She found Sekat, took the data, and killed him. I assume she still has the disk on her."

"Good guess. Not that you'll ever see it...you pureblood bitch!" Vasir shouted, using her biotics to smash the windows to send glass at us.

Liara put up a biotic barrier to protect us. John rushed out once the attack ended and tackled Vasir as she leapt out the window.

Warren and I rushed to the window and watched them struggle. Vasir kicked him off and was getting ready to leave as Liara jumped down and gave chase.

I pulled out a rope and a stabilization hook and jammed it into the window sill and fast roped out of the office; the rest of the team followed.

"You all right, John?" I asked.

"Never better," he groaned.

"That fuckin' bitch. We should go after her," Warren said.

The Shadow Broker's mercs opened fire on us.

"Ah shut it!" Warren yelled at them, launching a singularity attack at them.

* * *

We backtracked our way to the entrance of the Dracon Trade Center. The Shadow Broker's private army didn't stand a chance against us as we barreled our way through them.

Liara and Vasir were in a gun fight out in the parking area, trading shots. Vasir's car came flying around the corner and she disappeared into it, speeding away.

"Damn it!" Liara yelled as she looked around for the nearest open car. She eventually found one and got in, Shepard sitting next to her.

"I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking," he dryly said. "Mark, Warren, get in. Garrus and Tali, I want you two to go back to the Normandy and tell Joker to prep the ship."

Both of them nodded and went back to our other car as Warren and I jumped in.

"Which one of you is driving?" Warren asked.

"I am," replied John.

"Ah shit..." he grumbled as the doors shut.

"Come on! She's getting away!" Liara yelled.

"I'm on it."

We sped away, chasing after Vasir.

"There she is! Take right, no left!" Liara yelled as we wove through traffic.

"I know, I know!"

"Are we there yet?" I muttered.

Vasir took a sharp turn, heading inside of a construction site.

"We're not going into that construction site are—oh Goddess."

Warren sat back and grumbled. He hated it when John drove. During the academy days, Warren once threw up in the car we were in; John was the driver. It wasn't a training exercise, we were just going out for shore leave.

"Traffic! Oncoming traffic!" Liara yelled.

"We'll be fine," Shepard replied.

"Man, this car has no horsepower at all," I said to Warren.

Warren had his eyes closed, taking deep breaths. "Not now, Mark...not now..."

"Fine..."

"Now she's dropping proximity charges," Liara said.

"Time to do something fancy," added John.

"God damn it..." Warren muttered.

After several minutes of dodging mines in between skyscrapers, we made it back to the regular traffic flow.

"She's got reinforcements!" Liara yelled.

"Oh hey, its Jack's mugshot," I said, elbowing Warren.

He looked up at the billboard briefly. "Not bad...better than mine."

"What kind of guns does this thing have?" Shepard asked Liara.

"It's a taxi! It has a fare meter!"

"So we can throw change and receipts at them," I added.

John chuckled. "Wonderful."

"Truck," Liara said, pointing ahead.

"I know."

The truck ahead of us began to jack knife, taking out the Shadow Broker's reinforcements.

"Truck!"

"I know!" Shepard yelled as he weaved out of the way.

Liara gasped.

"There we go!" Shepard said with a laugh.

"Nice moves," I replied.

"Got 'em from you."

I laughed.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Liara asked me.

I shrugged. "More or less. Oh cool, this thing has a sun roof."

We pulled out of the tunnel and into oncoming traffic.

"A head on collision at this speed..." Liara said, trailing off.

"Yeah, I hear those can be bad for you," Shepard replied.

Up ahead another truck began to jack knife in an attempt to avoid us.

"Truck!"

Shepard sighed. "Again?"

As we got closer, Liara yelled. "Watch out!"

"Uh huh," Shepard replied as he slipped through a gap between the truck and a nearby building.

"Damn it, Vasir's speeding up."

"I got an idea," I said.

"We're all ears, Mark," John replied, turning his head back a little. "What have you got in mind?"

"Open the sun roof. We need to slow her down."

John chuckled. "Obviously. What are you going to do?"

"Put a bullet in her engine. I only need one shot."

"You've got it."

Warren grumbled, sinking into his seat.

I loaded my sniper rifle as John opened up the sun roof.

I poked my head out. "Ah, a good breeze."

Bringing the rifle up, I leaned into the scope to take aim. Vasir's car was in sight, easily.

I took the shot, hitting the engine on target. I slipped back into the car.

"All set. Let's bring her down."

Shepard brought the car alongside of Vasir's and slammed into it twice. She managed to get one hit on us before Shepard delivered one more, sending her car into one that was in an oncoming lane.

Vasir's car burst into flames and spun out before crashing onto the hotel Azure.

* * *

**Azure Hotel, Illium**

It was a pain in the ass for us once we landed at the hotel. Five truckloads of Shadow Broker troops dropped in, coming at us from all sides. We dispatched them easily before making it into the hotel. Liara explained that this hotel was one of the more 'exotic' ones in Nos Astra. Her explanation to us was funny, despite the situation. Warren was immediately interested. Of course, I had to keep him in check. It wasn't too difficult for us to track Vasir as she left a rather long blood trail for us to follow, including the various rooms that had destroyed security mechs scattered around.

We eventually found Vasir, clutching her side as she tried to blend in with the crowd. I dunno who she was trying to fool but most of the guests seemed oblivious to her.

"Vasir! It's over!" Liara yelled out as we got close.

The Spectre stopped and turned around, using her biotic charge to get behind one of the hotel's waitresses, putting a pistol to her head. The guests immediately fled the area, screaming.

"What's your name?" Vasir asked.

"M-Mariana."

"Mariana, you want to live, don't you? Tell those people that you want to live."

"Please..." the waitress begged us.

I clenched my jaw. The audacity to pull this shit against us. It made me think that almost every Spectre had this much ego and arrogance. But, I knew better than to label all of them like that.

"We'll get you out of here safely, Mariana," Shepard said.

"Well, that's good to hear," replied Vasir, a sick smile on her face. She really had no idea who she was dealing with. "All you had to do was walk away, now it gets ugly."

Vasir placed the pistol up to Mariana's temple.

"Please. I have a son."

"A son? I hope he gets to see you again. I hear losing a parent is just horrific for children. Scars them for life."

I gripped my rifle even tighter now. If she was looking to get me riled up, she succeeded, but I sure as hell wasn't going to jump the gun in a situation like this. Especially against a Spectre.

"I'm going to end you, Vasir," Liara said.

"It's okay, Liara. We'll handle it. The usual way," replied Shepard.

"You want Mariana's little boy to grow up without a mommy, Shepard? Thermal clips on the ground, now. Power cells, too."

Shepard chuckled. "Is that it?"

"What?" Vasir asked, caught off guard.

"I sacrificed hundreds of human lives to save the Destiny Ascension. I killed the Collectors. And I unleashed the Rachni on the galaxy. So for your sake, I hope your escape plan doesn't hinge on me having to shoot a damn hostage."

"You're bluffing."

Behind Vasir, Liara had lifted a table with her biotics.

"Now!"

Liara threw the table at Vasir, knocking her a good ten feet away, right into one of the fountains.

She used her biotic charge again, and screamed out in rage.

"Mariana, get out of here!" Shepard said, as the waitress ran away.

"Thank you!" she replied before shutting the door in the hotel.

We turned to Vasir.

"Let's finish this," Shepard said in a dark tone.

"Fuck yeah," Warren replied.

* * *

_That's right, I'm doing a two parter for this mission. Stay tuned!_

_Also, I left a small note in my profile. Its in one of the sections I have but I'll put it in the news section, in bold._

_Lastly, thanks to stnemele for giving me some tips._


	49. Information Warfare Pt2

_Author's Note: Hey all. Sorry for the delay...again. Been busy taking care of my grandfather, and as you can imagine that's taken up a ton of time. And what little free time I have, I spent playing DC Universe Online (my hero's name is Substantial Man, if any of you play it...). Anyway, here's the conclusion to the Shadow Broker!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**Azure Resort, Illium**

"Fuckin' hell this bitch can move!" Warren shouted as Vasir zipped around the outdoor lounge with her biotics.

_Just our luck, she knows how to use her Charge effectively._

"Can't you do it too?" I answered.

"Yeah but I ain't using it on her!"

"Just keep shooting!" Shepard yelled to us.

Four on one and it was like going up against an entire team of people.

_She's a Spectre for a reason._

Things got even more tense when the Shadow Broker's agents showed up in trucks. Vasir would slip out, letting us take on the mercs. It annoyed us to no end and it was an effective tactic; get us agitated and hope for a slip up before picking us off one by one. Cooler heads needed to prevail, and we needed to be patient...and pray that we wouldn't run out of thermal clips.

* * *

After a two hour standoff, we managed to wear Vasir out. She had no more reinforcements, her previous injuries were taking a toll on her; hence the reason she kept slipping away from us to let the Shadow Broker's army deal with us. It wasn't a duel as much as it was a war of attrition.

_Damn good thing the four of us are used to it._

"Agh...damn it...damn..." Vasir muttered as she collapsed near a railing. She had lost a lot of blood in the accident. Even with medi-gel, it wouldn't be enough; it wasn't a cure all, medical miracle.

Liara walked over to Vasir and took the data disk out of one of the pockets of her armor. "Sekat's personal datapad. This is what we need to find the Shadow Broker."

"You're dead. The Shadow Broker has been in power for decades. He's stronger than anything you've ever faced," Vasir gasped out.

Shepard looked down at her. "Doubtful, considering the pile of bodies we left behind. Is that the reason you sold out the Council to work for him?"

"You think I betrayed the Council? Like Saren? Go to hell!" she spat out. "The Broker's given me damn good intel over the years. Intel that saved lives and kept the Citadel safe! So if he needs a few people to disappear, I'll pay that price without hesitation!"

John snorted. "Spectres don't blow up buildings filled with innocent civilians!"

"Sure we do. We get our hands dirty so the Council doesn't have to. They may complain about our methods to soothe their consciences, but they never look too closely. Besides, you're with Cerberus. You have any idea what you're friends have done?"

John and I looked at each other and snorted. "Whoever said we were with them?" John asked slyly. "The Council? I already explained to them what I was doing-"

Vasir snorted. "You want to judge me? Look in the mirror. Kidnapping kids for biotic death camps, Sears' unit on Akuze. Don't you dare judge me-"

Shepard cut her off. "You never let me finish, Vasir. I was never under the Illusive Man's employ. He didn't make me his errand boy and I saved lives with the help of some great people. You, on the other hand, did what the Broker wanted you to do. You were a tool and to blow up a trade center without even getting the target? No one, not even a raw rookie would stoop to such lazy tactics."

Vasir glared at Shepard.

"You have no one to blame but yourself for your situation. And when the Council asks, I'll tell them exactly what you did."

"...Damn...you-" and with that, Vasir was no more. The four of us made our way back to the car while Shepard talked to Liara.

Warren sighed. "I got a bad feeling about this."

"About what?"

"We just killed a Spectre, man. Sure, she was a bitch, but aren't we gonna get in trouble for it?"

I shrugged. "Doubtful. That disk Liara got has the Broker's orders. It should be enough."

Warren grunted in response. "Still, I can't believe we're gonna go after him."

"Same here."

* * *

**Hagalaz, Sowilo System, Hourglass Nebula**

"Hagalaz. The oceans boil during the day and snap freeze ten minutes after sunset," Liara stated.

"Sounds like a nice place to live," Warren dryly replied.

Shepard and I looked out of the window of the shuttle.

"And the Shadow Broker lives on that," stated Shepard.

"His ship follows the sunset. Completely undetectable in the storm, unless you know where to look."

"How do we get in?" Warren asked.

"The shuttle bay is locked down. We need to land on the ship and look for a hatch," answered Liara. "But we can't stay outside for long. There's a constant lightning storm where the hot and cold air collide."

I sighed and pulled my recon hood over my head. The ride from Illium was damn near silent. Liara was so focused on finishing this mission, she spent most of the time in the shuttle, brooding. Can't say that I blame her. She wants to get payback on the guy that tried to sell John to the Collectors and captured her friend Feron.

"Gotta admit, Broker's got a hell of ride," Warren said.

I nodded. "Wonder how much it cost just to build the engine."

"More than any of us will ever make," Shepard added as the shuttle began to touch down.

The door opened up and the four of us hopped onto the Shadow Broker's vessel.

"Hell of a view," I said. "Fingers crossed that no one gets struck by lightning."

"You just jinxed us, man," Warren grumbled.

Shepard sighed.

Liara was busy going through her omni-tool. "It's difficult to pinpoint an entrance in this storm, but I'm picking up signals from a communications relay near the back of the ship. There's nothing below but maintenance equipment. We should try an entrance near the rear shielding."

"Damn. If that's the case, why didn't we drop in there?" Warren asked.

"The sensors near bridge could pick up the shuttle easily. That's why landed on the bow. The interference from the electrical storms are messing with the bow sensors," Shepard explained.  
"Gotcha."

I chuckled. "Man, this reminds me of a mission I did years ago. Smaller ship, but same kind of insertion."

"Was it successful?" Liara asked.

"Oh yeah. By the way, if you haven't already, you guys should turn the mag locks on. Weather like this is only gonna get worse," I said.

Things were easy as we made our way towards the aft of the ship. Maintenance drones started to attack us at first, thinking we were debris. Then came the mechs and some Shadow Broker agents.

_Guess our insertion wasn't so smooth after all..._

Warren used his biotics on the agents, sending them up in the air where they were immediately struck by a bolt of lightning.

"Just how I like my bad guys...extra crispy," Warren remarked.

"That's gross," John replied.

Warren just chuckled.

Making our way across the ship was difficult. It was a labyrinth.

_Of course it is. Its not like they designed it for people to walk all over it._

We eventually made our way into the ship, a small place to get away from the storm for a while; it was the ship's engine room.

"This ship is incredible. It must have taken decades to build in secret," Liara said.

"I wonder what happened to the contractors," Shepard added.

"I think we can guess."

I looked up at the engine, seeing giant plates get pulled out one at a time, like a giant electrical wave. Each plate looked like a giant solar panel.

"It's too bad if they did get offed. I'm pretty sure there would be some people that would love to get their hands on tech like this," I said. Shepard nodded.

"Navigating this storm is brutal. If the ship's engines stop for even a moment...at least the Shadow Broker would go down with us," Liara said.

John sighed. "That's comforting..."

I leaned over one of the railings. "Motion dampeners, eh?"

Liara looked over the railing as well. "Yes. I bet you can't even hear the storm from inside the ship."

"Must be nice in cozy in there," I added.

"Not for long," Warren replied.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" I asked.

Shepard grumbled. I had been doing this every few minutes just to annoy John. "For the last time-"

"There! That hatch leads directly to the communications signals!" Liara exclaimed.

"Oh thank god..." John muttered.

Liara ran to the door. "It's locked. Hang on, I've got a bypass shunt program that can crack it."

She activated her omni-tool and began to unlock the door.

"How long will it take?" Shepard asked.

"I don't know, Shepard. I've never broken into the Shadow Broker's base before. Well, not this one anyway."

Not long after Liara began to unlock the door, the Shadow Broker's troops fired at us. We took cover in any place that we could find it.  
"You sure that shunt is working?" Shepard asked.

"It's illegal, even on Illium. It didn't come with a warranty."

"But you tested it right?"

"Here come more of them."

"Tell me you tested it!" Shepard yelled back, alarmed.

"No time to talk!"

Warren turned to me after popping a merc in the head. "We're boned aren't we?"

"I dunno. I'm just shooting things!"

"Rocket drones! They're coming from the front of the ship!" Liara yelled out.

"I got 'em!" I yelled back as I threw a few Overload mines towards the bow. Once the drones were in range, the mines went off, knocking out their shields. Within seconds, the first wave of drones were destroyed by bolts of lightning.

Several more waves came at us at different angles. The result was the same.

"Their attacks seem disorganized. They would be more effective if they all attacked at once," Liara said.

"Stop giving the mercs tactical advice!" Shepard yelled out.

* * *

It took us several minutes before the mercs stopped coming and door was finally unlocked.

"Huh..." I grunted.

"What is it?" Warren asked.

"That shunt program seems pretty useless. It took what, twenty minutes to crack the door? Waste of money."

"What would you have done?" Liara asked.

"Let me do it instead."

"If that's the case, then why didn't you offer?"

I shrugged as we entered. "You didn't ask."

She sighed. "Do you think that's the last of them?"

"Not with our luck. The Shadow Broker has more mercs," Shepard replied.

We walked through several hallways before the sound of heavy footfalls echoed through the ship. Several squads met us, opening fire immediately.

"Hold your position, no matter the cost," ordered the Broker.

"That's reassuring," Warren dryly muttered as he launched a singularity attack on a group of mercs down the hall.

"Of course it is, he doesn't have to do anything, while they die horribly at our hands. Everybody wins."

Liara cleared her throat. "I've downloaded the ship's layout. We should be close to the prison block. And Feron..."

"Mark, War Machine, up front," Shepard ordered. We nodded and moved ahead. Warren and I pressed up against a wall while I peeked into the next hallway.

"Clear. Move up."

I crept straight ahead, Warren behind me. I stopped at the next doorway.

"Got one in front of us. Biotic," I stated, pulling out a damping mine. "We go on my signal."

"Copy."

I paused for a few seconds, waiting to see if the asari at the door was going to move...

"Now!" I yelled, tossing the mine in. After it detonated, Warren charged in, hitting the asari with a powerful throw. Two more mercs burst out of the door and were taken care of by Shepard and Liara.

I looked through the large window and saw a drell, strapped into a large chair and various medical monitors.

"Oh shit..."

Warren peeked over my head. "Damn."

Shepard and Liara opened the door. Feron was unconscious.

"Feron!" Liara said.

The drell slowly woke up. "Liara?"

"Hold on—we're getting you out of here!"

She ran over to a nearby terminal, attempting to set him free.

"No!" he yelled out. Feron's chest lurched up as he was electrocuted.

"Feron!"

"The equipment is sensitive to tampering..." he breathed out.

John scowled. "God damn it..."

"This chair is plugged into the Shadow Broker's information network. You have to shut the power off. Pull me out now and my brain cooks."

"Do you know where we can cut the power?" Liara asked.

Feron shook his head. "It won't be easy. You'll have to go to central operations."

"What do you know about the Broker?" Warren asked.

"He did this to me," Feron flatly replied.

"I think he meant to ask, did you get a good look at him?" I rephrased.

Feron shook his head. "I never got a good look, but he's big. The guards are terrified of him."

"A krogan?"

"I don't know, but not everyone who visits his office comes back out."

Warren and I looked at each other, seemingly thinking, 'What's bigger than a krogan?'

"Easy or not, we're all getting out of here," John said.

Feron let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Central operations is down the hall. You know the Shadow Broker is waiting for you right?"

I chuckled. "We did schedule an appointment for a three o'clock ass kicking."

John and Warren snorted.

"We'll be back for you Feron," said Liara.

"I'll try not to go anywhere," he replied with a wry smirk.

I turned around and looked at the large window and saw a group of Shadow Broker mercs with their weapons at the ready, just waiting for us. I waved at them.

"Lets finish this up, shall we?" Shepard said, pulling out his Revenant.

* * *

The four of us made it to central operations and were met with an interesting sight: the Shadow Broker. His face was obscured by a shadow but he was large, a head like some kind of demon. The Broker didn't look to disturbed as he sat calmly behind his desk while we had our weapons drawn on him.

He folded his hands and turned his head to look at each of us.

"Here for the drell?" he asked looking at us before snorting. "Reckless, even for you, Commander."

"That bombing on Illium wasn't exactly subtle."

"Extreme, but necessary," replied the Broker in his deep, scratchy sounding voice.

"No it wasn't! Neither was caging Feron for two years!" Liara shouted.

"Dr. T'soni. Your interference caused all this. Feron betrayed me when he handed you Shepard's body. The drell is simply paying the price."

"Someone was bound to come after you for working with the Collectors," Shepard evenly said.

"It was a mutually beneficial partnership. Fortunately, the Normandy's IFF will let me salvage the remains of the Collectors' base."

"Yeah? It'll be pretty hard to run this thing without a crew," Warren taunted.

"They're replaceable. Your arrival is barely an interruption. Enough talk. My operations are too crucial to be compromised by a traitor," he replied. I could see the outlines of the Broker's mouth, it was like an upside down 'T' lined with teeth. Whatever he was, it wasn't any race I had ever seen before.

"You're quite confident for someone with nowhere left to hide," Liara spat out.

The Broker turned his head. I could get a better look at some of his facial features: four sets of eyes, small fins on the sides of his head made it look like some kind of fish. "You travel with fascinating companions, doctor."

The Broker looked at Warren. "The recently released 'Butcher of Torfan'. He will net a hefty sum in batarian space."

Warren clenched his jaw, and tightened his grip on his Mattock.

Then, the Broker turned to me. "Mr. Sears. You've become quite a nuisance to me as of late. Despite your previous association with me, you are no longer useful to me."

I snorted. "Spoken like the Illusive Man. After the favor I did for you years ago, you threw me under the bus."

"Our agreement ended after I paid you. It was just business. Still, the loss of Outer Heaven's leader will eliminate one of my competitors."

Liara scowled. "You're not laying a hand on anyone!"

"It's pointless to challenge me, asari. I know your every secret while you fumble in the dark."

"Didn't you say that to the Council a while back?" Shepard whispered to me.

"Yeah...bastard!" I whispered back.

"Is that right?" Liara asked the Broker. "You're a yahg, a pre-spaceflight species quarantined to their homeworld for massacring the Council's first contact teams. This base is older than your planet's discovery, which probably means you killed the original Shadow Broker sixty years ago, then took over. I'm guessing you were taken from your world by a trophy hunter who wanted a slave...or a pet. How am I doing?"

The yahg stood up slowly, giving us a clear view as to how tall he was. He looked at us with pure rage in each set of eyes.

Shepard and the others slowly stepped back in awe.

"I've choked bigger men than you," I mockingly said.

"Oh shit..." muttered Warren.

The Broker split his desk in half with a punch and picked up the section and tossed it at Warren and I. We went flying into the wall near the door.

"Damn it..." I groaned. "Warren?"

He was laying next to me, out cold.

I sighed. "Probably good that he's out of it...I'm gonna catch hell once he wakes up."

I tried to move around but I was pinned under the weight of the section of desk. I pulled out my pistol, just in case he came to finish us off. Instead, Shepard and Liara were fighting him.

"God damn...he's using that Revenant with one hand," I said, watching the massive yahg try to mow down the two of them while holding up an omni-shield.

Once John and Liara got his shields down, he would recharge them using some kind of large energy disk above him.

Warren groaned. "Mark...you dumb son of a-"

"Not now..." I grumbled.

Warren was laying on his chest, facing the wall. His legs were pinned and he couldn't turn around.

"You had to taunt the pissed off yawn didn't you?"

"It's yahg, War Machine."

"I don't give a shit! You pissed it off and got a desk thrown at us!"

"He was already mad!" I lamely responded. "I'd ask you to get this off of us but we're in the line of fire."

Warren grumbled. "Fuck, man..."

"Get down!"

"I am down, god damn it!"

I sat back and reluctantly watched as Shepard and Liara traded shots with the Broker.

Then he started shooting at me before John managed to distract him. I fired off a couple of rounds at the energy disk above him. I guess Liara and John already had an idea on how to stop him since she brought the damn thing down on top of the Broker, disintegrating him.

The two of them looked at each other, breathing hard.

"Any day now!" Warren shouted.

Shepard shook his head as he and Liara got us out of the remains of the desk.

Warren and I got up and dusted ourselves off.

"Mark, did anyone ever tell you not to antagonize giant aliens?" Shepard asked.

I shook my head. "No. Just thought that pissing him off would help out."

He shrugged as he watched Liara walk over to a wall of computer screens.

"Shadow Broker, this is Operative Murat. We had a momentary connection failure. Can you confirm status?"

"Operative Shura requesting update. Are we still online?"

"Shadow Broker, I've lost our feed. We are online and awaiting instructions."

Liara walked up to the terminal and pressed a button. "This is the Shadow Broker. The situation is under control. We experienced a power fluctuation while upgrading hardware. It disrupted communications momentarily. However, we are now back online. Resume standard procedures."

I heard the door open and turned around, pistol drawn. I lowered it once I saw that it was Feron.

"I want a status report on all operations within the next solar day. Shadow Broker out."

"Goddess of Oceans...it's you. You...how?" Feron asked breathlessly.

"Well, if you're looking for the other guy, good luck because he's all over the place...on the atomic level, probably," I muttered.

Liara smirked but rolled her eyes. "Well, everyone who's ever seen him in person is dead, so..."

"You're the new Shadow Broker," finished the drell.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Do you think its such a good idea, Liara?"

"It was either that or lose everything: his contacts, his trading sources. Those will really help us. With the Shadow Broker's information network, I can give you...I can..."

Feron cleared his throat, noticing that Liara sounded like she was going to break down. "I'll, uh, check the power systems."

Feron started limping towards the door. I gave Warren a nod and he followed after Feron.

"I'll give ya a hand," he muttered to the drell.

Liara waited for the door to close before she began to cry. John put a hand on her shoulder to console her.

"It's over. It's finally...after two years..."

John pulled her into a hug. "It's alright."

I pulled my hood off as he let go, giving Liara a chance to dry her eyes.

"I've spent two years mourning you and Feron. And now, I've got you both back. I...let's see what we've got," she walked back to the terminal. "No safeguards or user restrictions. It's like he never anticipated anyone but himself being here. And its all ours."

"What kind of information are we talking about?"

"I'm not sure. I'll need to go through his files. Come back later and I'll see if I have anything useful for you. All I wanted was to rescue Feron. But...is it wrong that part of me wants this? With the Shadow Broker's network, I can help you. Maybe even turn this operation into something better."

Shepard nodded. "We'll be in the system for a little while longer. I'll let you dig around and get set up here."

"Of course. The doors are always open," Liara replied with a smile.

"Well, if you're running the show now, I'll have to tell my guys to stop snooping around," I said, turning my omni-tool on. I needed to contact Watson.

"Watson, its me. Send a coded message to Murph and Z. Message follows: Discontinue 'Merchant Hunt'. Change in ownership, details to follow. Got it?"

"Affirmative," replied Watson. "Sending message."

"Cool. If one of the guys calls, send it to me. Other than that, split the guys we had hunting the Shadow Broker join the Cerberus team and the rest to do general intel."

"Of course, Mark."

"See you in a bit, buddy."

I shut off my omni-tool and sat down on one of the couches near the window. "What a crazy friggin' day..."

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Orbiting Hagalaz**

Shepard, Warren, and I trudged towards the elevator after landing back on the Normandy.

"Can't believe that my first time back in action, I get knocked out by fuckin' desk," Warren grumbled.

"It could have been worse," I replied.

"Worse how? Been in your position?"

I chuckled. "More like you getting killed by said desk."

Warren shrugged. "Still, I'm not the one who taunted a ten foot tall alien."

"He was already pissed off!"

John held a hand up. "Guys, I'm tired and sore...I don't wanna hear it."

We both grumbled in response as we piled into the elevator. It stopped at the CIC and we got off.

Miranda was standing at the galaxy map and watched us walk in. "Welcome back, gentlemen. I trust everything went well?"

"We won," I answered. "It was crazy."

"Yeah, and Mark pissed off a giant alien that I've never heard of," Warren added.

"You're never gonna let that go are you?"

"Maybe later. Adrenaline rush and all that..."

I rolled my eyes as we walked into the armory. Shepard and Miranda followed us in.

"Long story short, Miranda, Liara's the Shadow Broker now."

Her eyebrows went up. "Wow. That certainly helps our cause."

"No kidding. It makes being hit with a desk worth it," I replied.

Warren snorted. "My ass..."

"Orders, Shepard?" asked Miranda.

"We're staying in orbit for the time being. Liara said that she was going to need time to find some information for us."

"After all that shit, I don't mind," Warren added.

We dropped our weapons and armor off in the armory. Warren and I went down to the rec. room. John needed to do some paper work on the mission anyway.

Inside the rec. room, Kasumi and Jack were watching some asari soap opera.

"Didn't know you liked watching this Jack," I said, taking a seat on the couch.

"I don't. Kasumi does."

Kasumi smirked. "Liar," she replied in a sing-song voice. "You've been watching this since I came in."

Jack just snorted.

"Eh, I don't care. Everybody's got their own interests. So, who's sleeping with who?" I asked pointing at the screen.

"It's an asari show. What do you think?"

"Kinky," Warren added.

"I bet you jerk off to this shit all the time," she teased.

"Hey, I was in prison for seven years I had to dream it up."

"Aaand I'm leaving," Kasumi said standing up.

"I'm not...go on," I said dryly, gesturing to Jack. "Besides Kasumi, from all the noise you and Jacob make, you're hardly the prudish type."

The thief giggled. "Yes, but I have the feeling they're going to lunge at each other soon."

I scratched my chin. "After I leave then you two can go nuts."

Warren and Jack rolled their eyes at me.

"Where's Watson?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Probably playing video games with Legion or something. I dunno. Don't care," Jack replied with a shrug.

Warren changed the channel to a sports station. "Almost forgot that Detroit's playing tonight."

"Oh you're little urban combat thing?" Jack asked. "Might as well stick around. Never seen it before."

"You might like it," I replied. "Lots of gunfights and stuff."

"Sweet."

And so the three of us sat there and watched the Urban Combat Championship match. Warren and I would explain the rules off and on whenever Jack had a question. It felt good to sit back and relax and watch the game. Hadn't seen a match with Warren in ages. After the day we had, it was worth it.

* * *

_There ya have it! Hope you enjoyed it._

_Up next: probably an interlude. Stay tuned!_


	50. Interlude 13

_Author's Note: Hey all! Less than a week before ME3 comes out! Woo! And that means only two more chapters left before the end of ME2...hell of a run. Of course, I'll be taking a short break once I finish so I can nail down EVERY single detail of ME3 before starting up again. So here we go, a nice little interlude for ya! Also, go read Mass Effect: Delving into Hell by stnemele. Its great._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's_

* * *

**Shadow Broker's ship, Hagalaz, Sowilo System, Hourglass Nebula**

"Well, at least this is easier than running across the damn ship," I said as John and I stepped off the shuttle.

"No kidding. And on top of that, no one gets to shoot at us."

"Shepard, Mark! It's good to see you both!" Liara said.

"Holy hell!" I yelled out. I sighed when I looked up and saw Liara on a screen above the door. John chuckled.

She smirked. "I've set up a few terminals with some information you might find interesting. I'll let you in so you can take a look."

The doors opened up and a white drone moved toward us. "Welcome back, Shadow Broker."

"Uh..." I mumbled.

"That's the old Broker's VI assistant. It's actually been very helpful with rebuilding the network."

"Please let me know if there is anything else you need me to organize, Shadow Broker," replied the drone.

"It also thinks that anyone else in the room is the Shadow Broker. I'll play around with the settings later," Liara grumbled lightly.

"My manual is ready whenever you have a moment!" The drone cheerfully replied.

"Well..." I started. "At least the old Broker had something of a sense of humor..."

John sighed as we walked into Liara's new office.

The good news was that it was brighter than when we were last here, and the gaping hole in that energy cell was fixed.

"Love what you've done with the place," I said as we walked towards Liara. "The lack of killer desks is a plus."

"I have been too busy to re-decorate," Liara jokingly replied.

"How have you been?" Shepard asked.

"I'm a bit overwhelmed to be honest. The Shadow Broker had more resources than you can imagine. Here, take a look."

She turned around, facing the giant computer. "He had top level access to the turian and asari governments, and more than one salarian dalatrass traded intel. And now its ours."

"Anybody got a paper towel? I think I need to wipe the drool off of my cheek," I said.

"Are you sure that's drool?" John muttered.

"Gross, dude."

Liara tiredly massaged her forehead.

"You know, if this is too much for you, we could just crash this thing and walk away," John said, leaning against the computer.

"That's just it. In a way, I feel like I belong here. Working on my own, I was always looking for leads. With the Shadow Broker's resources, its about organizing, cataloguing. I've got everything, Shepard. This is a dream job. Although, the location could be better."

"At least the view's nice," I said. "A place with seasons or a beach would have been cool."

Liara nodded. "True but I would not be well hidden."

I began to mess around with some of the interface screens. "You're not gonna turn into a recluse with creepy information on everyone are you?"

She let out a small laugh. "I can understand the temptation. I've got all of the galaxy's secrets at my fingertips. Give me ten minutes and I could start a war," Liara finished with a theatrical wave of her hands. "But I have a purpose: helping you and Shepard stop the Reapers. That will keep me honest. You know, relatively speaking."

John snorted. "Good to know, Liara. When this whole mess with the Reapers is over and some strange things start taking place across the galaxy, I'll come find you."

She smiled. "You know I wouldn't do any of those things. I was merely joking."

"Well, you did a hell of an acting job," I replied. "Besides, I couldn't picture you secretly filming me and Miranda having fun."

"Yeah you could, Mark. You come up with some pretty dirty things," John joked.

I bit my lip. "This is true. However, that scenario I mentioned seems out of character for Liara."

She sighed. "It's good to know that something's have not changed with time."

"Yeah...anyway, did you find anything useful?" John asked.

"Yes. The Shadow Broker knew about the Reapers. Perhaps that's why he offered to help prove Saren's guilt to the Council."

"He didn't want Saren to succeed," Shepard stated. Liara nodded and began to walk up the small staircase to our left.

"He also knew that the Collectors were Protheans repurposed to be Harbinger's puppets. There's even some more data on the Protheans. I think he knew what was coming and was looking for a way to survive."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Why was he still looking at Protheans? They gave us the warning and the Conduit at Ilos, but we've used those."

Liara put her hand up to her chin. "The Shadow Broker seemed to think that there was more out there. Perhaps the Protheans had other plans. Or maybe he was just grasping at anything that offered some hope."

"Hey, how did you know what the Shadow Broker was?" I asked.

"I didn't. I didn't know what to expect when we finally found him. But I researched pre-spaceflight cultures during some of my Prothean studies. I know a bit about the yahg. There's more on the terminals if you want to look," Liara answered, pointing to one near the entrance. "They're a fascinating culture, and a terrifying one."

I scratched my head. "You said they were quarantined right?"

"I did."

"Oh man...now it all comes together. You remember when I was talking about that favor I did for him, John?"

Shepard nodded.

"The stuff I picked up for the Broker years ago was near a Citadel quarantine zone. Makes sense now..."

Liara raised an eyebrow. "What did you give the Broker?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I never looked. It could have been some personal belongings or a message from his homeworld or something. All I know is that he paid me a ton of credits which have helped me out all these years."

"I see..."

"How's Feron doing?" Shepard asked.

"As well as you'd expect after two years of intermittent torture."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. He wants to work, so I'm letting him help. Maybe it takes his mind off of it," Liara answered solemnly.

"So are you two...?" I asked. The amount of concern Liara's shown regarding Feron made me wonder if they're an item.

She shook her head. "No, we're just friends. He's just been through a traumatic experience. I couldn't ask anything more of him and it would be irresponsible of me to do so."

John nodded. "Well, I'm gonna take a look at a few things before we leave. Do you need anything?"

"I think what I need right now is a friend...I can't leave for too long, but spending all my time on this ship...maybe next time you stop by, I could come up to the Normandy."

"That sounds great. Why don't you come up now? We won't be leaving for a while anyway," John replied.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be right with you. Just give me a minute," she said with a smile.

"I'll be at the shuttle. You coming, Mark?"

I shook my head. "Its fine. Besides, I think I'll hang out for a bit and check out these terminals."

"Just the one by the door," Liara added. "Don't touch anything else."

"Can do..." I replied with a sigh.

I turned around and went into the room nearby. Feron was on the couch reading a datapad.

"Hey," I said.

Feron looked up and darted out of his seat. "Sears! Glad you stopped by. We don't get many visitors. Is Shepard here?"

"Nah, him and Liara left to take a tour of the Normandy. She was so focused on finding you, she never took the tour."

Feron let out a small laugh.

"Take it easy, man," I said, noticing his jumpy demeanor. "After everything you've been through, you should relax."

"You're probably right," he replied, taking a seat back on the couch. "I never did thank you for the rescue."

I took a seat next to him. "Liara never gave up on you, Feron. I just helped."

He nodded. "I'm still amazed Liara came for me. I'll never forget what you all did."

"I can log that in the archives for you, sir," the info drone said.

Feron got an agitated look on his face. "I see you met the secretary..."

I chuckled. "Hard to imagine you forgetting."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah..."

"Speaking of Liara, she didn't stop looking for you. You two must have been close."

"She's a good friend. Better than I deserve," Feron replied.

I nodded. Obviously they didn't see each other in that way. "So, how are you holding up?"

"I'm...I'll be all right. I wasn't always strapped into that interrogation chair. Drell can mentally escape into old memories. It came in handy on the bad days."

"How often were you in that thing?"

Feron shrugged. "A lot. It gets fuzzy. Sometimes he made the guards watch as an example."

I shivered. "I guess we're in the same boat. I spent a little over a year getting tortured by Cerberus. No chair for me."

"So I heard. That must have been difficult."

"It was. Recovery was a pain in the ass. Ever had over 3,000 stitches taken out of you?"

Feron shook his head. "Can't say that I have. Doesn't sound nice though."

I grunted. "Yeah...so...what do you plan on doing now?"

"I want to help Liara rebuild this place, but after that..."

"Your schedule is getting full, sir. Let me sync it to your omni-tool," the info drone cut in.

Feron narrowed his eyes. "No thanks, I'm fine."

"Looks like you've made a friend," I said, pointing at the drone.

Feron sighed. "The drone follows everyone. I don't know why the Broker kept it around."

"I'm a shell for a specialized data processing VI custom-built to your specifications, Shadow Broker!"

"It helps coordinate the network's massive information feeds, but it could use a different interface tone."

"You deemed my default personality sufficient for your needs, Shadow Broker," replied the drone.

The drell grumbled. "I wish it would stop calling me that..."

I chuckled. "Try reading the instruction manual," I looked over at another area of the room, a large switch sitting in the center. "What's that?"

"That is the video archive where the Shadow Broker has monitored several individuals," the drone replied.

A large grin came across my face. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

* * *

**Normandy SR2**

Warren was down in the hangar working out with Jacob. The two had been slowly getting along over the past few days, having similar experiences as a couple of troublemaking, biotic soldiers in the Alliance.

"If there's one good thing about my time in prison, it was the extra weight I lost," Warren said as Jacob was curling some free weights.

Jacob snorted. "Yeah? How much did you weigh before?"

"250. I'm down to about 230 now."

"Damn. I'm close to 205."

"I see the kids have come out to play," Zaeed muttered as he made his way over to the bench press. "Say Warren, you ever been to a batarian prison?"

"Nope."

Zaeed let out a small laugh. "Be glad that you haven't. In there you've got two choices: bash your head against the wall or fight your way out."

Jacob rolled his eyes, having heard the story before.

"Must have been a fun way to leave," Warren replied.

"You could say that. Damn near lost my other eye that time."

"You don't seem to have good luck with your face."

"Not really. I could look worse, though. Hell, I've seen worse," Zaeed replied with a shrug.

"I bet you have..." Warren trailed off. He looked around the hangar deck, seeing some crew members at work on the shuttle. Shepard was giving Liara a tour of the ship while Warren was still trying to acclimate.

He glanced up and saw Jack looking through the window. "I'll see you guys around."

Warren walked off and took the lift up. Since he arrived, one of the few people he had talked to the most, aside from his best friends, was Jack. She was like him: gruff, a powerful biotic, had some crimes under their belts, and fell outside of society's norms. Warren took Mark's advice when Jack made some advances toward him, but played along at the same time. He liked her. Jack could be difficult though, she would flirt a little but then back off and close up on Warren. Jack had been through more than Warren knew. She wanted to get close but something was holding her back.

"Had to come up here without a shirt, didn't you?" Jack asked with a smirk.

Warren folded his arms. "I did just finish working out. You enjoy the show?"

"Obviously," she replied rolling her eyes, but not before eyeing Warren up.

He snorted as he started to put his shirt on.

"Hold it. What's that tattoo on your back?" Jack asked, moving around him to run her hand on it.

"This gang I used to roll with when I was a kid: the Tenth Street Reds."

Jack tilted her head as she looked at the large tattoo. It was a mural of various buildings and tribal bands, leading up to an old English 'D' inside of a shield overlapping a bloody number ten. Underneath the logo were various other gang insignias that were crossed out, meaning that they were either destroyed or assimilated into the Reds.

"Did you like it?"

Warren blinked and put the shirt on. "Didn't really have a choice. It was join 'em or starve to death on the streets."

"I'll take that as a no," Jack replied with a flat tone.

Warren shrugged and leaned up against the wall. "Runnin' around blowing shit up was fun. As I got older though, I realized that I was only being used because I had biotics. The other people I was rolling with hated aliens...biotics weren't liked much that either. I got tired of it and wiped out a bunch of 'em when some asshole said the wrong thing."

"So you joined the military..."

"I did. They wanted my skills and made them better. Besides, it was either that or end up in prison for rippin' off a store or getting gunned down in the streets."

Jack shrugged and started walking towards her room. Warren followed.

"Did you have fun running around the galaxy, blowing shit up?" he asked as she sat down on her cot.

"Yeah. It was fun. Killing people, stealing shit, getting fucked, and getting fucked up...I loved it," Jack gave in a flat tone.

Warren had a small frown on his face. "You don't sound convinced."

"Key word being loved. I come on this ship and most of the shit I did seems meaningless."

"Except for that little vandalism thing you told me about," he replied with a smirk.

"Heh, yeah...its just...I dunno, saving the galaxy by killing shit that's worse than anything else is something. I guess I have Shepard to thank for making me think it over."

Warren chuckled. "Yeah, John's got that effect on a lot of people."

"I guess Mark too...they've been good to me. Not too many people have."

"Yeah. Same here. In the Alliance, I always had the feeling they were using me for my skills like the Reds. Mark and John never saw me that way. It was weird at first...took me a while before I got it, but I did."

"Same here..." Jack softly said. She looked up at Warren from her cot and stared at him.

Warren raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Jack blinked. "Nothing...I'll talk to you later."

He sighed. Jack would usually get like this. Of course, he was the same way years ago so Warren was used to it. He turned to leave. "Later Jack."

He went up the stairs without a second thought, but the next thought in his mind was rather interesting...Warren smirked at the image of him and Jack pressed up against each other in her room, kissing each other as if the ship was going down, among other things...

Jack, on the other hand, was laying back in her cot, thinking of past relationships. One of which involved a guy named Murtock. She was worried about getting close to someone again, or even being used. The two of them needed time to sort everything out.

* * *

**Shadow Broker Ship**

"Oh man, this is fucking hilarious!" I burst out laughing again as I watched Khalisah al-Jilani get clocked by a krogan. The way she flew through the air was just awesome. I had watched this clip about ten times now. Feron just shook his head and smiled.

"How many times are you going to watch that?"

I sighed. "Okay, I'm all set."

I shut off the video archive after viewing nearly an hour of footage with various people that John and I had run into. There were videos of Aria, Udina, Anderson, Kelham and his lawyer, and even those of us on the team. Jack's escape video, in particular, was awesome. I was even in the archive doing my dive off of the Vogel tower two years ago.

I left the room and went into the office. I wanted to see what kind of dirt the Broker had on us.

I walked over to the terminal Liara mentioned and turned it on. Our names were all there, organized with various descriptions, mostly brief assessments. I decided to look at mine first.

_Mark Sears:_

_Former Alliance Special Forces. Current leader of Outer Heaven. Work against Cerberus has proven valuable. However, friendship with Shepard could prove problematic in the future. Despite excellent work in the past (previous involvement withheld), Sears is now expendable. Threat assessment: High._

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Good know that he thought so highly of me..."

_Gamer Profile for LstManStnding_

_Galaxy of Fantasy_

_-Most Used Character: Hannibal, Level 670 Fire Barbarian_

_-Group Affiliation: SexyBastardCrew_

_Awards_

_-Ultimate Damage Master (event: Ardat-Yakshi Rampage)_

_-Best Unit Efficiency (event: Palaven Forest Defense)_

_EUCC 2185_

_-Preferred Team: Boston Minutemen_

_-Coach Robert Hodges Award (Passed 600 wins)_

_-Not Enough Gold (Win the Domestic League championship, Champions League, Worlds)_

_-Long Ranger (Snipe an opponent the length of the field)_

_Fleet and Flotilla: Interactive Cross-Species Relationship Simulator_

_-Playtime: 15 hours, 4 minutes_

_-Player Score: 2000 (Galaxy's Ultimate Lover)_

I laughed as I read through all of my gamer information. The fact that the Broker thought that it was vital seemed funny to me.

_Whatever works I guess._

Of course, the reason I tried Fleet and Flotilla was because Legion had it. I just happened to be really good at the game, as I was at most games.

"Wonder what else you've got on me..."

_Recent Transactions_

_-Purchase Order: 1500 credits worth of costumes from Wacky Walter's Costume Shop_

_-Video Download: Vaenia_

_-Purchase: Kestrel Armor, Armax Arsenal Ghost Armor, Quarian Armor_

_-Omni-tool App Purchase: Risk: Galaxy Edition_

_-Credit Deposit: 2000 credits from Alliance Veterans Affairs_

_-Video Download: Video package from Mordin Solus (Eezo Lovin', How to Manipulate Mass Effect Fields, etc.)_

_-Purchase: 1 bottle of Red Stag, 1 bottle Aramali Obsidian Label Elasa, 2 cartons of lufar cigarettes, reservations for Cassiopiea's_

_-Video Download: Trailer Park Boys: Complete Edition_

_Outer Heaven_

_-Known Operatives: Mark Sears, Charles 'Murph' Murphy, Semeyon Zengin, Geth Platform Watson_

_-Formation: 2185_

_Despite the small size of this organization, its power is immense. With Sears' operations against Cerberus, Outer Heaven's reputation is becoming more and more known throughout the galaxy. The organization is focused solely on Sears with Murphy and Zengin as the directors for all intelligence gathering. The Broker has been able to buy off some small time informants that fall under Murphy and Zengin's numerous contacts and have been able to monitor most of the group's activities and potential targets. Unconfirmed reports suggest that both men (Murphy and Zengin) still work for the Alliance Intelligence Bureau despite reports that they retired long ago. However, it would not surprise the Shadow Broker if they were still a part of the AIB._

_Governments Infiltrated:_

_-Council_

_-Systems Alliance_

_-Turian Hierarchy_

_-Asari Republics_

_-Hanar Illuminated Primacy_

_-Volus Vol Protectorate_

_-Elcor Courts of Dekuun_

_-Various Krogan Tribes_

_Attempted Infiltrations:_

_-Salarian Union_

_-Batarian Hegemony_

_-Quarian Migrant Fleet_

I raised an eyebrow when I read about the Shadow Broker's infiltration of Outer Heaven. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. Murph, Z, and I had done everything in our power to make everything airtight so nothing would lead to them. I backed out of my files and began to read everyone else's. To be honest, I felt a little strange about it. Something about peeking into other people's personal business just didn't sit well with me. Especially when I read a transcript from a discussion between Samara and her daughters. Some of it was funny, notably Grunt's files. Between that little guy and most of the men on the team, all of them had watched Vaenia and Asari Confessions 26: True Blue. Hell, it was listed as part of Jacob's workout entertainment.

_I bet Joker had a hand in that. If it involves asari porn, its usually him._

Last but not least, I read Miranda's files. I smirked when I noticed her subscription to After Dark Fashions and purchasing "Men are from Omega, Women are from Illium." Both were dated a little after helping her out on Illium.

I was surprised when I saw her various correspondence and membership to iPartner. Of course, it was before I had shown up on the Normandy. I read her IM chat with her sister and then saw something that made my heart sink. It was a letter from Illium's Prenatal Care Department at the Nos Astra hospital. Miranda was incapable of having a child. I closed the window and shut the terminal off.

To have all of that physical perfection, and have a glaring flaw like that must have hurt. But if I knew Miri well, she would do everything in her power to change that. Hell, she brought John back to life and she's devoting so much time to give me a normal lifespan, why would she sit back and not try to fix her own problems?

I waited for the shuttle to come back with Liara before I left, saying goodbye to Liara.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Zeona, Elysta System, Ismar Frontier**

I made my to Miranda's office after bringing the shuttle back. It was back to business as usual on the Normandy. I opened the door to Miranda's office and saw her busy typing away at one of her terminals.

"Hello Mark," she greeted warmly. "Did you have fun on the Broker's ship?"

I rolled my eyes at her dry question. "Yes Miri, I did."

She sighed, a smirk on her face. "Well, I hope you didn't start a galactic war when you played around on the ship."

"I might have a bit of a childish side but I'm not _that _childish."

"I know. Sorry, I was trying to be funny."

I let out a short laugh. "I know, I know."

I walked around the desk and moved to the back of her chair, planting a few kisses on her neck.

"Hm...keep doing that and I'll never be able to finish this..." Miranda drawled out.

"That's the idea," I replied.

She let out a small moan before turning around to kiss me on the lips. "So, did you find anything interesting on the ship?"

I sighed and leaned on the side of her desk. "You could say that. Apparently, the Shadow Broker had files on all of us."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Well that's not very surprising considering his interest in Shepard."

I nodded. "I read through a lot of personal things...most of the guys on board seem to like watching Asari Confessions 26, I'm the best video game player on the ship, and Wilson was the Shadow Broker's spy inside of the Lazarus Project."

Miranda sighed. "Can't say I'm surprised about Wilson..."

"Then there was a file on you..." I said, biting my lip. "It was...a little too personal."

"What did you see?" She asked folding her arms, as she stood up.

"An IM chat with Oriana, some extranet searches, stuff about iPartner-"

Miranda's brow furrowed, probably upset at the information the Broker had on her.

"And a letter from a hospital on Illium...the Prenatal Care Department."

I swallowed hard, preparing for whatever reaction Miranda was going to have.

"Damn it," Miranda muttered, slamming her fist onto the desk. She turned away from me.

I put my arms around her waist. "I'm sorry, Miri."

"You don't have to apologize. It was my bastard of a father...a failsafe to keep his dynasty from falling into the wrong hands," she glumly replied.

Miranda released herself from my hug and went over to the bed, sitting on the end. "It doesn't make a lot of sense does it?"

"Not really. Isn't the whole point of a dynasty to keep it going?" I asked sarcastically.

"Of course," she replied with a small laugh. "It was father's way of testing us. If I wasn't good enough, the genetic therapy to make it possible to conceive a child wouldn't happen and I would be thrown away so the bastard could make another daughter."

I sat next to her on the bed and put a hand on the small of her back. "How long have you known about this?"

She sighed. "For a long time. I went to Illium's hospital to get a second opinion. Their Prenatal Care is the best in the galaxy. Unfortunately, the result was the same."

"I understand."

Miranda gave me a tired smile.

"But there's something I don't get..."

"What?" she asked.

"What's with the iPartner thing?"

Miranda bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "I guess I wanted to see if I could...you know..."

"Ah..." I replied with a nod. "You didn't actually hook up with anybody did you? The timestamps were kind of recent."

"Oh god no," she said in a disgusted tone. "I'm sure the Broker had some of the conversations I had on that site."

I slowly started to laugh.

Miranda sighed. "What?" she asked tiredly.

"Two things. One, you were a total ice queen and two, those guys were totally lame," I answered, still laughing.

She shook her head but smiled.

"It would suck even more if you shelled out a few hundred credits to subscribe."

Miranda straightened up and in a haughty tone, replied. "I got a refund. I told them that they didn't have what I wanted."

"Well, you know how it goes, its not like you're going to find what you want on the extranet."

"You're right. What I want is right here," she drawled out, giving me a deep kiss.

I chuckled when she stopped. I took a deep breath and hugged her. "You know, you could always find a way to change your condition. I'll even help you as best I can."

"Thank you, Mark," she whispered giving me another kiss.

"I just want you to be happy."

Miranda smirked. "Oh, and here I thought you wanted to have a child with me."

"I don't work that fast, Miri," I replied.

"I'm glad you don't," she teased.

"But...if you really want to have a kid someday, I wouldn't mind being a dad."

Miranda blinked. "Really?"

I smiled. "Yeah."

"I can wait," she replied. "In the meantime, we should practice. Don't you think?"

"Yes. Yes we should," I said with a smirk as Miranda turned to sit in my lap.

* * *

Miranda and I laid in bed, her arm draped over my chest. I was a little surprised at how things turned out...sort of. I didn't expect to have admitted to having a child with her, something my brain was now catching up on. I was going over and over it in my mind.

_Would it really be so bad?_

_No. A little fast and probably too soon to admit it._

_Yeah, but after all we've been through, she's a keeper._

I snickered.

"Mm...what's so funny?" Miranda whispered.

"I just now realized what I said to you earlier."

"Oh? And what was that?" she teased.

"That I wanted to have a kid with you."

Miranda let out a small laugh and kissed my neck.

"Should have thought that through, right?"

"Probably. But we have plenty of time. I still have to figure out how to reverse my condition, along with yours."

"One thing at a time, Miri."

She nodded. "Of course. We should wait until after we've dealt with the Reapers to even consider...family and all of that."

"Agreed."

The two of us were silent as we laid there.

"Heh..." I muttered.

"What?"

"Wanna see what the Shadow Broker had on me?" I asked, turning my omni-tool on.

"Sure, but, how did you get that?"

"I only got my files. Didn't see the need to have one else's personal information. But I did snag some Cerberus info. I'll show you that later."

I grabbed a datapad on the nightstand and transferred my files onto it.

Miranda started to read it, a small smile appeared on her face. "Mordin sent you vids on how to manipulate mass effect fields?"

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Well, I was a little curious...I knew how to do it a little..."

"That's fine. I did some research on my own time as well. It was...fascinating."

I gave Miranda a dirty grin. "Yeah, I'll bet it was."

She rolled her eyes and went back to reading it. "You spent 1500 credits on costumes?"

"Yeah. I didn't just pull all of those random outfits out of my ass."

Miranda sighed. "I should have known. Lets see...you bought various liquors, watched Vaenia..."

"Good movie."

"I'm sure it was for the writing and not the performances," she sarcastically replied.

"Obviously," I responded.

"And some information about Outer Heaven. Seems clean to me. However, we should have a talk about you watching some dirty movies," Miranda said folding her arms under her breasts.

I stared down. Of course it was hard not to. We we're both naked. Why would I not look?

"Um..."

She giggled. "What's wrong? Are you distracted?"

I looked into her eyes. "Duh. And what's wrong with me watching Vaenia? It's a romance vid."

"Sure it is," Miranda dryly replied.

"And how would you know?" I decided to throw it back at her.

"I...I just heard a few things about it."

I smirked. "Really..."

"Yes. Now we should get some rest."

"Ah, ah. You're not getting away from me that easily. You watched it."

Miranda sighed.

"I win."

She groaned. "Go ahead and gloat," Miranda fell back into the bed and pulled the covers over her head.

"Eh, gloating isn't my thing."

Miranda snorted.

"Hey, we both saw the movie and enjoyed it. Next time, we watch it together. Deal?"

"Deal," she replied.

I eased myself down and got under the covers with her. "Ooh, its nice under here."

Miranda smirked and snuggled up next to me. "I couldn't agree more."

I gave her a peck on the lips. "So, what was your favorite scene?"

"Good night," she replied shutting her eyes immediately.

I just laughed softly, planting kisses on her lips and neck.

* * *

**Zeona, Elysta System, Ismar Frontier**

By morning, we were in orbit around Zeona getting ready to take a test drive in the Hammerhead. According to John, Cerberus had a survey ship that was tied to the group and went missing. Along with that were several pieces of key research and we had to find it.

Warren, John, Grunt, and I went down to the hangar deck.

"Wait, if this a Cerberus thing then why are we doing this?" Warren asked.

"Someone has to find out what the hell happened. It's not the first time I've had to clean up their failed science projects," replied Shepard.

"What kinda dumb shit reason is that?" he asked again.

"Because Cerberus operates in cells, Warren. The Illusive Man won't send out a giant announcement to everyone. Its too big a risk for a covert organization."

Warren furrowed his brow. "So like one cell can't recognize another?"

"Yeah. Their only contact is with the Illusive Man. They wouldn't risk doing something drastic like get outside help unless they're desperate."

"Eh. Makes sense. This cell still thinks we're buddies but we're not...pretty sneaky."

Grunt let out a laugh. "Good. I hope we find a few survivors. I haven't killed anything for a long time."

The four of us walked towards the Hammerhead.

"Maybe we'll get a chance..." John muttered as we got in.

I climbed into the drivers seat. "Shut the hatch," I said to no one in particular.

"Joker, get ready to open the bay door," Shepard said.

John and I went through the pre-flight checks.

"So what's this planet like?" Warren asked.

"According to the scans, most of the planet is volcanically active," answered Shepard.

"Bet its warm. Sounds like home," Grunt added.

"Yeah, but I don't think you'd want to breathe in sulfur dioxide all day. Unless you're into that sort of thing," I said to Grunt.

Warren grumbled. "Guess that means no smooth roads..."

I smirked and adjusted my sunglasses. "Where we're going, we don't need roads."

"Oh lord..." Warren grumbled again.

Shepard chuckled. "We're all set Joker."

"Copy that," he replied, opening the bay door.

I turned on my omni-tool, switching to my music playlist. I played 'Black Country' by Black Country Communion.

"Had to turn on the radio, eh?" Shepard asked.

"Of course. Can't go driving without music," I answered as I fired up the Hammerhead and flew out of the hangar deck.

We weren't too far from the last known position of the Cerberus survey ship, Rosalie. Or rather, what was left of it. Zeona was just as John described; volcanically active.

"Okay, landing successful. We're gonna check out the wreckage," Shepard said as I navigated towards the remains of the Rosalie.

"It's definitely not breathable air outside," I added. "Helmets on."

Shepard nodded as the four of us put our helmets on and got out.

"Nice and toasty," Grunt said.

"Not exactly home since there's no oxygen," I replied.

"And there's active volcanoes everywhere," added Warren.

We walked up to a piece of wreckage, finding some kind of communications device. It contained a journal entry from a Dr. Manuel Cayce, one of the two scientists working on Project Firewalker.

Warren walked around, looking around for any signs of corpses, as did Grunt.

"Huh..." Shepard said after listening to the last message.

"What's up?"

"Cayce...he's the same doctor I ran into on Eden Prime. Manuel Cayce."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. He didn't make any sense when I ran into him, making all sorts of rambling statements. It wasn't until later that I realized that he had activated the Prothean beacon and he was rambling about the Reapers and Saren."

"Dang. Wonder what made him change teams," I replied.

"Probably the same reason Joker and Dr. Chakwas left the Alliance; they swept everyone under the rug, me included," said John.

I shrugged. "Good point."

John looked at Warren and Grunt who were walking back. "Find anything?"

"Sorry, Shepard. Didn't find anything," Grunt replied.

"Well, other than a bunch of scrap metal," added Warren. "There's a ton of that shit."

Shepard checked his omni-tool. "We found a few logs and the locations of some research. Lets get back in the Hammerhead and pick it up. Its spread out over a wide area."

"Shotgun!" I yelled.

* * *

_**Parnack, Yahg Homeworld**_

_The first human on Parnack...damn that has a good ring to it. I step out of the shuttle, pistol in hand and approach the large crowd in front of me. They were large in numbers and in their physical stature. Any normal man would have trembled, but not me; Mark Sears, ultimate hero and galaxy's greatest sex machine._

"_What are you?" shouted one of the yahg._

"_I am human, and I have come to save the galaxy...and your people are going to help," I stated._

_All of them looked at me with narrowed eyes, but I knew what I had to do to deal with them._

"_Sixty years ago, some aliens came with a similar offer, to coexist as equals. Our ancestors killed them."_

"_And I've come with a different offer...who is your leader?"_

_The yahg that was talking to me put his hands on his hips. "I am, human."_

_I smirked. "Good." _

_I shot him in both legs, causing the leader to collapse and yell._

"_Listen up! You're all a bunch of dick grabbers and pussies! I run the show and you're gonna help the rest of the galaxy," I stated, putting a boot on the lead yahg's chest._

_I puffed out my incredibly muscular chest, t-shirt starting to tear away by the sheer force of my rippling pectorals. "I may come in peace...but I'm prepared to start a war."_

_All of the yahg, the leader included collectively murmured in a positive tone._

"_You negotiate well, human," replied the leader._

"_I try to," I said, sniffing the air. "What smells like industrial waste?"_

"_Our women are aroused by your show of force."_

_I nodded my head in acknowledgment. "I have that affect on all women, and some electronic devices."_

_Behind me, a feminine hand ran up my chest. "Mark, are you going to come back to the shuttle?"_

_It was Miranda, wearing little more than underwear._

"_In a moment, that'll be next conquest..."_

"_Mm...I can't wait Mark..."_

"Mark! Hey Mark!"

* * *

**Kopis, Hoplos System, Hades Nexus**

I let out a slow chuckle, my head falling forward slightly. "In a bit, Miri..."

Shepard sighed as he lightly shook my arm again. "Mark!"

"Huh? Wha-" I groggily muttered. "Oh man...I just had the weirdest dream..."

"Wait, you were asleep? You're driving!" Kasumi yelled.

I looked ahead, noticing that we were about to crash into a large rock. "Shit!"

I hit the booster, launching us over the rock.

"Whew...that was wicked," I said.

Shepard, Kasumi, and Samara shook their heads.

I shrugged.

"Do I even want to know what you were dreaming about? Or who you were dreaming about?" John asked me.

I rubbed the back of my head. "Well, actually-"

"Don't want to know!" Kasumi said, cutting me off.

I sighed.

"Perhaps you should stay behind and rest. We can take care of the ruins and whatever opposition we may find," Samara said to me.

"Nah its fine. I guess the whole driving in circles thing made me sleepy."

"I've never heard of anyone fall asleep while doing that. Dizziness and nausea, sure, but not sleepy," added Kasumi.

"Mark's just different," John replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Are we gonna get this artifact or what?"

The four of us put our helmets on and got out of the Hammerhead. For nearly a week, we traveled to various systems, tracking down research notes and other information about this project. I had driven the Hammerhead on every single mission. No one really felt comfortable with John behind the wheel, but, I had been teaching him how to handle it in virtual simulations. He was getting better.

As for this Project Firewalker, it seemed as though a rift was starting to come between Cayce and O'Loy. Cayce was obviously unstable after interacting with the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime two years ago while O'Loy had his own agenda, handling the project seperately.

The four of us entered the ruins and kept our weapons ready.

"I was dreaming about the yahg," I said, breaking the uneasy silence.

"Really?" John asked. "Sounded like you were dreaming about-"

"That was coming up next," I replied.

"I read about them after you guys came back from the Broker's ship," Kasumi said. "...and I thought krogan were scary enough."

"No kidding. You should see them in person," I replied. "It's like some kind of demon frog with four pairs of eyes and a beer belly."

The thief giggled at my description.

"So what happened?" John asked in a joking tone.

"Oh I landed on their homeworld and kneecapped their leader in order to help save the galaxy."

"How would that help the cause?" asked Samara.

"Yahg have two ways of challenging each other: violence or negotiating. The Council reps didn't know that sixty years ago. No one did. Instead of treating them like subordinates, they treated the yahg as equals...and we all know how that turned out."

We continued further into the ruins, finding charred corpses and a few dead Blue Suns mercs laying around. Cayce was dead, as was O'Loy, who had sold out the project in order to protect his wife from the Collectors. The artifact was still here...and it was huge. I mentioned to John that it was like that one we found on Eletania.

Shepard poked it the thing and it started to vibrate, giving off green waves of energy...and then it shrunk down to the size of a softball.

"Huh..." I said.

"Yeah..." John replied.

"Well, I guess we should take it home. At least it'll be safe with us."

He nodded and the four of us left.

* * *

_Coming up next: The Overlord!_ _and then...the arrival! If I don't update by the 6th (9th for my European peeps), then I hope all of you enjoy ME3._


	51. Unplugging the Overlord

_Author's Note: Hey everyone! Been splitting time between this and yet another play-through of ME3 (3rd time through). I'll give you my impressions on the game at the bottom of the chapter. Anyway, here's Overlord!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Fuel Depot, Hekate System, Hades Nexus**

"Is it supposed to float like that?" I asked John, as I tilted my head, looking at the Prothean artifact on the table.

He shrugged. "How should I know? It's a Prothean artifact."

"Damn John. I had no idea you had a swanky lookin' pad like this," Warren said, nodding in approval.

Warren, John, Garrus, Thane, and I were in John's quarters sitting around shooting the breeze.

"Indeed. I don't think I've seen this part of the ship," said the drell assassin.

"Neither have I," added Garrus. "What's the deal, Shepard?"

John chuckled. "Well, you know how busy I can get. I'm only up here when I sleep, or feed the pets."

Garrus looked at the hamster cage on the shelf. "What's this?"

"A hamster, Garrus. It's like mouse...sort of," I answered.

Warren walked over to the couch and sat down, staring at the silver sphere. "So, this is all you found?"

"Yeah, and it was a lot bigger," Shepard replied.

"How big?"

"Bigger than the damn shuttle," I added.

"Huh..." Warren poked it and watched as it expanded before returning to its original size.

"Stop poking it, Warren," John said.

"That's what she said," I added.

Warren chuckled, and I got a sigh out of Shepard.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," said Thane who leaned on the desk next to the couch.

"It's a sex joke, Thane. Someone says something like, 'Oh I can't get a good grip on this lever' and the response is, 'That's what she said," Shepard replied.

"It seems that humans are the only ones who seem to use it frequently," added Garrus.

Thane smirked. "So it would seem."

John fell back into the couch. "I'm just glad we're done with that whole thing. Spent nearly two weeks trekking across the galaxy just to get this thing."

"Still don't know why. It's not like you owe Cerberus a damn thing anymore," Warren replied.

"Because if we didn't pick this up, Cerberus would."

"They didn't seem too concerned about it..."

"Cerberus puts a shit ton of credits up for projects like that!" Shepard retorted.

_Just like the old days. John and Warren getting into another argument._

I laughed. "Knock it off, guys. I'd rather be cruising around the galaxy than sitting around with my thumb up my ass waiting for the Reapers to show up."

Warren shrugged. "Kid's got a point."

I rolled my eyes at the nickname. Sure, he was a year older than Shepard and four years older than me but I wasn't a kid.

"I'm not a kid."

"Well, you do kind of act like one," Shepard admitted. "Hate to say it..."

Thane and Garrus nodded as well.

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. Could be worse though."

"Anyway, I wonder what we're going to do next," Garrus said, taking a seat on the end of the couch.

"Good question," replied John. "We'll figure something out once we've finished refueling."

My omni-tool started to beep. I turned it on and saw an incoming call from Semeyon. "I'll be right back, guys."

"Who is it?" Warren asked.

"An old friend. Probably a business call," I answered as I went into the bathroom.

I pressed a button and answered the call. "Hey Z, long time no see."

"It is good to see you again Mark. How have you been?"

"Not too bad. We're just at a fuel depot right now. What's goin' on?"

Semeyon smirked. "Well, since you gave us the good news about your friend taking over as the Broker it has been considerably easy for us. So much so that I managed to get in touch with a colleague."

I raised an eyebrow and let him continue.

"You see, this friend I have was stuck on Trident, being hunted by the Shadow Broker. Since you and your friends took care of the old one, his business is now booming," he said excitedly, his Russian accent peeking through more and more.

"That's good to hear but what does it have to do with us?"

Semeyon smiled. "He is a weapons dealer. Anything you need, he finds. Is very good, no?"

I chuckled. "It is."

"He's different than most weapons dealers you may know of. Not flashy, no fancy suits or large breasted women on his arms. He is an old man like me who has good connections to the Alliance military."

"How good are we talking?"

"You will see. What fuel depot is the Normandy located at?"

"Its in the Hades Nexus. Hekate System."

Semeyon nodded as he looked at another terminal. "Very good. He should be there in a few hours. Dosvidanya!"

"Bye, Z."

I shook my head and smirked as I walked out of the bathroom.

"What's up?" Shepard asked as sat back down on the couch.

"Hope we're not going to be leaving in the next few hours because we're getting some guns."

* * *

Two hours later, a Kowloon-class freighter pulled up along side of us and docked on the port side of the ship. Shepard and I waited for the airlock to pressurize.

"So, who the hell is this guy?" John asked.

"I dunno. Semeyon vouched for him so I'll take his word for it."

Shepard sighed as the door opened up. In front of us was a man in his seventies with long, silvery hair and a beard, sitting in a wheel chair with a cigarette in his mouth.

He squinted and looked at me, then Shepard.

"You the kid Z was telling me about?" he asked Shepard.

John pointed at me. "Mark's over there."

"Ah, gotcha. Forgot my fuckin' glasses again. A'right, come on in."

The old man drove his chair down the hall while we followed him.

"I guess I should thank ya for getting me out of that jam on Trident," the old man said. "It sucked down there. Nothin' but water everywhere."

"You're welcome. I didn't know that Z had a contact out here," I replied.

"Heh, we go back a ways. Used ta be an agent with the AIB until this happened," he gestured to his legs. "Little lesson for you kids, don't get into cars with hot, strange women. They tend to have douchebag friends that get their rocks off on torturin' ya."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Eventually we came into a large cargo bay, massive crates lining both walls but there was enough space for a straight line leading to the bow of the ship.

"You sure have a lot of munitions crates in here. Looking to start a war?" Shepard asked.

The man shrugged. "If I felt like it, I would. I just prefer working with the kid here," he pointed at me with his thumb.

"We've never met until now."

"Yer reputation is well known in these parts, even if Outer Heaven is having a war against Cerberus. People tend to respect that. 'Specially aliens that heard of Cerberus."

"What's your name anyway?" I ask.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Name's Andrew Ferguson."

We made it to the front of the ship as Andrew pulled into a room lined with various weapons and armor, along with a few pictures of centerfolds.

"Huh...I used to serve with a Ferguson," I muttered.

"What was his first name?" Andrew asked.

"Scott. He was in my unit. We served together on the Eisenhower."

Andrew chuckled and blew a plume of smoke. "That was my son."

My eyebrows shot up. "Fergie was your son?"

"Yeah. He'd shoot me a bunch of emails about his wacky, hotshot commander. Never woulda thought that you knew Semeyon too," Andrew answered with a smirk. He sighed. "He was a good kid..."

I nodded. "Hardest working guy in the unit. Always kept everything in pristine order."

"He was always doing somethin'," Andrew replied as he pulled up to a desk, grabbing a picture off of it. He paused as he stared at it with a hard look. "How did he go?"

I blinked. Scott was sucked under minutes before Toombs was.

"He didn't suffer," I quietly replied.

Andrew stubbed out the cigarette before lighting another one. He simply nodded.

"Well..." he started, clearing his throat. "I suppose its time to get down to business."

I grunted in response.

"A lot of the shit I got is mostly Alliance gear. Tough to come by 'round these parts. Weapons from other Council races are even harder to find unless you go to the Citadel or their home planets."

"Why is that?" Shepard asked.

"Council tries to do a good job of keeping their arms out of the hands of pirates and most Terminus system planets. Of course there's people like me slipping through the cracks," Andrew replied with a laugh. "But I only deal to people I can trust. Tough considering how god damn corrupt it is out here. Wild fuckin' west."

"That and some places make their own armaments," I added.

"Yeah, like the Eviscerator and Terminus Armor. Can't sell that in Council space. It's illegal."

Andrew wheeled over to a crate on his right and popped it open. "Here's a few sample pieces of what I have for ya."

"Huh..." John muttered as Andrew pulled out an M-55 Argus rifle.

"This here's the new M-55 Argus. Modeled and modified after the M-96 Mattock. Unlike its older brother, it's got a three round burst and is effective in close to mid range combat."

"How's the recoil? Similar to the Mattock?" I asked.

"Hell nah. It jumps like poodle after a few espressos. You'd need a good stability damper."

Shepard nodded. "Seems good. What else do you have?"

"That crate over there's got a bunch of N7 Special Forces weapons. Assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, shotguns, and so on," Andrew answered waving his hand at the crate next to him. "Ah, here we are..."

"What's that?"

"M-37 Falcon. It's an assault rifle that fires 25mm grenades. Weight can be a problem, as well as reload times. Other than that, its a deadly little bastard."

I looked inside the crate. "Woah...this looks like an M-99 Saber."

"Yeah that's one of 'em. You ever use one?"

I nodded. "First weapon I got when I became the leader of Task Force 110. Everything on it was customized for me. The barrel was lighter than the regular model and the stock and handgrip were more like the Argus. They didn't call it the 'Big Iron' for nothing."

Andrew chuckled. "That reminds me..."

He wheeled over to another crate across the room. "Murph told me that when a few of his guys were on Akuze a while back, going through whatever was left of that Cerberus base you destroyed. They found a few underground tunnels used for monitoring the thresher maws. You won't believe what they found..."

I raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a rusty old rifle and put it in his lap before wheeling over.

"They found this bad boy a few miles from the memorial."

"No way..." I breathed out as Andrew handed it to me. It was my old, modified M-99. Under the cheek plate, my old kill count was etched in: 114. There was no visible damage to the rifle, aside from the dirt and rust caked on; I'd clean it later.

"Whaddya think?"

"I can't believe they found it..."

"Me neither. 'Course, if you can fix that baby, you've got a rifle with stopping power and incredible accuracy. You'll be getting two birds stoned at the same time."

John raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean killing two birds-"

"What?" Andrew asked, holding his hand up to his ear. "Eh anyway, you can fix it up, right kid?"

I nodded. "Shouldn't be too hard."

"Good, good."

"Thanks, Mr. Ferguson," I replied, shaking his hand.

"Call me Andy, kiddo."

* * *

**Aite, Typhon System, Phoenix Massing**

"Would you look at all of this shit?" Warren exclaimed as he rifled through some of the weapons crates to look at our new gear in the armory.

"Good to know that you approve," I said.

"Hell yeah I do," he replied, pulling out an Argus rifle. "Been waiting to try one of these out for a while now. Very nice..."

I chuckled as he pet the thing like a small dog.

John walked into the armory like a man on a mission. "Heads up guys, we're going to a Cerberus base."

_What do you know...he is a man on a mission._

Warren grumbled. "Again with these assholes? What's the deal, John?"

"It's a distress call from some secret base they have in the Phoenix Massing. All I know is that they've been experimenting with some dangerous technology."

I raised an eyebrow. "Reaper tech?"

Shepard shook his head. "I dunno. We'll be there in a few hours. So get ready."

"You got it," Warren replied, as he dug out his armor and pistol. "Looks like I get to test out this new toy."

"Damn right," Jacob said, as he put his new AT-12 Raider shotgun down.

I grabbed my Nighthawk and my old Saber and placed them on a bench. "Better make the most of these few hours."

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked.

"Bringing the new and the old together," I replied as I took the Saber and Nighthawk apart.

* * *

**Aite**

Aite, a beautiful world out in the middle of the boonies of the Milky Way. Despite its normal temperatures and scenery, it was like the wild west; there was always a war between various factions over who would rule. And unfortunately, it was doomed as its largest moon Litae would slam into the planet in the next two centuries. Somehow, it reminded me of Eletania, minus the toxic atmosphere and future extinction event.

We took the Hammerhead and Kodiak down to the Cerberus base, an eerie silence met us once we stepped off.

"A giant white base in the middle of all of this green," I said. "Not much of a secret hideout, is it?"

Miranda let out a small laugh.

"Thank god you came! My name is Dr. Gavin Archer. The situation is urgent—we're facing a catastrophic VI breakout. I'll explain the details later, but you have to retract the transmission dish! The controls aren't far from your position but you have to hurry!"

"Well shit..." Warren muttered.

Shepard pulled out his new N7 Valkyrie. "Let's move people!"

All of us drew our weapons and headed into the facility.

"Ugh...smells like a Cerberus base all right," Jack muttered.

"Be advised, this is a secure facility. All weapons must be declared upon entry and checked with security personnel on duty," said an automated announcement.

"Well, no one's here. Lazy bastards can't even show up on time," I said dryly, as I looked at the bodies of the Cerberus personnel strewn about.

Shepard turned to Legion and Watson. "If there's a VI on the loose, I want you two to lock yourselves down...or something."

"Already done," they replied in unison.

"Over here, on the monitor," Archer said as we walked over. "Ah, there you are. I've locked myself in a computer room on the far side of the base. There are geth on the loose. A rogue VI program has seized control and...I've lost a lot of friends today. I'd hate to see you join them. Please watch yourselves."

The monitor shut off and we all looked at each other.

"Huh...another Cerberus experiment gone wrong..." I said flatly. "What a shock."

"Geth huh? We can kill them easily," added Grunt.

Kasumi shook her head. "You had to say it in front of two geth didn't you?"

"We are not offended," Watson stated. "And there are two platforms, not two geth, Kasumi."

Shepard sighed. "Shall we continue?"

"Sorry Shep. Let's go."

"Hey Watson," I said, tapping him on the arm. "You picking up any signals from the other geth?"

"No. If there is a chance that these platforms can be hacked by a rogue VI, we will not take the chance without proper confirmation that the VI can not penetrate our defenses."

I nodded. "Good. I wouldn't take the chance either. Getting your body hijacked probably sucks."

"We would not know."

I chuckled and took out my modified Nighthawk. Despite the look of my old Saber, its internal parts were too worn out and corroded. Plus, the technology inside was nearly a decade old; no thermal clip system, outdated ballistics software, and the old models weighed more than the new M-98 Black Widow. It wasn't a total loss, however. The body was still the most durable thing on the market; it wasn't called the 'Big Iron' just because of its stopping power. Sitting in the dirt for nine years proved how durable it was despite the damaged internal components. I replaced the Nighthawk's old stock with the Saber's; it was always more comfortable than anything I'd ever used. I changed the Nighthawk's assault rifle barrel with the Saber's as well and added the large bottom attachment as well. The Nighthawk looked more like my Saber, minus the excessive weight and lack of fire rate.

"Well here's the dish control," Shepard said, as we entered the room, finding more dead bodies. He pressed a button on the console and we watched the dish retract.

It seemed fine before a loud, metallic screech rang out; the dish stopping its descent.

"System error."

Seconds later, the VI announcement was cut off by a mechanical shriek and every screen in the room turned green with glowing white eyes. A few people jumped.

"Damn it! The VI's overridden the controls! We have to stop him—he's trying to upload his program off planet!" Archer yelled over the intercom. "There's an antennae inside the dish, destroy it!"

"How do we get there?" Shepard replied.

"Take the tram on the lower level. Get to it as fast as you can!"

"Let's move!"

We all sprinted out of the room and down the halls; the sound of the VI's shrieks followed us all the way.

"This is an automated security message. Geth activity has been detected. Please remain at your workstations until the all clear is given."

"That worked out well for these assholes," Jack said.

"Apparently their security personnel have never fought geth before," I added.

"Or most of them are just civilian scientists," replied Jacob.

"Good point."

The next area we came up to was a large cafeteria where the geth were waiting for us. Even with their numbers, they were no match for all of us.

"The tram's up ahead. Let's go," Shepard said.

"We should probably split the teams up; don't want to leave the shuttle and the tank behind, you know?" I added.

"Good thinking. Warren, Grunt, and Garrus, you're with me. The rest of you, stay back and secure the area."

I nodded. "Will do, John."

Shepard and his team went into the tram and we watched them go.

"Strange that he didn't bring you," said Jack.

"I've still got some slight post-concussion symptoms. Mostly the headache and slight dizziness," I replied. "I don't think going up onto a giant satellite dish would help."

Jack snorted. "Wish I could've gone. I haven't kicked anyone's ass until now."

"Nothing wrong with a little downtime, cue ball," Zaeed said.

"Hey old man, what did I say about calling me that?"

I sighed. "Calm down. Let's fan out and secure the area."

* * *

It was probably for the best that I didn't go with John to the dish. The whole dish, minus the giant support, had blown up and collapsed. Warren hadn't stopped yelling since they had to leap from the dish to the catwalks below. He calmed down once Dr. Archer showed up. Now it was time to figure out what the hell was going on around here.

"Hey Watson, what was up with those other geth? Their eye thing was glowing green," I said.

"We would presume that those platforms were under the influence of the VI Dr. Archer previously mentioned."

"I see..."

The two of us were busy moving out the bodies of the Cerberus personnel in the facility along with Legion and Grunt. Shepard was inside, talking to Archer.

"Any idea why we're stuck on dead body duty?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Because we're strong," Grunt answered.

"That's not it. If it was the case, then why am I here? You three can easily out lift me."

"Shepard-Commander stated that you 'needed to get your lazy ass moving'," replied Legion.

"Figures..." I grumbled.

Grunt walked back into the facility, coming out only a few minutes later with a couple of bodies in both arms.

"This is the last of them."

"Good. I was never a fan of cleanup duty anyway," I replied.

The young krogan looked around at some of the bodies. "I'm hungry."

I snorted. "You're always hungry."

"Well, I am a kid."

I shook my head and pulled out an energy bar. "Here."

Grunt chuckled as he caught the bar and tore it open.

I smirked. "You should really consider carrying a few around, you know. Especially with how hungry you get."

"Good idea."

Shepard and the rest of the team emerged from the labs. He didn't look too happy.

"Lemme guess, Cerberus is fucking around with VI technology and something went amiss?"

John nodded. "Something like that. Except Dr. Archer's autistic brother was the test subject. They were trying to put a human mind inside a VI as a way to control the geth."

"Oh...well, at least it isn't like that situation we ran into on Luna."

"Yeah...its just worse now. Anyway, we're splitting up. One team is going to hit Vulcan station, the other will go to Prometheus station to shut down the geth."

I scratched the back of my head. "What's the difference between the stations?"

"Vulcan station is where the geothermal power station is located. It powers the entire project," Miranda answered. "Prometheus station is a lab located inside a crashed geth ship with numerous platforms inside."

"Hm...interesting. But why go there? Why not go to where this VI is located anyway?" I asked.

"Atlas station, where the VI is located, is in lockdown. Prometheus and Vulcan have lockdown override switches we can use to unlock the facility," Shepard said.

I nodded. "Can I drive the Hammerhead?"

John sighed. "Of course..."

"Sweet."

"We would like to join you as well," Watson said. "We may be able to detect any intrusion attempted by the VI. Also, we have not accompanied Mark on a mission for some time."

I smirked. "Gettin' lonely without me, eh?"

"Geth do not feel lonely."

"Right..."

Miranda walked over to our group. "I would like to join you as well."

Shepard nodded. "Okay everyone. You know what you have to do. If you find any interesting recordings, don't hesitate to pick them up. There's more to this than we know..."

"You think so?" Warren asked.

"Yeah, I do."

* * *

**Prometheus Station**

"_Even through the darkest days, this fire burns, always!_"

"Oh lord..." Miranda muttered, putting her face into the palm of her hand.

"What? You don't like it when John and I sing?" I asked as the sound of Killswitch Engage echoed through the Hammerhead.

"No, its not that. Would you turn that down?"

I sighed and complied with her request.

"Then what is it that you don't like Miranda?" John asked.

"Its just...not my type of music. That's all."

I snorted. "Oh right, you're a classical snob."

"Am not," she retorted.

"Yeah you are. We got into an argument over who was a better composer. I said Brahms, she said Nielsen."

"It's true. Nielsen was better," Miranda said, a small smirk on her face.

I shrugged. "Still, my point is that you haven't opened your mind up to other types of music."

"We should also add that Mark and Shepard achieved perfect pitch and tempo," added Watson.

"High five," John said, holding his hand up. I returned the high five.

Miranda sighed. "You two..."

"Oh there's that geth ship up ahead," I said.

"Sitting right next to a small waterfall..." John added.

"How quaint."

"We are detecting multiple kinetic barriers up ahead. Including a large cannon blocking the entrance to the ship," Watson said.

I pulled the Hammerhead up to the edge of the small cliff we were on.

"Scanning area. Analysis: Generators are providing power for main shield. Warning: The VI infection has taken control of the geth cannon."

"Shit..." I muttered. "Everybody hold on."

I drove off the small cliff to avoid the cannon's slow, repeating barrages.

"What are you doing, Mark?" Shepard asked.

"Trying to get the cannon to hit the generators. This freakin' pea shooter isn't going to do anything to those barriers and something just as weak to the generators."

I drove back and forth as the cannon knocked out the barriers and generators. It didn't take long before the barrier was brought down and we could finally take out that obnoxious cannon.

The four of us left the Hammerhead and entered the station.

* * *

Walking through the wrecked geth ship was nothing but unsettling. Bodies of Cerberus researchers and geth platforms littered the place. In the center of the entrance was a geth prime, stuck in an egg shaped barrier; the green light on its head showing that the VI controlled it.

"What a mess," I said as we walked through the labs and halls.

"Yeah..." replied Shepard. "None of these scientists had weapons on them."

"I haven't seen a single weapons locker yet. You'd think they would have them close by in case of an issue," I added.

Miranda sighed as an automated recording played, mentioning that all Cerberus employees had signed waivers in case of injury or death. "There's your answer."

"That's kind of dumb. Throwing unarmed civilians into harms way and expecting security to handle it," I answered. "Then again, I never gave Cerberus credit for being smart anyway."

"Except for me, of course," Miranda teased.

"Obviously. The smart ones leave."

She rolled her eyes as we went down a cramped staircase. Random doors began closing, while others unlocked.

"The VI is in complete control of this laboratory," Watson stated.

"You picking up any signs of movement?" I asked.

"No. I have not detected any signs of platforms powering up."

Shepard scratched his head. "Let's hurry up, then. Judging by the amount of platforms laying around, we might be in trouble soon enough."

The VI's image appeared kept appearing on the 'windows' at every turn. Every now and then, it would let out some kind of garbled howl.

When I heard it for the fourth time, it sounded more like a cry for help. I stopped.

"Mark? What is it?" Miranda asked.

"Did you hear what the VI said?"

Miranda and Shepard looked at each other puzzled.

"Watson, can you do a playback of the last thing the VI said?"

"Yes," he replied, playing back the garbled howl.

"Did you hear it?" I asked them.

John's brow furrowed in concentration. "It sounded like a voice but I couldn't make out what it was saying."

"I know what it was saying," I replied. "He was saying, 'make it stop'."

John blinked. "Okay..." he whispered before shaking his head. "Let's try and hurry it up. I don't like where this is going at all."

"Agreed."

The four of us rushed down the halls of the broken ship, looking for the lockdown override.

When we finally found the room, there were piles of geth platforms laying around it.

"Huh..." I muttered. "If this was some sci-fi horror movie, then this would be the part where I would say, 'I gotta baaaad feeling about this'."

"Then you'll get your chance," John replied with a smirk as he activated the override switch.

"Geth platforms are activating," said Watson.

Shepard grumbled. "I knew this would be too easy."

Miranda used a biotic slam on the platform, destroying it.

"We detect more platforms activating across the lab."

"And we get to fight our way out..." I remarked. "Never a dull moment."

We rushed out of the room, making our way through the halls as the Cerberus announcements continued to play.

"Cerberus reminds all personnel that this emergency is now classified information. Disclosure to outside parties is a violation of your confidentiality agreement."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked out loud. "Confidentiality agreements?"

"It's a strange world, Mark," John muttered.

I sighed. "Fuckin' Cerberus, man..."

* * *

**Atlas Station**

We arrived at the entrance to Atlas station where the rest of the team was waiting. They had gone through Prometheus station without much of a fuss...so to speak.

"I swear to god, man...who builds a station in the middle of a fuckin' volcano?" Jack asked. "Oh right, Cerberus. They're the only ones dumb enough to do it."

"When you put it like that, it sounds like some campy super villain built it," Warren replied with a smirk.

Jack rolled her eyes.

"What took you so long, Shepard?" asked Grunt.

"We had to fight our way in and out. We didn't just take the shuttle to the main facility," replied the commander. "Anyway, lets get inside and see what we can do."

"Did you guys figure out what that VI was shouting?" Kasumi asked. "I thought I made out the word stop."

I nodded. "He was saying 'make it stop'."

Much like when I figured it out at Prometheus station, there was a pause before we went into our respective vehicles.

There was a bit of a drop as we slowly descended to a platform below. This place was buried in a small mountain and seemingly went down almost a mile underground. The entire team disembarked after we landed.

"Looks like you're in, Commander. Good. I'm getting some troubling readings though. The VI is trying to upload its program directly from your location. Get to the server room and shut down the core before it can-"

"Another dead transmission..." Warren muttered.

John grunted. "Okay...Legion, Watson, Zaeed, and Samara; I want you to hold this area. If anything happens, you're our last line of defense."

"Of course, Shepard. We will defend the exit," Samara replied with a bow of her head and the four of them left.

"Anyone find a light in here?" Jacob asked.

"Try the vending machine," I said.

"That's stupid," replied Jack.

"If it is, why is it the only thing on?"

Shepard walked over to the vending machine and pushed a random button. A log from Dr. Archer played. "Archer log 155.2: For years, my brother's condition has been a handicap. That changed today. His autistic mind is the breakthrough I've been looking for...he can communicate with the geth! Such a tremendous grasp of mathematics. It seems serendipity is alive and well in the 22nd Century."

I let out a disgusted sigh. "Son of a bitch...his own brother..."

John nodded. Then the lights flickered on, showing numerous bodies and blood splatters around the room.

Kasumi let out a small 'eep', almost jumping into Jacob's arms.

"Looks like things get worse the further we go down this rabbit hole," I muttered.

Shepard nodded and picked up his Revenant. Ahead of us was a locked door which seemingly opened up once we approached it. The lights continued to flicker on as we slowly made our way down the hallways. To say it was unsettling would be an understatement.

Our group stopped at three doors, the three locks changed from green to orange, and red. They constantly shifted across the doors.

"...the fuck?" Warren muttered.

"It's just like at Prometheus station. The VI's watching us, leading us along," added Miranda.

"Great," he replied.

I entered the large lab once the 'door roulette' ended. Another one of Archer's logs played.

"Archer log 157.8: Unless he sees results, the Illusive Man is shutting us down next week. I have no choice. I'm going to tap David directly into the geth neural network and see if he can influence them himself. The danger should be...negligible. David might even enjoy it."

"Reckless. Unethical. Use of own relative appalling. Especially with mental handicap," Mordin stated, shaking his head.

I walked over to the elevator, hitting the call button. It was only going to the even numbered floors; we were on the seventh floor.

"Uh, someone look for an active terminal please? The elevator's messed up."

"How about this one?" Thane asked, pointing to one nearby.

"What is it?"

"It is a 3D Diagnostic Console."

"Eh...give it a shot."

"Arriving at level one," the station's computer announced.

"Heh...neat."

By the time it reached the seventh floor, a weight limit warning went off.

"Geth, I assume," Shepard said.

"The lift has a capacity of 650 pounds," added Miranda.

I twiddled my fingers, crunching the numbers in my head. "Four of them, then."

The sound of a cutting tool could be heard on the other side as we saw sparks fly through the small opening.

"Get behind something!" Jacob yelled out.

All hell broke loose once the doors opened. The good news was that we had the numbers, and abilities. The geth never had a chance; hell they never even made it out of the lift. Of course before we went down, we had to get the geth out of the elevator and we had to thin our numbers since the elevator couldn't take us all down. Grunt was the obvious choice since he weighed two to three times as much as say...me. Tali, Kasumi, Garrus, and Jacob would be staying behind as well. That just left me, Shepard, Warren, Jack, Miranda, and Mordin.

"Shall we?" I gestured to the elevator.

Warren snorted and stepped inside with the others. The doors shut and the elevator began to move...before stopping.

"Problematic," Mordin said.

"No shi-!" Jack was about to reply before the elevator abruptly fell...then stopped.

And then it fell again, causing all of us, minus Mordin.

"Professor...why are you still standing?" I grumbled.

"Remembered something from vid show. Mostly random disasters. Had a good feature on free falling elevators."

"Good call."

We got up and walked into another lab. The windows on the far side of the room showed the VI servers. Yet another log from Dr. Archer played.

"Archer log 168.4: I'd be lying if I said no harm would come to David. His autistic mind is more alien to me than an actual alien. Anything could happen when we plug him in. But I have to try, don't I?"

"Motherfucker...if we see him, I get dibs," Jack angrily said.

"We're not going to kill him, Jack," replied Shepard. But I swore I heard him mutter, "Not yet anyway..."

We finally made it into the VI server room. Warren and Mordin covered the door.

"Get ready, everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if this button summoned a Reaper," John said.

"I'm pretty sure that button is on the left. If not, its probably still in the Council chambers," I joked.

"No kidding," he pushed the button, the sound of a server shutting down confirmed it.

The VI's image burst through the console and somehow managed to hack into Shepard's omni-tool.

"John!" I shouted as he froze.

"Can't..." he struggled to say before he started to stagger out the door.

"No!"

The door locked shut. I slammed on it with my fist and tried to open it with my omni-tool. Nothing worked.

"Shit!"

Jack tried to use her biotics on the door to no avail. "What the hell _was_ that?"

Miranda bit her lip. "The VI somehow hacked into Shepard's omni-tool, maybe even his cybernetic implants."

"Implants?" Warren questioned.

"Yes. We needed to put some inside of Shepard when we brought him back to life."

"Huh...to think that a VI could 'hack' into him..."

"There's gotta be something we can do!" I said.

"Unfortunately, we can't. We'll have to wait it out, I'm afraid," Miranda replied.

I punched the door.

Mordin turned his omni-tool on and began to mess around with it.

I slid down the door and sat on the floor. "What are you doing, professor?"

"Hm? Playing human card game. Solitaire. Very entertaining. Good to play if I need distraction or need break."

* * *

It felt like we were in that room for hours. I wasn't enjoying it. John was somewhere out there, possibly being controlled by a VI. It didn't help that there were a few dead bodies and blood all over the walls; the room stank.

Miranda sat down next to me. "Hey."

"Hey."

"I'm sure Shepard is all right, Mark."

I grunted a response.

Miranda sighed.

"I dunno...to think that someone or something could hack into his implants..."

"I don't think its possible to hack into them. His omni-tool, yes, but not the implants. It would be like trying to hack into any other body part; its impossible."

The edge of my mouth twitched into a small smirk. "I'll take your word for it. You did bring him back."

She folded her arms and returned the smirk. "I did, didn't I?"

I snorted. "Oh yes, bask in your own glory, Miranda."

"Aww, Mark and the cheerleader sittin' in a tree..." Jack sang out.

Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Doing more than sitting in a tree, Jack," I replied with a grin.

The ex-con chuckled while Miranda smacked me in the arm.

"What?" I asked rubbing my arm. "Everyone on the ship knows."

Miranda shook her head, muttering a few curses.

The door opened behind me, causing me to fall backwards.

Warren laughed, causing me to flip him off.

We walked out of the room and down the hall. One of the halls had a view into the VI core...and what I saw was...well, it caused me to sprint down the hall.

"If you even think about coming after your brother, this bullet will be waiting for you. Then we'll see who's valuable!" John spat out.

"Where will you take him?" asked Dr. Archer.

"Grissom Academy. They can help him, instead of torturing him," Shepard radioed the Normandy, "Joker, contact Grissom Academy. Let them know that we're bringing someone to them."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

He turned to Archer. "I don't give a damn if your boss has a problem. We ditched him a long time ago."

All I could focus on was David. He was hanging from a variety of tubes and rods and locked into the center of the core. He was...he was a mess.

"Square root of 912.04 is 30.2...it all seemed harmless..." was all David kept muttering.

"My god..." Miranda said quietly.

I swallowed hard. I shouldn't have been surprised by the kind of ruthlessness Cerberus would take in their scientific endeavors. But Archer's autistic kid brother?

The doctor himself seemed shaken just staring up at David. John looked livid.

I walked over to him, giving him a tap on the arm. "You okay, John?"

"I saw everything...everything," he shook his head. "We need to get him down."

"Commander..." Archer muttered. "I'll help get him down. It's the least I can do..."

Shepard sighed. "Fine. Warren, keep an eye on him. He does anything-"

"I assure you, Commander. I have no wish to continue doing this to David."

John nodded. "Okay, but we're still keeping you under watch until we leave. Get him down."

I started to look around for some spare clothes for the kid. Didn't take long to find some in a nearby locker. 'Cutting' David down was the hard part. He had all sorts of stuff wedged inside of his arms and legs. Then there was the big 'crown' that was screwed into his head and the large tubes stuck in his mouth... It was a mess. After a half hour, we left the lab; I carried David out.

"Its quiet..." He muttered, with eyes shut. Can't say I blame him since they were held open by hooks. "Square root of 906.01 is..."

"30.1," I replied. "The ship's quiet too. Just a heads up, we've got a couple geth with us. Don't worry, they speak like we do. Mostly cause its convenient."

"Tired. Very tired," David said.

"Feel free to take a nap. We'll be on the Normandy in no time."

* * *

_An end to a damn good mission._

_Now for my take on ME3..._

_For the amazing highs and lows I experienced playing through the final chapter of Commander Shepard, I couldn't help but feel slighted. If you have beaten the game, or searched around on the internet for the past few weeks, you've probably heard about the uproar surrounding the final 15 minutes of the game. And trust me, the uproar is well deserved. Was it fun? Yes. Am I playing it again? For now._

_When I played the first Mass Effect game 5 years ago, it was like a breath of fresh air for me. I'd never played an RPG before and it was my introduction to the genre. I never had the urge to play RPG's since they were either filled with androgynous, spiky haired individuals in a turn based environment (Final Fantasy) or another Dungeons and Dragons clone...I just didn't like it. I must have beaten ME1 close to 10 times, the only other game that I've finished more was the first Metal Gear Solid. _

_My Shepard, the one in my profile pic, I logged close to 73 hours with (that's two 100% play-throughs). Unfortunately, since my 360 fizzled out before the Arrival DLC came out (Xbox #5), I can't finish it (nor do I intend to by another 360 at this time). So instead, I got ME2 and ME3 for my PS3. I'll put the totals up so I don't digress further._

_ME1: 73 hours (All DLC, 2 100% complete play-throughs)_

_ME2: 35 hours (All DLC, 2 100% complete play-throughs)_

_ME3: 35 hours_

_On top of that, I bought the 3 books written by Drew Karpyshyn and the Redemption comics._

_So when I say that the ending made all of that time I spent seem pointless, I mean it. And as a writer, I'm blown away at how many plot holes the writing team left in. And for what? To have one of those 'artsy, philosophical' endings? Hate to say it writing team, but you missed the point entirely. The game may have had this theme of 'sacrifice' and how far you would be willing to go to save the galaxy, but in truth its not what the series is about. Sacrifice is a minor theme. The major theme throughout this whole series, and one that was reiterated in the game was this: Hope._

_The first game had it. The second game had it. The third didn't. It spat in your face and called it rain. The project leads went on for months saying that the end would 'answer everything' and 'not be about choosing A, B, or C'. What game were they playing? _

_ People who are on the other side of the fence say the endings made sense, yet offer no evidence to the contrary. They say that people who demand Bioware change it are 'entitled'. Here's the thing: it's a business. Consumer dollars run the show and to use the old adage, 'the customer is always right'. I put up the totals, showing how much time and money I've spent on the series. I want to get what I paid for, plain and simple. Oh and to say after the credits to 'stay tuned for more DLC' after that ending, is insulting._

_Do I think Bioware will do something? They should. Fallout 3 had Broken Steel. Who's to say you can't do it? And a little note for the future: Don't make promises you can't keep. They will bite you in the ass._

_Up next: Arrival!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	52. They're Here

_Author's Note: Hey look, its a new chapter! And with this, the conclusion of ME2. *whew*_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's and whatever changes I made to the story/series_

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Grissom Academy, Vetus System, Petra Nebula**

I was glad to have gotten off of Aite, along with the rest of the team. Most of them had never seen how Cerberus perverted science in a feeble attempt to 'better humanity'. Its safe to say that they got their first hand look. I wish I could have said that it was easy for me, along with the old Normandy team, to have seen that but with Cerberus, it only gets worse.

"So, why did you want me to stop by doc? I didn't get hurt on the mission," I said to Dr. Chakwas, who was reading something on a datapad.

Miranda walked into the med bay. "I just need to prepare this, one moment."

She had a vial of some clear blue liquid and was loading into a pressurized syringe.

"Uh...that's not for me is it?"

"It is," answered Dr. Chakwas. "Ms. Lawson and I have been working on it for some time. I hope you're not afraid of needles."

"No, I'm not. I'm just trying to figure out what this is for..." I said.

"Its the first round of your new medication," Miranda replied. "The one that's supposed to reverse some of the damage done to your body, remember?"

"Oh yeah. So, what's this first dose gonna do?"

"It should start to regenerate the cells in your circulatory system, namely the parts of your body that sustained the most damage when you had neurotoxemia," Dr. Chakwas explained.

"Yes. The process should take some time, hence the numerous rounds of treatment," added Miranda.

I nodded and held my arm out. "Okay, lets do this."

Miranda smirked. "This injection doesn't go in your arm."

"Uh..."

She handed the syringe to Dr. Chakwas. "It goes in your neck."

I sighed. "First time for everything I suppose. At least its not going in my ass cheek."

The good doctor rolled her eyes. "Something we can agree on..."

"Hey!"

"Hold still."

I clenched my fists, waiting for the syringe to go in. As expected, it didn't feel good going in. I just grit my teeth and sucked it up.

"All set," Chakwas said, taking the syringe out of my neck.

I let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks doc."

I looked to my right, seeing David resting comfortably. He was covered in bandages from head to toe. Seemed only natural considering the stuff he was embedded with. Before he dozed off, we had a rather 'interesting' conversation; I never had a conversation with an autistic person before.

Hopping off the bed, I gave a small wave to the doctor before walking out with Miranda.

"How is David doing?" she asked.

"Seems fine, considering," I answered. I gave a nod to Shepard who was sitting at the mess hall.

"That's good," Miranda replied. John asked me the same thing.

"We had a cool conversation before his meds kicked in. A lot of math involved."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

I shrugged. "Well, we found the answer to the existence of a higher power, or 'God'."

Miranda sighed. "You're joking."

"Nope...gotta admit, I never thought it would involve two plus two. Guess it did. Of course, to protect the universe, we deleted it."

John chuckled. "Good. That's one less thing I need to worry about."

"That's what I'm here for."

"How long until we reach the academy?"

EDI decided to chime in. "Approximately two days, Shepard."

"Good. Thanks EDI. Until we get to Grissom Academy, its business as usual."

John took his leave as Miranda led me to her office.

"How do you feel, Mark?" she asked as the doors closed.

"My neck kinda hurts."

Miranda gave me a small smirk. "And here I thought you had a high tolerance for pain."

I rolled my eyes. "Cute. But aside from that, my eyes feel itchy. Its like I got fire ants crawling around in there."

She tapped her chin. "Interesting..."

"What does that mean? Is it some kind of side effect?" I asked worriedly.

Miranda shook her head. "It means that its working."

I smiled. "Awesome. I wonder what's gonna happen now."

"Hopefully, the damage to your vision will be repaired within a few days along with any other areas to your circulatory system."

I picked Miranda up by the waist, causing her to squeak ever so quietly. "Mark, what are you—mmmh."

I had her pressed up against the wall behind her desk, giving her a deep kiss.

"That's for helping me. When I'm all cured, lets just say when I express my gratitude, you'll be lucky if you can get out of bed," I whispered.

I pulled back and saw Miranda giving me a small smile. "I guess I'll just have to work faster then."

She licked her lips and sat down at the edge of her bed. "Of course, we'll have to see how your body will react to this treatment."

I sat down next to her. "True. I trust you implicitly. I know you won't let anything wacky happen to me."

Miranda smiled brightly. "Thank you, Mark."

I gave her a smirk and laid back in the bed. "After the mission today, it just feels good to lay down."

She did the same, except Miranda rolled into my lap. "Agreed. I hope you don't plan on falling asleep any time soon."

I rolled my head back and let out a loud snore.

"Mark..."

I grinned and picked my head up. "Kidding."

She brought her lips to my ear. "You're going to pay for that," she whispered in a sultry tone.

"I intend to Miri...with interest."

* * *

The next morning, I went to the med bay for a follow up by Dr. Chakwas. I was a little surprised to see Watson there, standing at the foot of David's bed.

They were talking in the geth language.

"Huh. That was cool," I muttered as I groggily sat down on one of the beds.

"Good morning, Mark. How are you feeling?" Watson asked.

"Pretty good. Eyes feel a little strange. How about you?"

"This platform is running at optimal conditions."

"Cool," I smirked, and looked at David. "How about you David?"

"I'm fine."

I nodded, figuring that he didn't feel like talking much. Can't say I blame him considering what happened. Either that or its because of his condition.

Watson walked over. "We find it fascinating that he is able to speak our language."

"I didn't know it either. Guess your language is all math based, eh?"

"We were created using math. It is simple."

I rolled my eyes. "Funny."

"We were stating facts. There was no intention of making a joke."

"I guess it sounds like it sometimes..."

Dr. Chakwas walked into the med bay. "Ah, you're here early Mark."

I shrugged. "I figured that I would just show up whenever than risk your wrath later in the day."

She smirked. "Good choice."

"So, what do I do?"

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, do some blood work, and a few other tests. Shouldn't take too long."

"Cool," I replied, calmly.

Chakwas shook her head. "You know most doctors would be pleased to have more patients like you."

"Because I'm not afraid of needles?"

"That and you're not as stubborn as say...Shepard."

I snorted as she began to take some of my blood. "Well, most of my life has been spent going in and out of doctor's offices. Nothing new to me."

The good doctor asked me several questions, wondering if there were any potential side effects. I only noticed the itchy eyes thing about ten minutes after I was given the injection. It continued through the night and into the morning.

Doctor Chakwas said it was normal. I took her word for it since she and Miranda worked on the treatment.

She nodded as she looked at a datapad with my blood work results. "Very good, very good."

I smirked. "So, what does this mean?"

"You should be able to see normally. However, it won't be immediate. Your vision in regular lighting should improve every day. If your eyes start to hurt, put your glasses back on."

I bit my lip and looked at the floor. "Awesome."

"Go ahead and try to look without them."

I closed my eyes and took my glasses off, and slowly opened them. There was no pain...and everything looked even more bright and vibrant than what I was used to seeing. I started to laugh as I looked around the med bay and mess hall.

For the first time in nearly nine years, I could see again.

* * *

Warren was woken up by the sound of Mark yelling up and down the deck. Needless to say, he was shocked when Mark met him at the door of the rec. room. He was even more surprised to see him without his glasses on. Mark's excitement had a tendency to be contagious, and with him running around laughing like a mad scientist it was hard not to smile.

Warren spent most of the day messing with his weapons, prepping them for whatever assignment Shepard would get. It was also to clear his head for when he would talk to Jack.

The two ex-cons had hit it off since Warren joined up with the Normandy crew. They would talk about their criminal escapades; or in Warren's case, the crimes he pulled when he was a kid. And in rare moments, they would open up to each other. Jack talked about her time in the Teltin facility, and Warren would talk about his days wandering the streets of Detroit by himself just to find something to eat; he also included how he didn't make his first real friend until he joined the military.

They were close, but Jack had been apprehensive about something; namely when Warren answered a fairly simple question.

"_You got feelings for me? 'Cause I don't need the complications."_

_He gave her small smirk. "Yeah. Ain't all that complicated though."_

_She snorted. "It always is. Look, just go...I need to think for a while."_

_Warren's brow furrowed. "Fine." He preferred a quick, straight answer; waiting around just made Warren feel antsy._

Warren took a deep breath and left the armory to go down to her room.

She was sitting on her cot, leaning back against the wall when she saw Warren make his way down.

"Hey."

"Jack. What's goin' on?" Warren casually asked.

Jack snorted. "Nothing."

"You got an answer yet?"

"I'm not interested in some dumb shit love affair. Never goes right..."

Warren glared at her. "Don't gimme that bullshit. You've been keeping me at arms length for a while now. I think I deserve an explanation."

Jack met his glare before staring straight ahead. She got up and walked over to one of the spare tables and leaned on it.

"Murtock. A guy. Used me like the rest; for sex, for biotics. It was _fun_ and he ruined everything."

She folded her arms and continued. "We tagged a weapons frigate with a batarian escort and got separated. He had a choice: leave with the guns or come back for me. Idiot dumped the score and waded into the squints. I made the shuttle and there was no way he was getting out."

"And?"

"I fly out for a day or so and the shuttle kicks on this recording. He set it to play if he hadn't checked in. Figured that would mean he was dead..." Jack turned away from Warren. "Talked about the future we were supposed to have, how he planned to set us up a home...how he—how he loved me and how he was sorry that it wasn't going to happen."

Warren glanced down at the floor. "You feel like his death was your fault."

She shook her head. "_No_...he did it to himself," Jack paused. "You feel, you get sloppy. Its that damn simple. He found out and you'll find out."

When Jack turned around, Warren saw tears forming in her eyes. A small part of him wanted to go over and wipe them away, but she probably wouldn't take it well. Or call him a pussy. Either way, he decided against moving an inch.

"If he had left you, you'd be dead."

"So what? Have you ever seen me flinch? Or run? Death is easy; fuckin' on/off switch, but this...this burrows in like those husks, you end up with nothing inside. I'm supposed to take that and say, 'Thanks, dead guy'?" Jack snapped back.

Part of him agreed. He had seen his share of death and destruction over the years. Warren wasn't used to the idea of love, just the physical part of it. Then, something came to him.

He smirked. "Well, outta all the times we've talked, I can't solve the problem with words. Never was my strong point—"

"No kidding. Guess you'll be—"

Warren did what he did best and let his actions speak for him. He walked up to Jack, putting his hand behind the back of her bald head and kissed her on the lips. When he pulled away from her, he smiled, looking at her shocked expression.

"I told ya I wasn't good with words. Hope you got the message with that."

She blinked a few times, mouth gaping like a fish. "What the fuck?"

"Maybe not..." Warren muttered to himself. "Look, I said I couldn't fix it with words. I thought expressing myself would let you know I wanna stay with you."

Jack got a wild grin on her face. "I got the message, you fucker. I just wanted to know why you stopped."

Warren picked her up by her butt and carried her over to the cot; the two of them kissing each other as they went. It didn't take long before clothes began to fly around the room.

"Been awhile since I've done this..." he whispered.

"Hope you know where to put it," Jack playfully shot back.

"Go fuck yourself," Warren replied, nibbling at her ear.

"Don't need to with you here."

* * *

Shepard and I were playing cards with Joker in Shepard's cabin when EDI's avatar appeared.

"Shepard, I am detecting a major spike of biotic energy emanating from the engineering sub-deck on deck four."

Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"Did Jack snap and decide to destroy the ship?" Joker asked with a roll of his eyes.

Shepard and I looked at each other. "EDI, is Warren down there?" John asked.

"Yes."

I chuckled. "Oh, I know what they're doing."

"No..." Joker said with wide eyes.

John shook his head. "EDI, if it won't destroy us, then you don't have to report on it...trust me the less we know about it, the better."

"Of course, Shepard."

I laughed so hard that I fell off the couch.

* * *

**2186**

It was a little surprising how fast the new year came. I barely noticed it with all that we've been doing over the past few months. We took out some mercenary operations in the Terminus Systems, rescued some stranded quarians, destroyed some faulty mechs, and prevented some batarian pirates from blowing up a colony.

Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Before that, we dropped David off with the Ascension Project. He had been relatively silent the whole time, thanking us for saving him before he left with some of the project staff.

Of course, as we were having adventures across the Terminus Systems, the rest of the galaxy was absorbed in the corporate war on Garvug between the corporate forces of Sonax Industries and Guanghui Solutions and guerrilla forces on the planet. I was disgusted. Several decades ago, corporations got tired of relying on law enforcement and private security and instead found ways to have their own in house military forces. They argued that they had the same rights as nations; to protect and serve their interests, believing that law enforcement was too slow and that they played to public interest when they got into hot water.

And here we are...Sonax and Guanghui got vetted big time in an attempt to stave off a total loss. The Council stepped in too of course. Spectre involvement was also hinted in the media.

It helped to have sources on the inside...I knew what they were doing: they were snuffing out the corporate generals that fled once the Council stepped in, and when the scandals came into the public view.

Then came the news of the death of the Alliance's 'first hero', Jon Grissom. He was old school, a hard ass. I say this from first hand experience as I had befriended him back when I lived on Elysium. He was busy trying to duck a few people in a supermarket that were asking for autographs or pictures. I waved him over and got him out of sight as best I could. We had coffee at his place after that; talked soldier to soldier.

People always had this image of him like he was god's gift to humanity. I can say for certain that I never saw it...and he reviled that image. Jon told me that he was just the commander of a successful exploration mission, not a war hero. It sent him for a loop when I told him that John Shepard was my best friend.

He told me two things: One, to thank him from keeping his home from turning into a smoking crater. And two, for getting the spotlight off of him for a change.

Probably the biggest punch in the gut was the resignation of David Anderson as humanity's representative to the Council. Shepard and I knew that he didn't like being a politician. He was a soldier, first and foremost. On the plus side, Anderson was made a full Admiral when he made it known that he wanted to go back to the military and they welcomed him back with open arms. He made some great strides in his short tenure as Councilor: brokering trade agreements with the Turian Hierarchy that would have seemed impossible a few years ago, making outreach programs with colonies on the borders of Alliance territory. I'd be willing to bet that if he wasn't Councilor, Shepard wouldn't have been regained his Spectre status.

Not long after we dropped David off at the Ascension Project, the school was attacked.

I contacted virtually everyone I could to find out just what the hell was going on. As it turns out, Paul Grayson was abducted by Cerberus after spending the past few years hiding out on Omega. After being abducted, he was experimented on; implanted with Reaper tech, and subsequently escaped custody. Finding him wasn't very difficult, all they had to do was follow the body trail from Omega to the Ascension Project. And Anderson was there to stop Grayson, along with a man I hadn't seen since the academy days: Kai Leng. It wasn't surprising that he went to Cerberus. Leng was always up his own ass.

I had heard from my source on Omega that Aria had made something of a deal with Cerberus, business mostly, and something involving hunting Grayson down when he was on his rampage.

I could only shake my head. But, I did warn her. The rest was her own fault.

With Cerberus beginning to make their move in the open, simply using information warfare wasn't going to cut it. Outer Heaven would need some serious firepower; namely soldiers. Having Warren, Watson, and I wasn't much of an army. I made a few more calls looking for anyone ranging from security contractors to veterans. It would take some time, but hopefully the efforts would pay off.

The destruction of the Collector Base also gave me some time to think. With their little helpers dead, the Reapers were going to have to show up sooner or later, meaning that time was running out for the galaxy.

The Reapers attack patterns, from what Vigil mentioned three years ago, indicated that they would go straight for the heart of galactic civilization: the Citadel. Even though John stopped that from happening, I couldn't shake the feeling that they would try it again. But since we've caught their attention, humanity might be the first, making Earth a primary target. They tried it with the Collectors; having them abduct entire human colonies and implicate humans with a plague that kills all races except humans and vorcha on Omega.

With that in mind, I dug up some old information that the Alliance had dating back to 2160: the year Elysium was founded. They Alliance had feared a potential strike from the batarians due to humanity's rapid expansion into the Skyllian Verge and constructed a massive underground bunker located under the Aether Massif, one of the largest mountains on the planet and located approximately 70 miles from Illyria; the capital. It was a classified dubbed 'Project Blackbox'; designed to be a command center and bunker to house various military and political officials and was buried 40 miles under the mountain. There was never any major war between the Alliance and Batarian Hegemony and with the project's cost at a staggering 3 billion credits, it was left abandoned. It was a perfect operations base for us. Semeyon managed to get the access codes to the place and started shipping materials and personnel to it with some help from Andy.

Aside from what was going on across the galaxy, things couldn't have been better here on the Normandy. I thanked Miranda several times for getting my daylight vision back; something neither of us got tired of. Every day seemed to get better and the stares I got seemed to go away over time which was perfect for me since I got tired of explaining to people why my irises had a crimson glow to them.

Warren and Jack spent a lot of their time on deck 4, testing out their biotic abilities in their own special way. It was good to see them cheerful, even if they did like to hide behind their tough exteriors. Hell, Miranda did it all the time. Then again, she was the ship's XO, putting up a tough front is what you're supposed to do.

Speaking of Miranda, she spent a great deal of time working on the next treatment for me. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy to see her work so hard to make me better. Sure, I had a lot of time left; a couple of decades at least. It wasn't going to stop Miranda, though, once she set her mind on something, she wouldn't stop until it was done. Miranda had also helped out with some small prep work when it came to my little bunker in the mountains; mostly supply related and getting in touch with some contacts.

Even with the lack of action, it was slowly setting in for everyone...the Reapers were coming soon.

* * *

**En Route to Aratoht, Bahak System, Viper Nebula**

"...that was my first 'impossible' mission as an independent contractor," Zaeed finished. He was retelling his story of raiding a turian frigate...for the fifth time.

Jack groaned. "For the love of god old man, we've heard all of your stories already!"

"Well unless you've got a better one, cue ball, then share."

She rolled her eyes.

This was how the morning rolled on so far. I was sitting with Zaeed, Warren, Jack, Miranda, and Garrus.

"How about when I got busted for vandalism?" Jack asked.

"Heard it," everyone said in unison.

"Theft of a military craft?"

"Yep."

"Fuck..."

Warren chuckled and rubbed her head. "I'm fresh out too."

Various grunts of agreement echoed across the table. Then all eyes fell on me.

"What about you, kid? You've only told us two of 'em," Zaeed pointed at me.

"My detective work and Akuze?"

"Yeah. Don't hold out Mark, you had to have done something after our academy days."

I shrugged. "I did. Unfortunately, almost every mission I did was top secret."

"Oh come on!" Jack yelled, while everyone groaned.

"I'm serious! Most of the shit I did could start wars if it was made public."

Garrus rolled his eyes. "My stories from the turian military were classified."

"Key word being 'were'. You guys aren't subtle when you go after pirates," I replied.

Everyone began to grumble again. I sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you one, but only one."

Miranda gave me a playful shove on the arm. "Finally."

I snorted. "I don't like to disappoint people. Anyway, this little tale is still highly classified, so don't go spreading it around. Okay?"

Everyone at the tabled muttered various responses.

"One sec..." I got up from my chair and went to the coffee machine, carrying my giant stein mug that I got on the Eisenhower. A large dark blue mug with the carrier on it, featuring in big white letters, 'Big Ike'. I poured myself another large cup, cream and sugar dropping in before I went back to the table.

"Mm...Sumatran coffee..." I drawled out, taking a sip. "Okay, where to start..."

Warren and Jack got comfortable, as did the rest of the people at the table.

"It was about six months before the Skyllian Blitz. The ship I was serving on, the SSV Eisenhower, was busy patrolling the borders of the Verge and Batarian territory. For months, batarian pirates kept pushing into Alliance territory, attacking outer colonies and encroaching further into the Verge. Alliance Command was trying to figure out if the pirates were organizing something. The Bureau said that they didn't have the numbers, leadership, or weapons to hit a major colonies like Eden Prime, Benning, or Terra Nova."

"And yet they hit Elysium," Zaeed said. "Shows what they knew."

I shook my head. "The Bureau was right: they weren't cut out to pull it off. There were theories, but no one knew for sure."

"So you were sent to find out?" Garrus asked.

I gave him a small nod. "My team, Task Force 110, was given orders along with the Eisenhower to go into the Viper Nebula. We were informed about an attempted attack on Intai'sei and tracked a small frigate heading into the Nebula..."

* * *

_**2176**_

_**La'Atzu, Mitu System, Viper Nebula**_

_Mitu, the Sumerian word for 'dead'. Seemed fitting for such a lifeless place. The Mitu star was one of the oldest in the galaxy, at 13.5 billion years. It was unique in the sense that despite its age, it was still a red dwarf and the outer 'shell' and photosphere looked almost black. There were only two planets in the system. The first was Ezezu, a planet 60 times the size of Jupiter, but looked more like Neptune. Storms were a constant on this gas giant with wind speeds coming close to 500 miles per hour and despite being the first planet in the system, it was over 75 AU from Mitu._

_Rear Admiral Goodson walked into the briefing room, a small scowl on his face. The ten of us stood at attention as he made his way over. I knew something was up once I saw the look on his face. It wasn't good._

"_At ease. I've called you all in for a special mission. Please be seated."_

_I took a seat as Goodson stepped up to the podium. The briefing room looked like an auditorium, but much smaller than one._

"_Approximately five hours ago, a group of batarian pirates attempted to launch an assault on Intai'sei in the Argos Rho nebula. The good news is that the bastards never even made to Intai'sei and were intercepted by the SSV Hyderabad and members of the Turian Second Fleet which were engaging in combat training exercises. They weren't able to get an ID on which gang was responsible, but they were able to track their course through the relay."_

_Lt. Second Class Pavel Solzhenitzyn, my XO and the guy in charge of the second team spoke up. "Any idea where they're going, Admiral?"_

"_The transit log has their destination at the Alpha Relay in the Viper Nebula. We've gotten the go ahead from Fleet Command to pursue."_

_I raised an eyebrow. It wasn't unusual for us to go into Batarian territory, but we were inserted via shuttle. The Eisenhower stayed within the border to avoid an incident, along with the fact that it would be tracked._

"_Sir, we're bring the ship into Batarian territory?" I asked._

"_The turians lent us a hand and gave us a little program to fool the relay transit tags so the Batarians won't know we made it in."_

_I nodded. Sure, it was odd since the turians weren't that generous to us before, but the batarians had been harassing some of their colonies as well. The ship's XO Captain Chris Smith came over the intercom. _

"_Admiral Goodson, we've made it into the Bahak system. We're currently tracking the enemy vessel; its destination appears to be somewhere in the Mitu system."_

"_Thank you, Captain," Goodson replied. "Task Force 110, your mission is to identify the pirates and if possible, find out who's supplying them."_

"_ROE?"_

"_Do not engage. I want an ID, not a potential war. We can't rule out the possibility that they know we're here and we're after them. All they need to do is look out a window, even if we are putting out a Hegemony IFF."_

_Goodson got off the podium, causing us all to stand at attention. "The name of this op is Operation Cold Limit. Remember, this is a black op and this meeting didn't happen."_

"_Yes sir!" We replied in unison._

_After he left my team stood around and looked at each other, surprise written on our faces._

"_Huh...well that's never happened before," said the normally silent Corporal of Team 2, Diao Wei. She was the only other Infiltrator on the team next to me._

"_Damn, she does speak..." joked Toombs, who got a jab on the arm from Diao's best friend on the team, PFC Stephanie Nohman, the only Vanguard on the team and the second lowest ranking person on my squad._

"_Don't be a dick, Frank," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes._

"_Can't help it. She's an easy target."_

_I snorted and shook my head. It was never boring working with them. Pavel took a seat next to me._

"_What do you think about this, LC?"_

"_Never heard of a carrier going behind the Batarian 'Great Wall of Surveillance' before. Fingers crossed that we don't start a war."_

"_Agreed. This makes that op on Anhur look like a walk in the park."_

_I grunted a response. "Something about the whole thing stinks. All we have is a destination and a target."_

"_Sometimes that's all we need," said Gunny Chief Scott Ferguson from a seat behind me. "Nothing wrong with a surprise now and then."_

_Pavel snorted. "You must be the only person in the whole Alliance military that likes surprises."_

"_Nothing wrong with that."_

_I stood up and cleared my throat. "Okay people, lets get ready."_

_Our destination was the second planet in the system: La'Atzu. In Sumerian, it means 'Spirit World'. The name might have sounded nice, but the planet itself was far from it. A surface temperature of -180 degrees Fahrenheit, constant blizzards, wind speeds that ranged from 30 mph to hurricane force, and no signs of life. It was a 'Super Earth', five times the size of Earth. Surveillance pictures made the planet look like Mavigon...but even Mavigon looked like a tropical paradise compared to this place._

_We took a shuttle down to the surface, ten miles from where the pirates landed. From the air we could see a fairly large facility sitting between a couple of hills and had a fairly large hangar; enough for three ships. Even with the brutally cold temperatures, we weren't allowed to take the Mako down. Scans indicated that the facility had various anti-air and anti-armor defenses, all of which were state of the art. Going in on foot was the only option...and boy did it suck. _

_I split the team in two. Squad two took the hill on the left. Squad one, my squad, took the one on the right. We dug into our own man made snow dens and watched the facility, noting patrol patterns, weapons, and gang insignias._

_The batarian gang responsible was called the 'Batarian Liberation Front', an ultra-nationalist group that was known for annihilating human settlements and preaching the Hegemony's beliefs. There were rumors that they were tied to the government itself, but evidence suggested that the Hegemony and BLF were actually at odds with each other; the Hegemony blaming the BLF for trying to taunt the Council and Alliance into a full scale war, something the Hegemony couldn't afford._

_I had reported back to Goodson on the situation, and we were now forced to wait. The Eisenhower had picked up a Batarian vessel entering the system, heading for La'Atzu. Our ship was now hiding in the upper atmosphere of Ezezu. It had been nearly four hours since the start of the operation. _

_Even in this storm, I could hear the sound of a ship making its way toward us._

"_LC, got a ship incoming," said Toombs._

"_Everyone hold positions," I radioed._

_It was a frigate, half the size of an Alliance frigate, probably used by SIU operatives._

"_Son of a bitch..." muttered Squad two's XO, Gunny Chief Manny Torres. "That's a Hegemony ship."_

_I groaned. "This just keeps getting worse and worse."_

_The frigate docked in the hangar, and I brought my M-99 Saber up. Four soldiers were standing around a batarian in a full dress uniform, medals all over him. _

"_I got eyes on a batarian general," I said. "Lots of gold on him."_

"_We see him," replied Pavel. "Getting a picture of him."_

_I took another look at him before he stepped into the facility. "I know who it is...General Turok Adek."_

_Adek...of all the people we had to run into, it had to be him. General Adek was the man in charge of the Batarian SIU and was one of the Hegemony's Joint Chiefs. His reputation was well known across the galaxy as one of its most brutal generals. He created the SIU and was the reason its mortality rate was 18%. Adek became infamous after an incident that took place after the batarians went into their self imposed exile. In 2165, two months after they isolated themselves, a resistance group launched attacks against Hegemony complexes in a city on Khar'shan's northern continent. The resistance group ended up taking control of a nuclear weapons facility and threatened to launch an attack on the capital city. Adek responded by wiping out the facility and four surrounding cities with a nuclear strike, killing a total three million people. No resistance forces rose up ever again._

_I turned to our radio man, PSC Sergei Varlamov, who was also the team's second engineer._

"_Sergei, get me the Eisenhower."_

_He nodded and fiddled with the radio. "Ike, this is Ranger 4, come in."_

"_We've got you, Ranger 4. What's the situation?"_

"_Connecting you to Ranger actual."_

_I took the radio. "Ike, Ranger actual. Vlad the Impaler has arrived."_

_There was a pause on the other end. "Hold for Ike actual."_

"_Lieutenant Commander, this is Goodson. Line is secure."_

"_Sir, we've got General Adek down here. I think he's in a meeting with the BLF. We need permission to engage."_

_The Rear Admiral sighed. "Sears, I want you and your team to get into position to raid the facility but do not engage. Repeat, do not engage. I've got Fleet Command on the line. I'll let them know right away. Right now, you have five minutes. On my next call, you'll get your orders. Got it?"_

"_Yes sir," I replied giving Varlamov the radio._

"_All teams, prep for entry. Five minutes. Go."_

_We made our way to the hangar. I told Pavel to take his team and sweep the frigate while my team would take the facility._

"_Ranger actual?"_

"_Yes, Ike actual?" I replied._

"_You're clear to engage."_

"_All teams engage."_

_Team two went into the frigate, jamming all internal and external communications as they went in._

_My team went in, going room to room only to find that most of their forces were in a central command room. Inside, was the general and the leader of the BLF, Surak De'Serah._

"_...I told you, Adek, no one will suspect your involvement. Haliat thinks we've been stealing the weapons from the humans," said Surak._

"_I hope it stays that way. Elanos Haliat is an arrogant turian who likes to run his mouth. If he found out, he would tell anyone and everyone," replied Adek. "And then the humans would show up."_

"_They won't. Once Elysium falls, we will claim the Verge for ourselves once again."_

_Adek grunted. "You've gotten what you requested. I am leaving."_

_I turned to my team and nodded. We unloaded everything we had on the batarians._

"_Team one, all clear," I said into the radio._

"_Team two, all clear."_

_I looked at my fellow teammates. "Fergie, Nohman, sweep the area and make sure we didn't leave anyone out."_

_They nodded an moved out._

"_Sergei, we're gonna upload every bit of intel we can get."_

"_What about me, kid?" Toombs asked._

_I smirked. "You get to take pictures of our two VIP's."_

"_Fun..."_

_I took a seat at a central terminal, Varlamov moving to one on the opposite side of the room. _

"_Ike actual, this is Ranger actual. Mission complete," radioed as I went through the terminal._

"_Good job, Sears. What have you found?" Goodson asked._

"_Right now we're going through the BLF's files. Before we attacked, I overheard a conversation between Adek and Surak De'Serah."_

"_What did they talk about?"_

_I sighed. "It sounded like they were planning an attack on Elysium. Surak mentioned a partnership with an Elanos Haliat."_

"_God damn it..."_

"_Sir?"_

"_Elanos Haliat is one of the most dangerous criminals in the Terminus Systems. He's got an army of thousands. If he's working with the batarians..."_

"_LC?" Varlamov asked. "I think I've found something sir."_

"_One sec, Admiral..." I said, putting my hand down. "Whaddya got Sergei?"_

_He whistled. "Messages between the BLF, Adek, and some other criminal groups. Its solid evidence about a plan to attack Elysium."_

"_You get that, sir?" I asked Goodson._

"_Yeah. Look, download everything you can. We'll send the shuttle down to pick you up."_

"_Copy that."_

* * *

"...that's pretty much what happened," I finished.

"Damn kid..." Zaeed said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have put it past the batarians to involve themselves in the blitz. That's almost an act of war."

"Yeah..."

"It doesn't sound like the general trusted Haliat at all," said Miranda.

I shook my head. "My XO found messages on Adek's ship pointing to a double cross. His plan was to sneak in weapons, supplies, and so on to Haliat's cause. Adek knew that even with Haliat's plan, it was doomed to failure when going up against the Alliance. Once the dust settled, the Hegemony would lose the BLF and the Blitz would be blamed on the Terminus' criminal organizations, giving the batarians deniability."

"Shrewd," muttered Garrus. "Seems like a waste of resources though. I mean, why supply a group like that just to throw it away?"

I shrugged. "Well, we did find some plans Adek had for an attempt to drop some SIU guys onto Elysium during the rebuilding stages. Take out colonial defense systems, infrastructure...and then bring in the fleet."

Warren sat up. "Wonder if the batarians complained when one of their top generals just disappeared."

I smirked. "We didn't leave any traces. After extraction, our fighters wiped out the base and the carrier finished the job. Nothing but a smoking crater left. Of course, they tried to search but since the general hid his ship's FTL signature like ours, they never found out what happened."

Jack yawned. "Sure that was cool but you special forces guys...its all quick and easy."

I snorted. "Sorry we can't do the stuff they do in movies, Jack."

"Wonder where Shepard is. He's usually down here by now," Garrus said.

"Commander Shepard is on a private call in his quarters," added EDI.

"Huh..."

* * *

We were all sitting in the briefing room, waiting for Shepard. EDI told us that he wanted us to wait for him there.

"Its been a while since we've had a meeting in here," Jacob mused.

"No kidding. I don't even remember the last time we were in here," added Grunt. "Maybe we get to kill something again."

I noticed that Jacob and Kasumi weren't sitting next to each other. I couldn't remember a time where she wasn't attached to his hip. Word around the ship was that they had a small falling out. Of course, no one knew what, other than the fact that they weren't as close as they had been.

Shepard walked into the room. He had his serious face on...and that was a bad sign.

"Afternoon, everyone. I'm sure you want to know why I called you here."

We silently looked at him, a few people nodded.

"What I'm about to tell you, is classified..." he walked around to the front of the table.

"We're going to the planet Aratoht in Batarian space. An Alliance scientist by the name of Dr. Amanda Kenson was captured and is currently being held on the planet."

I scratched my head. "Not to sound like an idiot but, how is taking a stealth ship into Batarian space classified? Especially when we're an independent ship...at the moment."

"This comes down from the top. Admiral Hackett was the one who made the call."

"Hackett? We're not an Alliance vessel," said Miranda.

"I know that. However, this is a vital mission. Kenson sent a report to Hackett indicating an immediate Reaper threat."

That sucked the air out of the room.

"We're going to get her out of prison and back to the project she was working on. Hackett didn't say what, but it does involve the Reapers."

"Should we get ready to head down?" asked Tali.

"No. I'm going down alone."

"What? Are you fuckin' nuts?" Jack yelled.

John held his hand up. "If anyone else goes down, the batarians will suspect this is an Alliance operation. Hackett wanted me to do this and I'm going to. That's all."

Everyone stood up in disbelief and filed out of the room. I stayed behind.

"Going in alone to a batarian prison, eh?"

Shepard sighed and leaned on the table. "It's been way too long since I've done a solo op."

"You'll do fine."

"I hope so," he replied, staring at the floor.

"What's the matter? Haven't seen you this deflated in a long time."

"Its hard to believe that its going to happen soon. I thought we'd have more time."

I shrugged. "Its never easy to prep for something like this."

"No kidding. I found it hard to believe that Hackett seemed to acknowledge their existence."

"You'd be surprised how many of the higher ups do. I know the Bureau does, the Joint Chiefs...most of the people in the know. I mean when you have an awesome friend who has other awesome friends that have some compelling evidence."

John snorted. "This is true."

"Before you go down, I'm gonna give you something," I said, turning my omni-tool on. "I'm uploading a little listening bug to your omni-tool. Anything that gets said, we'll be able to hear. Plus it'll record everything. Turn it on before you land."

"Sure thing."

* * *

**Aratoht, Bahak System, Viper Nebula**

Aratoht. A planet the late Jon Grissom described as ' like Mt. Everest in an oven'. When the Alliance decided against colonizing the planet, the Hegemony stepped in and claimed it. Over 90,000 free batarians lived there with 215,000 slaves. The target was an outpost where Kenson was being held.

I sat in the cockpit, watching the shuttle head for the planet.

Everyone was on edge and it was understandable. One false move, and it could mean a war. Of course, that was always the case when it came to humans and batarians in the last twenty years.

"Haven't done a secret mission in a while," mused Joker. "Wonder if we'll get swept under the rug again when its over."

I shook my head. "Can't see that happening. The Council has copies of our findings as does the Alliance Intelligence Bureau. Word about the Reapers was bound to spread sooner or later."

Joker smirked. "All it took was a pissed off, glowing eyed, ex-marine with informants for friends."

"Someone had to back Shepard up. Am I right?"

"You're not wrong."

"Shepard here, the bug's on and I'm on the ground," John said. The bug would be helpful since we couldn't talk to him conventionally. We'd only know if he was in trouble or if he found something interesting. Joker and I sat in silence as we listened in.

I could hear the sound of a varren, followed by gunfire.

"Hm...varren. They must bring prisoners down here to die. I gotta hurry."

* * *

It had been two hours since John infiltrated the prison.

I was still in the cockpit, keeping an eye on his progress. I had even gone to the briefing room from time to time to find that most of the team was there, listening in as well.

Shepard would make notes on what was going on around him, describing virtually everything he saw and heard like a crime scene detective.

I could hear conversations between a few batarians, talking about their newest prisoner. There were rumors about what Kenson was up to. Someone had even mentioned that she was planning on slamming an asteroid into the mass relay. Then there were others who said that they couldn't be destroyed, that they should make an example of the human. Of course, we had nothing to really go off of since we hadn't heard about what these experiments were exactly.

Joker sighed. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Because its a black op and Hackett wasn't very specific."

"Figures..."

Warren walked in and leaned on the back of Joker's chair. "How's John doing?"

"Fine, I guess. Can't really get his suit camera on," I replied.

"Why not?"

"If there's anything I know about the batarians presence in this nebula, its that everything is monitored and vetted. Even if we've got the most advanced AI available, we can't risk sending out any sort of communication signals."

Joker arched his head back to look at Warren. "On top of that, we've been running silent since we entered the system. This is a stealth ship, y'know."

Warren snorted. "Stealth missions are annoying."

I chuckled. "Which is why they didn't put you on stealth and recon ops. You had a short fuse for sneaking around."

He grumbled. "Nothing wrong with being a man of action."

"True, true. Weren't you embedded with the 103rd Marine Division?"

"Yeah, on the SSV Dallas. Sigma Company."

Our conversation was cut short by the sound of Shepard decking a batarian.

"Who are you? What are you doing?"

"Dr. Kenson? I'm Commander Shepard and I'm here to get you out."

"Commander Shepard? I'd heard you were alive. Hackett must have received my message."

"He did. We're not safe here. Can you walk?"

"Yes...I just need a moment."

John sighed. "We don't have time. We need to leave, now."

"Of course. If we can find a console, I can hack security...make us an escape route," Kenson replied.

Shots were traded between Shepard and the batarians which were followed by alarms blaring throughout the prison.

"Sounds like this is gonna take a while," I said, leaning back in my chair.

"Shepard _is_ taking on a bunch of prison guards with a scientist in tow," added Joker.

Warren sighed. "Well, I'll see you guys later. Got some things to take care of."

"I'll take that as a code for, 'bumping crotch with Jack'," I replied with a smirk.

"Fuck off, man," Warren said jokingly.

"You'll be doing that with Jack, not me, dude. Just try not to create a singularity that'll cause a hull breach."

"Yeah, yeah..." he muttered as he walked towards the elevator.

Joker shook his head. "He's definitely not what I expected."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Everything I've ever heard about the 'Butcher of Torfan' made him seem like some crazy killing machine."

"I could see that..." I said, thinking back to the old academy days. "He used to be a real asshole back in the day. You couldn't really talk to him back in the academy."

"Damn."

"Took a while, but John and I got him talking. Even then he kept to himself a lot. I guess prison made him chill out...more or less."

"And now he's nailing our other ex-con. Didn't see that coming at all," Joker finished sarcastically.

I shrugged. "I'm happy for him. Doesn't get to meet a whole lot of people that have been through the same shit he's been through."

"Guess you're right."

I hummed a response.

After fighting their way out, Shepard and Kenson escaped on a shuttle.

"_We should be well out of range before they get their security measures unscrambled_."

"_Do you think they'll come after you_?" John asked.

_"I'm not taking any chances. Batarians don't take kindly to humans who plan to destroy their mass relays_."

_"So the charges against you are true_."

"_Well, to be fair that's about half the story. My people and I were here investigating rumors of Reaper technology out in the fringes of this system_."

"_I guess you found something_," Shepard replied.

"_We found proof that the Reapers will be arriving in this system. When they get here, they'll use this system's mass relay to travel throughout the galaxy. We call it the 'Alpha Relay'. From here, the Reapers can invade anywhere in the galaxy_."

Joker and I looked at each other with surprised expressions.

"_So you decided to destroy it_," stated Shepard.

"_Exactly. Doing that would stop the Reapers' invasion. Even at FTL speeds, it'd take months or years before they got to the next relay. We came up with what we just called 'the Project': a plan to launch a nearby asteroid into the mass relay and destroy it before the Reapers could arrive. Of course, the resulting explosion could wipe out the entire system_," explained Dr. Kenson.

"_How did you plan on launching an asteroid into the relay?_"

"_It was quite simple, really. All it requires is thrust and guidance, things which are readily available in Omega's salvage yards. Get the right amount of power and a good VI to drive it and its literally just pointing and shooting_."

"_I've always heard that the mass relays are indestructible_."

"_I've heard that too. But I think it's more that nobody's willing to find out what happens when one is destroyed. And, well...we'd planned to slam a small planet into the thing at high speed. By our calculations, that's more than enough_."

"_Is this 'Project' still operational?_" asked Shepard.

"_I...I imagine it is. We were one button push away when the batarians arrested me_."

John hummed a response. "_Why do you think destroying the mass relay would destroy the entire system?_"

"_The mass relays are the most powerful mass effect engines in the known galaxy. The energy released from a relay's destruction would probably resemble a supernova. This is a remote system, but just over three hundred thousand batarians live on the colony where they held us. The explosion would undoubtedly kill them all_."

"_How were you caught_?"

Kenson sighed. "_We've been smuggling starship parts from Omega. Thrusters, guidance, and an aftermarket eezo core. The batarians thought it looked suspicious. A few days ago, I took a few of the men on a scouting trip, and the batarians pounced on us. They never found our actual base_."

"_That's good. But I still don't see how you learned about this supposed invasion_," replied Shepard.

"_The evidence came from what we call Object Rho, a Reaper artifact we discovered among the asteroids near the relay itself. When we get back to Arcturus Station, I'll explain everything and provide copies of all of our notes on the artifact_."

"_What's it doing in an asteroid?_"

"_We don't know, or even what its purpose is. Somethings are just too old or large to comprehend. Even a Reaper thousands of years dead still contains power. Their artifacts are worthy of study, regardless of their purpose_."

"_And how did it give you proof of an invasion?_"

"_It showed me visions of their arrival...much like your Prothean beacon, I imagine. They're coming, Commander. That much I know for certain_."

"_If you're working on a Reaper artifact, how did you avoid indoctrination_?" John asked uneasily.

"_We've been very careful. We know what we're dealing with. You're not speaking to a child, Shepard. I saw what Sovereign did at the Citadel. Trust me, I know what's at stake._"

I shook my head. Even if it was a simple 'artifact', it was still Reaper technology. On top of that, her response seemed too quick and agitated. For now, I'll dismiss it as simple frustration for being second guessed. Kenson had been out here, knew the risks. Maybe I was being paranoid.

"_The stakes are too high. If you were willing to destroy a whole system over this, I want to see your proof_."

"_I guess I can't argue with that. Give me a moment._"

Joker and I looked at each other.

"Well, this seems bat shit crazy. Crashing asteroids into relays? Sounds like Terra Nova all over again. Except its a mass relay, not a planet."

"Yeah...wiping out an entire system..." I trailed off. "This is gonna be bad."

Joker nodded.

"I have Shepard's location," EDI said. "He is currently on asteroid 157-Golgotha several hundred miles from the Alpha Relay, on the edge of the asteroid belt."

"Let's move into position," I said to Joker. "If shit goes down, I want the Normandy ready to pounce on a moments notice."

"You got it."

* * *

**Project Base, Asteroid 157-Golgotha**

Shepard was almost frozen in place when he saw the timer at the entrance of the base.

Two days and three hours. That was when the Reapers were going to show up.

"Are you sure this count is accurate?" he asked Dr. Kenson.

"It is. The artifact has been giving off pulses at definite intervals. The intervals have been decreasing at a steady rate. The artifact is reacting to the Reapers' proximity. In just over forty eight hours, the pulses will become constant and the Reapers will be here."

He scowled. "They can be at Earth in two days...we don't have time to waste!"

"Then lets show you that proof," Kenson said, gesturing to the door. "The artifact is in the central lab area. Follow me."

John complied and followed the doctor. The base itself seemed fairly new, many of the interior construction materials still had that 'fresh' smell to it; the panels, the doors, everything. Several guards milled about the area, wearing plain brown and black armor to look like mercenaries. Obviously wearing anything with Alliance colors would be a bad idea.

"So, what would it take to get the Project up and running again?" Shepard asked.

"Everything was in place when we were arrested. It wasn't a question of 'could we' but 'should we'," replied Kenson.

They navigated through a few more rooms; more guards for the Project loitering around having idle conversations.

Shepard looked inside one of the windows as they approached the lab. He saw Object Rho. It looked like some kind of strange 'Reaperized' plant thing.

He turned to Kenson. "What alternative do we have?"

"The Reapers will reach this system, regardless. But the Alpha Relay is their shortcut to the rest of the galaxy. If you want to keep the Reapers at bay, this relay must be destroyed."

They took an elevator down to the lab. Kenson went to unlock the door.

"We have to get the Project running again. It's probably the only chance we have."

Kenson nodded and the door opened. Shepard got to see the object up close. It was bigger than he expected.

"Commander Shepard, I give you Object Rho," she said gesturing to the giant artifact.

Shepard's eyes narrowed at the thing. "You have the Reaper artifact sitting here...out in the open?"

"When we found it, it showed me a vision of the Reapers' arrival."

"Kenson, this is not good at all."

"Give it a moment, Shepard. It'll give you the proof you need."

Shepard was uneasy before when Dr. Kenson mentioned the artifact and when she gave a quick and agitated response to his question about indoctrination. Now, he was about to interact with it. He shook his head and took a deep breath, and approached the railing. A wave of energy hit him when he came close to it. It was even more painful than the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. He saw visions of a fleet of Reapers approaching the relay and the voice of Harbinger.

Shepard was on all fours, his body glowing with what looked like dark energy. The sound of a pistol unfolding was heard just behind him. It was Dr. Kenson, holding a M4 Shuriken that was pointed at Shepard's head.

"I can't let you start the Project, Shepard. I can't let you stop the arrival."

_God damn it...come on, John...get up._

He grabbed the railing and forced himself up. Shepard faced Kenson and grabbed her right arm, knocking the pistol away. It didn't take much to dislocate her elbow, as he knocked her to the ground before ducking away from the guards who opened fire on him.

Shepard pulled out a Revenant and got ready to face anyone who got in the way.

* * *

**Normandy SR2, 15 hours until Reaper arrival**

As if the situation couldn't get any more desperate...

First we find out that the galaxy is two days away from being trounced on by the Reapers, and then John gets captured by Dr. Kenson and her crazy indoctrinated army after facing off against them for nearly an hour. For nearly two days, everyone had seemingly lost their shit. Most of that was because Shepard was captured and we had no idea what was happening to him. The bug was quiet.

The team was assembled in the briefing room.

"We gotta get Shepard out of there. Who knows what kinda bullshit they're doing to him," Jack said.

"Inadvisable. Covert operation. Orders to not interfere were explicit," added Mordin.

It wasn't surprising that everyone was arguing their point; the Reapers were only a few hours away from showing up. It had been like this since he had been captured.

Miranda was getting fed up. "Enough!"

That shut everyone up.

"Shepard told us not to interfere and we won't."

"Are you serious? The Reapers will be here soon and you want to sit around and do nothing?" Tali shouted back. "We need to get Shepard!"

I was sitting at the table, my top of my foot planted on the ground while I made my heel tap up and down in the air; an old tic I had whenever I was stressed out, thinking, or busy air drumming. I was busy mulling over various scenarios in my head.

"Mark? Don't you think we should get Shepard?" Tali asked me.

I sighed. "No."

"What—!"

I held my hand up. "Calm down and listen, Tali. As much as I want to go after him, we're still in batarian space. The Kodiak doesn't have a stealth system like the Normandy so if we send a team in, they'll know. They don't call it the 'Great Wall of Surveillance' for nothing."

"So what do you think we should do?" Jack asked.

I looked at the timer we had on the table. We used the Normandy's sensors to tap into the artifact and find its intervals.

_Almost fifteen hours left..._

"I think we should wait until there's at least two hours left. Its enough to go in, find Shepard, and send the asteroid into the relay. If we don't hear anything by then, or have any indication that he's able to get out, then we go in. Until then, we wait."

Garrus nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"As part of the contingency plan, we should have six people ready to go as a React team. Garrus, Jack, Warren, Legion, Jacob, and Grunt; you'll be on standby."

"Sure thing, kiddo," replied Warren.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm gonna take a nap."

There were various grumbles around the room.

"What about us? We're on standby, right?" Jacob asked.

"You can sleep. We've got thirteen hours to spare."

And with that, the briefing room cleared out. Miranda stayed behind, walking up to my right side and rubbed my hand.

"And here I thought I was the ship's XO," she mused.

"You are. I'm still the tactical officer, remember?"

"Ah, of course you are. And here I thought it was a joke."

I smirked. "Why would I joke about that?"

"It's in your nature. That and you never seemed to do much as an officer on the ship," Miranda answered with a smile.

I snorted. "Yeah, that's because I let you handle all the paper work."

She gave me a smack on the arm. "Thanks a lot...no wonder I was so swamped with work over the past year."

"I did make it up to you, Miri."

"You did and now my job is easier. That and you made it up to me in your own special way," she said, drawling out the last sentence.

"I recall you being very appreciative."

Miri leaned down and gave me a peck on the lips. "I still am."

* * *

**Project Base, 2 hours 10 minutes**

Shepard slowly came to, hearing various murmurs around the room. John felt tired, like he hadn't slept in days; his body was heavy.

He groaned as he swung his legs down.

"No glitch! The sedatives aren't working!" yelled a nearby scientist.

"Oh damn it..." he grumbled as he staggered towards the exit.

Two guards rushed in, assault rifles drawn. Adrenaline forced him to wake up a lot faster. They came at him, ready to fire.

"I'm really sick of your shit," he muttered as he knocked out the first guard and disarmed the second one, gunning him down with his own rifle.

Shepard glanced at the viewing window as the scientist working on him stood there with her arms crossed.

"Lets see if this med lab window is bulletproof," he said, taking aim at the window. Shepard unloaded the entire clip, shattering the glass and killing the scientist.

John snorted. "Too much broken glass. Gotta find another way out."

He made his way into another area of the med lab, finding a security mech control terminal and used it to activate a mech.

After taking down the barrier keeping Shepard from leaving, he went to get his weapons and armor.

He looked up at the timer and grumbled.

"Damn. Not a lot of time left. I gotta get this rock moving and get out."

* * *

**Normandy SR2, 1 hour 45 minutes until arrival**

"Let's get ready to pull Shepard out of there," I said to Joker from the co-pilot seat.

"We're as ready as we can get. We're at like the maximum state of readiness," he replied.

I snorted. Hearing that John had simply been sedated with minimum security gave everyone on board a collective sigh of relief. The only downside was that the Reapers were almost an hour and a half from entering the system.

"How close can you get us without being in visual range?" I asked.

"I could park this thing underneath that rock if you want."

I smirked. "I know you can. Let's give it the old college try."

"You got it."

Miranda was leaning on the back of my chair. "Don't you think they could spot us?"

Joker shrugged. "Unless that asteroid has rear view mirrors, we're good."

"Proceed, Mr. Moreau."

"It's Joker..." he muttered. "Only been on this ship for how long..."

"What was that?" Miranda asked in a humored tone.

"Nothing. Time to target is five minutes, present speed."

"Good," she replied before turning on her heel to go to the CIC.

Joker sighed. "She still calls me Mr. Moreau."

"Miranda's just being professional."

Joker took his hat off and scratched his head. "Yeah, she hasn't stopped doing that since day one. The only difference is that now we're not with Cerberus."

"Somebody's gotta keep everyone in line now that we don't answer to anyone. Besides, my old XO once said that 'if the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job'."

"To make the CO look good eh?"

I smirked. "Not too difficult when its Shepard."

"Yeah...okay, we're directly under the asteroid."

EDI spoke up. "I am detecting thermal emissions from the boosters on the asteroid. It is currently propelling towards the Alpha Relay."

I blinked. "He's starting it up..."

"Alert: All colonists living in the Bahak system. This is-" Shepard said, attempting to transmit a message on an open channel. It was abruptly cut off.

"God damn it..." I muttered as I heard the ramblings of the indoctrinated Dr. Kenson.

"Shit. I guess sending a message is out of the question huh?" added Joker.

I grunted a response. "Even if we did, it wouldn't be enough. Evacuating three hundred thousand people in an hour?" I shook my head. "Impossible..."

* * *

**Project Base, 35 minutes until arrival**

Shepard was furious. The worst possible scenario was unfolding right in front of him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Since Kenson cut off his transmission and attempted to sabotage the reactor, he had angrily and methodically carved a path to her position. Anyone in his way was killed quickly and was shown no mercy.

He finally caught up with the doctor, who was trying to shut down the reactor.

"Step away from the reactor or I _will _shoot," Shepard coldly stated, aiming the Revenant at her.

"You've ruined everything! I can't hear the whispers anymore!" shouted Kenson, who pounded on the console.

"I said step away god damn it! Now!"

"You've taken them away from me. I will never see the Reapers arrival," Kenson said, pulling out a detonator. "All you had to do was stay asleep. None of this-"

Shepard fired two rounds into her chest. Kenson collapsed in front of the console; her thumb pressed down on the detonator. The blast of a nearby charge knocked Shepard out.

"Warning: Collision imminent," repeated the VI.

John groaned and got to his feet. "I'm getting really sick of being knocked out..."

He staggered over to the console Kenson was at. Shepard tried to activate the radio. "Joker? You there?"

Silence.

"I dunno if the bug still works, but if you guys are listening, come pick me up," he looked at the remaining time. "You've got twenty eight minutes."

"VI, how do I get out of here?"

"Proceed to the communications tower. Remaining shuttles are there for extraction."

"Guess I'm going up there then."

Even with very little time left, there were still a number of guards and mechs trying to stop Shepard.

_The price of indoctrination..._

When he made it up to the tower, Shepard had to deal with an overwhelming number of guards and a couple of YMIR mechs. He couldn't help but feel a little defeated when he saw the last few shuttles disembark from the base. In the back of his mind, John knew that the Normandy would come for him.

_And considering that I've been incommunicado for the past few days, they'll be here fast._

When there were no more enemies left, Shepard sprinted towards the comm. relay and contacted the Normandy.

"Joker! I need a pickup ASAP!"

Instead, a giant projection of Harbinger appeared near one of the helipads.

"Shepard. You have become an annoyance. You fight against inevitability. Dust struggling against cosmic winds. This seems a victory to you. A star system sacrificed. But even now your greatest civilizations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us."

John folded his arms. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we can't win this. But we'll fight you regardless, just like we did Sovereign. Just like I'm doing now. However insignificant we might be, we will fight, we will sacrifice, and we will find a way. That's what humans do."

"Know this as you die in vain: your time will come, your species will fall. Prepare yourselves for the arrival," Harbinger said before cutting its transmission.

"Hey Commander, your ride's here," Joker said. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Roger that!"

Shepard sprinted towards the port airlock and leapt in once the door opened up.

* * *

"I'm in! Go!" John said once the doors shut.

"Punch it," I nodded to Joker.

John rushed into the bridge.

"Already on it, Commander," Joker said to Shepard, thinking what the Commander was thinking.

I let out a low whistle. "This is gonna be close. Asteroid range to relay is 400 meters and closing."

"Hitting the relay in 3...2...1..."

Shepard had walked back towards the galaxy map. Helmet in hand. I followed him back. The graphic of the asteroid was now inside the graphic of the relay.

Then came the shockwave...the Bahak system was no more. I looked over at John. He swallowed hard and clenched his jaw as he watched the shockwave pass through every planet, and finally Aratoht.

Kelly looked over at Shepard. "Commander..." she said softly.

He blinked and in a raspy voice said, "I'll be in my quarters...set a course for Arcturus Station. I would prefer it if no one bothered me until we arrive at the station."

And with that, John left.

* * *

**Arcturus Station, Arcturus System, Arcturus Stream**

The ride to Arcturus Station had been virtually silent. There was no laughter, no smiles. It was just the feeling that the end was near, that we were minutes away from an invasion, the likes of which had never been seen in our recorded history.

The suicide mission we were all a part of seemed like one of the largest, riskiest undertakings ever. But now, it just seemed like we finished climbing another hill only to find Mt. Everest in front of us.

Warren seemed to phrase it the best. "The party's over."

And then there was John. I can't even imagine what was going on in his head. The hero of Elysium, first human Spectre, leader of the Omega 4 mission...the man now responsible for the deaths of nearly three hundred and five thousand batarians. He was sitting on a bed in the med bay. I was standing next to him, watching him as he held his head in his hands. John's blue eyes showed the signs of a glassy red haze around them. Probably the sign of him crying his eyes out. I can't blame him, no one can after that.

Until now, he had never really been faced with a situation like that. A situation where there was no better option; one where there was no good decision.

Outside the door was Admiral Hackett, who was having a conversation with Dr. Chakwas.

_Probably playing catch up or something..._

Then the old man walked in. I dunno why but seeing him now made me wonder if him and Zaeed were distant relatives or something.

_Maybe its because they're both badasses. Still, that would be cool if they were. I bet every family reunion winds up with explosions and..._

"Shepard. Looks like you've recovered," Hackett said, getting me out of my line of thought. He looked over at me. "Lieutenant Commander Sears. Its been a long time."

I nodded. "It has, but I'm a veteran now, Admiral."

He gave me a small smirk. "Once a Marine, always a Marine, Sears. I hope you don't mind but I'd like to speak with Shepard in private."

John cleared his throat. "Actually sir, he's holding the recordings of what went on."

"Of course he does," Hackett turned to Shepard. "Sounds like you went through hell down there. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. No more visions, if that's what you mean. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"You went out there as a favor to me. I wanted to debrief you in person," the admiral crossed his arms behind his back. "That was before a mass relay exploded and destroyed an entire batarian system. What hell happened down there, Commander?"

Shepard stood up. "Did you receive any intel about what happened yet?"

"All I know is that I sent you out there to break Amanda Kenson out of prison, and now an entire system is destroyed. I hope you could fill in the leap of logic in those two events."

John looked at me and I nodded, picking up Shepard's report and putting my recordings on top of the datapad. "I confirmed Dr. Kenson's proof. The Reapers were coming, and destroying that relay was the only way to stop them. Kenson sedated me for two days. I started the engines with little more than an hour left. I tried to warn the batarian colony but...time ran out."

"The batarians report no survivors from Aratoht. At least you tried," Hackett turned around and glanced out the med bay window. "And you believe the Reaper invasion really was a threat?"

"No doubt about it. We only had minutes to spare."

"I'm sure all the details are in your report. I won't lie to you, Shepard. The batarians will want blood, and there's just enough evidence for a witch hunt. And we don't want a war with the batarians. Not with the Reapers at the galaxy's edge."

John raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying."

"You did what you had to do for the best of reasons, but...there were more than three hundred thousand batarians in that system. All dead."

"I know, Admiral. They died to save trillions of lives. If I could have saved them, you bet your ass I would have."

Hackett nodded. "You're preaching to the choir, Commander. If it were up to me, I'd give you a damn medal. Unfortunately, not everyone will see it that way."

Shepard sighed. "What do you suggest?"

"Evidence against you will be shoddy, at best. But, at some point, you'll have to go to Earth and face the music. I can't stop it...but I can and will make them fight for it."

"Me too," I chimed in. "God knows the pile of shit I've got to put up a good defense for you."

John rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I know it too." He looked over at Hackett. "I didn't expect to see you on a Cerberus made vessel."

"I don't like Cerberus or the way they do things. But they brought you back to life, and they're actually doing something about the state of the galaxy. Besides, I'm not sure this is a Cerberus ship anymore, right?"

I snorted. "Hasn't been a Cerberus ship since we came back out of the Omega 4 relay. Plus, we have casual Friday's. Sweet huh?"

Shepard smacked me on the arm. "Every day for you is a casual Friday."

Hackett sighed and shook his head. He never really liked it when I got casual with people. Privately, he found it to be entertaining. Once telling me that, 'Watching the old guard squirm at your behavior tends to boost morale...and it gives us (the old guard's colleagues) some good material to laugh at later.'

"Is the Alliance concerned about the batarians response to this?" I asked, rubbing my arm.

"Very. They've been looking for an excuse to go to war with us since we showed up in the galaxy. If the Reapers invade, we need the galaxy to work together. If we go to war with the batarians, the other races will be hesitant to give the other side aid."

"Is the Alliance prepared for a Reaper invasion?" John asked.

"That's hard to say. It took multiple fleets—the Destiny Ascension included—to bring Sovereign down. And that was just one Reaper. If they come in force...we're just not ready."

I sighed. "Well, people are still in denial for the most part. It was too much to hope for _some _progress."

Hackett nodded.

"Well Admiral, if they're gonna put me on trial, I'll stand on trial once this mission is finished."

"Glad to see working with Cerberus hasn't stripped away your sense of honor," Hackett said, before turning to exit.

"If that happened, I'd kick his ass," I joked.

"Mark..."

"Do whatever you have to do out here. But when Earth calls, you make sure you're there with your dress blues on, ready to take the hit," he turned to Shepard. "Take this...I don't need to see this report to know you did the right thing."

"Yes, sir."

"You've done a hell of a thing, Commander."

And with that, the admiral of the Fifth Fleet took his leave.

I smirked as the door closed. "Guess this means I'll have to dust off my dress blacks." Dress blacks were the uniform for Marines. Since Shepard was now in command of a vessel, he was a Navy man now.

John turned and looked at me with an incredulous look on his face. "You're gonna go back?"

"Oh hell no. I'm gonna need 'em if I'm gonna be your legal advocate at a military tribunal."

He blinked before a grin appeared on his face. "Thanks Mark."

I gave him a slap on the back. "Anytime, but you save it for when my immaculate legal knowledge gets you off the hook and then some. You might get a 'thanks for saving the galaxy' blow job."

John shook his head. "Its not over yet."

I hummed a response. "Hopefully it will be. I could use a nap when this Reaper thing is done."

* * *

_And there you have it. I'm probably going to take a break to go back and edit a few things and possibly retcon some of the ME2 stuff (small details mostly) and then start up again._

_Forgot to mention one of the planets I mentioned: Ezezu (means 'furious' in Sumerian)_

_Also thanks to Ankamius for pointing out some small errors (edited: 4/27)_

_Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	53. Interlude 14

_Author's Note: What's this? A new chapter? No way! Yeah I know its been a while. I've been dealing with a lot of personal and family issues for the last month or so, hence why its taken so long. That's just the main reason, there is another one but I'll go into detail at the bottom. For now, enjoy the newest chapter which will bridge ME2 and ME3._**  
**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's and so on._

* * *

**Normandy SR2, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula**

It was a short trip to the Citadel from Arcturus Station and one that was pretty mellow. Our suicide mission was over, the Reapers were kept at bay...but the cost was too high. As a result of the mission to Aratoht, word had started to spread about the incident in batarian space. The first people to find out were the batarians, naturally; systems just don't disappear in a flash off the map and they had a theory as to who was responsible. They blamed the Alliance, raised their military's alert level, and tightened up security around their mass relay routes. The routes were already secure, it was mostly just doubling down and probably using batarian commercial vessels. Independent commercial vessels were the next to know. They rarely entered the Viper Nebula as there was only one habitable system that only got supplies from the Hegemony. After that, everyone was clamoring for answers.

The Bahak incident was nothing short of a field day for the media.

On our end, Shepard was still a little quiet but had gotten a little better. This wasn't something that was going to go away in an instant for him, but he had come to terms with his decision and knew that he was going to have to face a tribunal.

And I was going to be his legal advocate.

That meant that the media was going to be up my ass with all sorts of questions. I guess the only thing I could take solace in was that the tribunal would contain classified information that would not be allowed to leave. Still, that would put me in the middle of it all. I wasn't a fan of the media. To me, they were simply a tool to be used to get a few tidbits of information out into the open. They had changed to some degree; sticking with the facts and stories, than the fluff and bias which was saved for separate shows. The media was still under the thumb of some sponsors, but that was to be expected; they needed funding to stay on the air.

I was busy packing my things, as was most of the crew. Warren was throwing a few things into a bag.

"Strange...and I just got here," Warren grumbled sarcastically.

"We'll be back. It's just gonna be a while," I replied. "Have you made up your mind?"

The big biotic tossed a t-shirt into his bag and stopped.

"Yeah. I think I'll go with ya."

I smirked. "Good. I need someone to clear the press away."

He chuckled. "Damn right. Besides, haven't been to Earth since I left. I'd always look out of the window in my cell and stare at it. Made me wish I could go."

"I hear ya. Its been a while for me too. Wish it were under better circumstances though."

Warren hummed a response. "I still can't believe John's going through with it."

"Not like he's got a choice."

"'Course he does. Just go in and say, 'I'm a Spectre, fuck you'. Easy."

I rolled my eyes. "That's my job. I could see you saying that at a tribunal."

"I did. Said something like that when I got court marshaled."

"You would. Anyway, did you tell Jack about your decision?"

Warren snorted. "Yeah. She didn't take it well at first but we made up."

I smirked. "Good to know that all is well in that department."

"What about you, playboy? Any big goodbyes for you and Miranda?"

I chuckled. "Do you even have to ask?"

He just shrugged. "Suggestions would be nice."

I shook my head and zipped my bag up before walking out of the rec room; Warren followed. Shepard had called a gathering in the mess hall for the entire crew a few minutes ago. With everyone busy getting ready to leave, we needed some time.

The two of us made our way into the crowd that had gathered in the mess hall. John was, of course, at the front, facing all of us.

"Glad you two could make it," he joked, getting a few laughs.

"We were busy doing cool guy stuff." I replied.

"And you didn't invite me?"

"Hell no," added Warren. "You're bland."

Several crew members laughed at that.

John rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay...settle down."

When the crew quieted down, Shepard spoke. "We've had a hell of a journey, haven't we?"

Several people nodded.

"We traveled through an unknown relay, killed the Collectors, and survived a mission people deemed impossible. For that, I can't thank you all enough for what you've helped accomplish. Sure, we've had our ups and downs, but you can walk out of here and tell people that you did something that mattered."

John paused and took a deep breath. "I couldn't have asked for a better crew, and I'm honored to have served with all of you. As for what's coming next, I'm afraid I can't ask any more of you. You all know what happened in the Bahak system. And because of that, I have to answer for what I've done and I have to do it alone. I will be going to Earth to turn myself into the Alliance."

"Are you fucking serious?" Jack blurted out. "You're gonna turn yourself in for saving the galaxy again?"

"I have to do this Jack. I can't hide from the things that I've done. I'm doing this because they need to know why. The brass doesn't have the answers aside from Admiral Hackett. I'm giving all of you this opportunity to leave. I can only ask that all of you prepare for what's going to come next. And if any of you do come with me, there's a chance that you could be arrested as well, especially those of you that were associated with Cerberus."

There were various mumbles going on between the crew members and the squad.

"Well..." started Ken Donnelly. "You're gonna need engineers to get ye ta Earth. Don' want anythin' ta break down."

Gabby nodded. "Count me in as well, Commander."

"I'll stay as well, Shepard." added Dr. Chakwas.

"And you need someone to fly you there in style. I'm not letting anyone else touch my chair," added Joker.

"Obviously," Shepard dryly replied. "No one wants to sit in it. Especially after that...'incident' a few weeks ago."

Joker snorted, as a few people laughed at his plight.

_Shouldn't have been watching porn on full volume. _I thought with a smirk on my face.

"Anyway, aside from the engineers, Joker, Warren, and Mark. The rest of you are free to go. Its been an honor and a pleasure to serve with all of you."

I raised an eyebrow. What about Watson?

The crew began to say their goodbyes to one another, while I walked over to my giant geth buddy.

"Hey, Watson," I said, giving him a tap on the arm. "You're not coming with us?"

"No, Mark. We are not."

"Why?"

"After building a consensus with Legion, and compiling the recent events, we will be going back to the geth."

I blinked. "Going back? I thought your mission was to assist me."

"Recent events have made it a secondary objective. We must prepare for the Reaper invasion."

"I—I see."

"We will contact you should the need arise," replied the large geth.

I nodded. "I guess this is goodbye then."

"Indeed."

"Wait, goodbye sounds like a forever thing...how about, see you later."

Watson's head flaps moved. "We will...see you later."

I smirked. "Just don't do anything I would do."

"We have no intention of doing that."

"Good..." I muttered.

* * *

Various crew members began filing into the elevator with whatever belongings they had with them, ready to step off the Normandy for the last time. I took the lift up with Watson, Thane, and Garrus.

"Hard to believe I'll be leaving the Normandy again." said Garrus. "It was hard enough the first time."

"I hear that." I replied. "This time is just as bad."

"Yeah, but you're not leaving."

"Not until we reach Earth. The Alliance is probably going to gut the ship just to see what sort of stuff Cerberus put in here. After that, I get to play lawyer."

"I don't envy you at all."

I snorted at the turian. "I don't think anyone does. Except for the hot shot attorney's that want to be in my shoes."

"All eyes will be on you, Mark." Thane cautioned. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

I smirked. "Absolutely. Somebody's got to set the record straight. Who better than me?"

"He's got a point, Thane. You've seen the video of him shouting the Council down."

"Indeed. It was...humorous."

I nodded. "So, what are you guys gonna do?"

"I'm going back to Palaven to see my family. My father's going to want to hear about the Reapers. And I could use the rest." answered Garrus.

"I plan on staying with my son on the Citadel. We have much to catch up on. Dr. Chakwas advised me to seek medical treatment at Huerta Memorial Hospital. I suppose I won't be traveling much for those reasons." added Thane.

"What do you plan on doing, Watson?" Garrus asked the geth.

"We will be going to the main geth fleet to prepare."

Both men nodded at the simple response. Everyone knew that now was the time to prep.

The elevator got off at the CIC and we stepped off.

There were some crew members making their way off the ship with their bags. John was standing in the middle of the hall, in front of the bridge, shaking hands with every single person.

I had already said my farewells to the crew. Well, except for one person...

The four of us approached Shepard. "Well guys, its been a hell of a trip." I said, shaking each of their hands.

"It has been...interesting." Thane replied with a small smirk.

"That's putting it mildly." added Garrus in his usual dry tone. "Still, it was good to fight together again."

"Likewise. Good luck, boys." I said as they walked over to Shepard. I turned around and almost walked into Miranda.

"Oh. Hey, Miri."

"Mark." she replied with a small smile. "Can I talk to you in the armory for a moment?"

I nodded and followed her, noticing the small bag in her hand.

We walked into the armory, doors shutting behind us. She sat down on the edge of the nearest table.

"So...this is it, huh?" Miranda quietly asked. "We go our separate ways..."

I nodded. "Yeah...doesn't mean we can't see each other anymore."

"How? You're going to Earth and I have to lay low for a while." she stated. "That doesn't leave us much of a chance to-"

I cut her off with a passionate kiss on the lips. "We can make it work."

Miranda gave me a faint smile. "Good. I...I want this to continue but..."

"We'll find a way. And you know how to contact me."

She embraced me. "I do, and I'll be sure to call you when I can."

"I love you, Miri."

"You too."

Miranda reluctantly let go, but not before giving me a peck on the cheek. She was the last member of the team to go.

I stood in the armory and stared at the spot where Miranda sat. I wished that she could have come with us and that I could have gone with her. Of course, she would probably be arrested and tried as a criminal being the former Cerberus 'number 2'. And I had to defend my friend against a tribunal of Alliance admirals. That's just the way it went. I collected myself and walked out of the armory.

* * *

**Earth, Sol System, Local Cluster**

It was a slow, quiet cruise to Earth. I have no idea why, but it felt like Star Trek 3. It was just Shepard, Warren, Joker, our engineers, EDI, and me.

_Too bad we're not out here to retrieve a dead friend and get into a badass standoff._

I was sitting in the co-pilot seat with Warren resting against the railing between my seat and Joker's.

The conversation the two were having was of urgent and pressing matters.

"Okay...if you could take any superhero with you to help in a fight, who would it be?" Joker asked.

Warren scratched his beard. "Steel, easily."

"Steel? Really? I thought you'd pick War Machine." replied Joker.

"Eh...there can only be room for one. We'd be too busy arguing over the title."

"So why Steel?"

"The dude's smart, has cool armor, and beats dudes with a giant sledgehammer. Plus, I got my biotics and guns. Perfect balance, man."

Joker smirked. "Sounds good to me. Next question: Which female superhero's do you have the hots for? Me? I love Catwoman; all lithe and sexy...she can steal from me anytime."

I chuckled at the answer.

"Mark, what about you?"

"Power Girl."

Warren snorted. "Tit window girl?"

I shrugged. "I like her. She's got an intriguing backstory, is trying to fit into a new world, and manages a growing company. PG needs a friend. That's where I come in."

"Fair enough." Warren replied.

"Oh and who would you pick? Starfire?"

"Its a toss up for me man..."

"Between who?" I asked.

"Starfire, Wonder Woman, and Black Cat."

Joker hummed. "Yeah that's tough."

"No argument here." I added.

The sound of footsteps approaching the bridge could be heard. It had to be Shepard since Ken and Gabby were still in engineering.

"Are you guys still rambling on about comic book heroes?" John asked.

"Uh, yeah." Warren answered as if Shepard was oblivious.

John sighed. "Joker, how long until we hit the Charon relay?"

"Two minutes, Commander."

"Heh. I'm not a Commander anymore. I'm a criminal remember?" he replied dryly.

"Bullshit. They'll probably promote you." Warren chimed in. "They'd be crazy not to after the shit you've done."

"We'll see."

I sat up in my chair. "So, just to go over this whole thing one last time: Warren, you're my bodyguard, I'm Shepard's attorney-"

Joker cut in. "And I'm the crippled ace pilot. Got it."

"Damn, and I wanted to be that guy..." grumbled Warren.

I snorted. "Yeah, yeah. What's your plan Joker?"

He smirked. "Don't worry. I've cooked up a little something with EDI. It'll work."

"I find your lack disclosure disturbing."

"Can't a guy have his own plan with an AI?"

Shepard shook his head. "Joker..."

"Ah fine..."

EDI decided to speak for him. "Jeff wants me to pose as a VI that will only respond to his commands."

Joker grumbled. "Spoil sport."

I smirked. "Awesome plan. Can't wait to see it in action."

"If you do, just try not to laugh out loud."

"Yeah, yeah." I replied with a wave of my hand as the Normandy was about to enter the Sol system.

With a bright flash of light, we arrived in the system, zipping by Pluto. I imagine the Alliance Navy's First Fleet just picked us up on ladar.

"Unidentified vessel, this is the SSV Fuji. Requesting immediate identification. If you do not give us one, you will be fired upon."

"Friendly." muttered Joker.

"Open a channel." said Shepard.

I pressed a button on the panel in front of me and pointed to John.

"SSV Fuji, this is Commander John Shepard of the Normandy SR2. We're heading to Earth for an important...debriefing." he finished.

There was silence over the other end for some time.

"We are now on a secure channel, Shepard." EDI said, breaking the silence. "Perhaps the commanding officer is on the line."

"Copy that, Commander. This is Admiral Ines Lindholm, commanding officer. We've confirmed your ship's IFF and will escort you to Earth."

"I appreciate that, ma'am."

"I received word through some channels about your actions, Shepard." Lindholm started. "You've done a hell of a thing."

Shepard blinked. "I'm aware, ma'am."

"I'm talking about your actions against the Collectors, Shepard. You seem to be good at taking care of things people have deemed myths." she said with a small amount of humor in her voice. "I'd discuss the rest, but I suppose it will come out on its own soon enough."

"Yeah..."

"Anyway, we'll make sure you get to Earth without a fuss. Lindholm out."

John took a deep breath as we were escorted by the massive Everest-class dreadnaught, Fuji. Neptune and Uranus seemed to fly by quickly.

"Hm...never seen an Everest-class ship before." I said, glancing out the right window. "Very nice."

"Yeah. Don't see too many of 'em since there's only three. Kinda sucks that the new class is slowly coming out before the Reapers come. Won't even have time to finish most of them." Joker said.

"Is that something you'd like to fly one day?" Warren asked.

Joker let out a disgusted snort. "You kidding? It takes a team of people to pilot dreadnaughts. I'd like to be able to turn on a dime, not take twenty minutes to turn left."

"You would have fit in on a carrier." I commented. "Fighter pilots would have loved you."

"They do. Beat their asses in the academy. That's the thing I like about fighter pilots, you show them up and they respect you. Anybody else and they think you're arrogant."

Warren got up only to take a seat at one of the gunnery stations. "Smooth sailing ahead."

Shepard didn't say anything and looked out the window. He was preparing himself for what lay ahead.

* * *

**Systems Alliance Navy Pacific Command (SAPACOM), Vancouver**

By the time we had gotten to Earth, the military's radio traffic was abuzz. They had heard the rumors of a ship resembling the Normandy being seen near Arcturus, the Citadel, even Omega over the last year. Brings to mind the old adage, "Seeing is believing". The SSV Fuji took us as far as Earth, leaving us to do the rest. Hackett messaged Shepard before we hit the Charon relay, telling him that the tribunal would be held in Vancouver at the Pacific Command Center.

"Normandy requesting permission to dock." Joker said.

"Permission granted, Normandy. Welcome home."

Joker turned off his end of the radio. "Sure thing..."

I sighed. "Showtime."

The Normandy touched down at the naval yard, getting ready for a hard seal.

"How many do you think they'll send?" Warren asked.

"I'd be surprised if we got more than four." I answered. "No sense in making a spectacle of this. The military hates that."

"Just wait until the media gets wind of it." added Joker.

"Can't wait." grumbled Shepard.

EDI interrupted us. "Shepard, the Alliance security team is waiting for permission to board."

"Let 'em through, EDI."

I looked at EDI's avatar in the bridge. "Well, EDI its been fun getting to know you and everything. Try stay out of trouble, eh?"

"With Jeff's help I should be able to. I would like to thank you as well, Mark. You have been a great help to me. Shepard, I would also like to thank you and I wish you good luck."

"Thanks EDI." Shepard replied as a chime went off at the airlock door. EDI's avatar disappeared.

The doors opened up, only two armed soldiers were at the front. The next man in was a bit of a surprise.

"Anderson?" Shepard said in a confused tone.

"Hello Shepard. Good to see you again." he replied.

"What brings you here?"

"Hackett told me that you would be on your way. I decided that I should be here in person."

John smirked. "Well, I'm glad to see a friendly face."

Anderson nodded before looking at Warren and I. "Sears, Rogers, what brings you here?"

I pointed to myself. "I'm John's legal advocate. Warren's my bodyguard."

The former councilor snorted. "Of course, Mark. Anyone else on board?"

"Our engineers should be on their way up." Shepard said. "Can't forget our ace pilot."

Anderson smirked as he saw Joker. "Joker. Good to see you again."

The pilot gave Anderson a salute. "You too, sir."

Ken and Gabby had just arrived out of the elevator, bags in hand.

"I take it that's everyone then?" Anderson asked again.

"That's it."

The Admiral nodded. "Follow me then."

As we all left the ship behind, I noticed a bulky man with a mohawk standing behind Shepard.

"Who's the rugby player?" I asked Anderson while gesturing to the big guy.

"Rugby player?" the man quizzically asked.

"Oh, Shepard this is Lieutenant James Vega. He's been assigned to watch you while you're here on Earth."

John turned to Vega and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here, Commander. Never thought I'd end up meeting you."

"You get lucky sometimes." replied Shepard. "Why am I being 'watched', Anderson?"

He sighed. "As of right now, Shepard, you're under house arrest. I'm sorry."

"I'd be surprised but considering what's been going on for the last year, I suppose the Alliance has their own reasons."

"And to think all of the information I sent to the Council and the Alliance was going to count for something." I grumbled.

"It has, Mark. The higher ups just want to speak to Shepard in person. I don't think they'll press charges." replied Anderson.

"So this trial is just to put on a show for the batarians?"

"Not exactly. You'll find out in the coming days. All you need to do is present your case."

"Fair enough." I said with a shrug.

Once we made inside, Joker, Dr. Chakwas, Ken, and Gabby were taken into custody as well. It was all for questioning purposes. That didn't mean I had to like it. Even with Hackett and Anderson going to bat for us, the whole thing felt like a trap to get all of us for doing our jobs. Warren was the only one that seemed calm about it. Then again, he had gone through this before after Torfan.

* * *

**2 days later**

Two days since turning himself in, word began to spread about John turning himself in. Didn't take long before the media found out. Preparing was one thing, actually having to deal with it was another. First was Citadel News Net, and then ANN. The Alliance wouldn't allow the media to speak to Shepard or divulge any information as to why he was back and what he was up to; it was still considered classified. Unfortunately, that meant that someone had to fill the media in and give them something.

That's where I came in. ANN sent a reporter out to interview me, Diana Allers. I had heard of her. Allers wasn't afraid to pull punches when it came to questioning. Made me wonder if she used to be a cop at some point.

I was feeling grumpy as I walked down the brightly lit halls of the Vancouver base. It was only 1 in the afternoon and lunch was just ending. I had my sunglasses on as my eyes felt tired from being bombarded by the sunlight and ceiling light fixtures. Hopefully, Allers would understand and lay off. And the other reason I was grumpy: I had to wear a suit.

"I'd rather wear my Minutemen shirt. I hate PR." I grumbled as I made my way to the conference room where the interview would be held.

I pushed the panel on the side and walked in, immediately met with eight different lamps being set up around the room.

_Shit...I don't know how John stands it at all._

I glanced around the room at the various people setting up the room.

_In and out. Don't give too much away._

I sighed. "I'm getting a drink when this is over."

"Feeling nervous?"

I turned around and saw Diana Allers walking towards me.

"Nervous? No. I'd just rather go back to organizing my case."

She smirked. "Too bad. People want to know what's going on with humanity's hero and you're the only one I'm allowed to talk to."

Allers looked different in person than on the vids. She didn't have full on 'chipmunk cheeks' like you'd see on the vids. They were more normal looking. Allers had on a dress that ended just above the knees, in 'Alliance blue' with a white ANN logo near the left strap of her dress.

"You look different in person." I stated bluntly.

Diana snorted. "I get that a lot. You'd be surprised at how different you can look on camera."

"So I've noticed."

"Oh?" she asked curiously. "Trying flattery?"

I shook my head. "No. Not my style. Plus, my girlfriend would kill me if she found out."

"Ah. Good move. I've had interviewees try that before on me. Never works out. Especially when you edit it the piece to make them look bad."

"Ouch."

Allers shrugged. "Anyway, you don't look like any legal advocate I've met. Unless you've had defendants that have tried to kill you, judging by the scar."

I smirked. "You really don't know about the situation, do you?"

Allers frowned. "No. Hell, none of the other outlets found out until yesterday. I was hoping to be the first."

"Then you're gonna be in for one hell of a scoop, Allers."

She smiled. "Good. I'm almost ready here so, please, take a seat."

I complied and took a seat in the nearby chair. Diana was busy inspecting her little camera drone.

"The damn makeup setting has been on the fritz for the past few days. It keeps firing about two layers of mascara on my face."

I got up and walked over to her, turning on my omni-tool. I ran it over the drone.

"This is an Elkoss Combine DVT-6."

"Yeah. The network got 'em a few weeks ago for everyone. Brand new too."

I smirked. "Guess you didn't see the recent tech news about this. The makeup applicator CPU was accidentally sent a virus through a firmware update. Apparently the applicator's firing mode was set to whore."

Allers snorted with laughter. "You're joking."

I shook my head. "I'm serious. And on top of that, the whore setting actually exists. It would explain why the people on dating shows look so...colorful."

I ran my omni-tool over the drone again. "Should be good to go now."

"Heh. Thanks. I never got your name, by the way. Diana Allers, Alliance News Network."

I shook her hand. "Mark Sears, head of Outer Heaven."

Her mouth opened in surprise. "You weren't kidding when you said I'd be in for a hell of a scoop."

I smiled.

Allers shook her head to get over that little surprise and put her makeup on while I went back to my seat. When she finished, she sat down in the seat across from me.

"I hope you don't mind but I want to do a raw interview. No rehearsals or anything. I want to be just as surprised as the viewers are when they see this." she said.

I nodded. "I can do that."

Diana turned on the drone and began her introduction. "Good evening, and welcome to the Battle Space. I'm your host Diana Allers and today I will be giving an exclusive interview with the man who is going to be defending Commander John Shepard in court later this week. Due to the sensitive situation, I can't disclose where I am but we should be able to get an insight as to the Commander's whereabouts for the past few years."

She turned the camera off and maneuvered it around to the side to show both of us.

"Okay, got that done." she muttered. "Ready?"

I nodded.

"Joining me this evening is Commander Shepard's legal advocate, Mark Sears. Mr. Sears, its a pleasure."

"Likewise, Ms. Allers."

"Mr. Sears, if I may, could you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

"Well, to start I'm the leader of the group known as Outer Heaven. If you haven't heard of us, our largest operation to date was on Mindoir a year ago."

Diana nodded. "I'd like to go into detail about that in a moment. Please continue."

"Before that, I served in the Marines for seven years and was an N7. I was in charge of the mission to Akuze and was the only survivor of that incident."

She blinked. "Wow. I can't even imagine how that was for you."

"It's not something you want to imagine. I watched the men and women that I had served with for years die off one by one for several days, including forty marines that went down with us. In the aftermath, I became the first human to have contracted neurotoxemia."

"And I assume you're cured now."

"Yes, I am. The effects of the condition still affect me, but I'm getting treated for it."

Diana nodded. "That's good. Now, for the question everyone seems to be asking: What has Commander Shepard been up to since his alleged death and did he really die?"

"Luckily, I can answer those questions for you. Last question first: Yes, he did actually die. Cerberus was responsible for 'resurrecting' him. The sheer amount of credits and research done was substantial, but its not a reason to be grateful to them. They're a terrorist group first and foremost. As for what Shepard has been up to: stopping the Collectors from abducting more human colonies."

Allers blinked. "So, how did he accomplish this? Especially since the Collectors are seemingly a myth."

I smirked. "I can confirm for a fact that they aren't a myth. I was there and I helped. Shepard gathered some of the best people in the galaxy to take on the Collectors; scientists, mercenaries, you name it."

"Interesting...so where exactly were the Collectors hiding?"

"A base at the center of the galaxy. It was located in a sort of safe zone at the edge of the accretion disk. It was an amazing view. Of course, it wasn't a cake walk. The second we passed through the Omega 4 relay we almost flew into a massive debris field of ancient ships; mostly a product of people testing the mystery behind the relay. They were already destroyed by a network of drones spread throughout the debris."

"That almost sounds so...fictional."

I nodded. "Its understandable. I got a video of our arrival but, that's for another time."

"Of course." replied Diana. "What are the charges Shepard is facing?"

"Some of them I can't say because their classified. The ones I can mention are: aiding and abetting a known terrorist organization and treason."

"Seems a little harsh considering that it sounds like Cerberus used him."

"It is, and I plan on having those charges thrown out. The charges are bogus and lack any real evidence other than circumstantial."

"Do you believe that you can get him off the hook?"

I smirked. "I know I can. They have no real case." I paused. "I'll say this: John Shepard is a damn hero and probably the greatest hero in the history of the Alliance. The man is a Medal of Honor and Star of Terra winner. He's saved countless colonies: Elysium, Feros, Terra Nova, Horizon...the list of worlds goes on. Shepard saved the Citadel and the Council and killed Saren Arterius; all of which happened after he became the first human Spectre. To accuse the man of treason is insane and before you ask, the difference between him and Saren is that Saren was crazy. Shepard's not."

"That was very passionate defense for your client."

"He's not just that, he's my friend. We've been friends for sixteen years."

"So its safe to say you know him better than anyone. How did you two meet?"

I leaned back into my seat. "His mother's ship rescued me on Mindoir. Since that day, we've been best friends."

"I see. So you survived the raid sixteen years ago."

I nodded. "Yep." I started softly. "Lost my home, neighbors, friends, my parents, my past, and my future."

"I'm sorry."

I just gave her a wave of my hand.

"As the leader of Outer Heaven, I imagine you were involved with what happened on Mindoir last year."

"Yes, I was directly involved. Shepard, a select team, and I were responsible for rescuing the kidnapped colonists, killing their captors, and arresting the politician who let them go."

"The message your group left was very pointed; almost as if you were blaming the Alliance for the situation. Do you, and do you hold any animosity towards them?"

I furrowed my brow, thinking of a response. "I did blame them, and I still do. Instead of acting, the Alliance wrung their hands and turned to politics instead of doing the right thing: protecting the people. They didn't. And without my intervention, history would have repeated itself. What if the same situation happened on Earth? Would Parliament act then?"

Allers gestured to me, letting me continue.

"I find it pretty insulting that after the tragedy sixteen years ago, that even with the Navy's rapid expansion that the politicians expect a bigger garrison to make a difference. Rapid response teams should be available and they shouldn't have to be held up because some representatives said so. As for your last question, I don't hold any animosity toward the Alliance. I only look at the situation from a soldier's perspective. They need to focus on the colonies. Lord knows we've got more than enough to protect Arcturus and Earth."

Diana nodded. "Since you have admitted that your the leader of Outer Heaven, are you afraid of the potential danger you've put yourself in?"

I shook my head. "Even if I'm captured or killed, Outer Heaven will continue on. Our organizational system is set up so that even if I'm taken out of the picture, the information network and so on will continue on."

"Mr. Sears, thank you for your time and good luck with the trial." Diana replied, holding her hand out.

"Thank you, Ms. Allers."

She turned the camera off and let out a sigh. "Well, I should thank you for giving me the biggest scoop I've had in years."

I chuckled. "Think nothing of it. Somebody's gotta clarify the B.S that's out there."

"Well, I should get going. Hopefully, the editor won't butcher most of it. This is too good."

"It was a pleasure, Ms. Allers."

"Likewise, and please, call me Diana."

I nodded and watched her leave. I left the room a few seconds after and went back to my room to build my case. After that, I requested a meeting with the Defense Committee regarding some of the charges against John. They agreed that the treason and aiding a known terrorist organization charges were bogus and were thrown out.

* * *

**Defense Committee Hearing, SAPACOM, Vancouver**

Shepard and I made our way to the hearing room with Lieutenant Vega in tow. John was in his dress blues, clad with medals. I was in my old dress blacks, also clad with medals, my sunglasses sitting just below the collar.

"Ready, John?" I asked as we approached the doors; two armed guards in front of them.

"Yeah. Let's just get this over with."

"Good luck in there, Shepard." Vega added as the guards opened the doors for us.

The two of us walked into the small conference room, facing three admirals who were at a table in front of us.

On the left was the Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO), Admiral Ravichandran Dhoni, who was running a hand through his balding black hair. On the right was Admiral Elizabeth Barton, the woman in charge of EARTHCOM, Earth's Defense Forces and Command. In the middle was Admiral Stanley Woolridge, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).

The three of them stared at us as we approached a table in front of them.

"Gentlemen, I will remind you that everything said in this meeting is confidential and cannot leave this room." said Admiral Woolridge. "Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir." We replied in unison.

"Mr. Sears, may I ask why you are wearing a dress uniform? I thought you were a veteran." asked Admiral Dhoni.

"This is a military tribunal. I thought I'd wear this."

"Understood."

Admiral Barton spoke up. "After discussing the charges with Mr. Sears last night, we have decided to dismiss the charges of treason and aiding and abetting a known terrorist organization. The evidence he provided was...substantial."

John gave me a small smirk.

"However, the charges of regarding the incident in the Bahak System still stand."

I folded my arms. "And we have evidence to prove that, despite the regrettable loss of life, it was a necessary decision."

Admiral Woolridge cleared his throat. "Then we're going to start from the top. We're aware that Admiral Hackett assigned this mission and he gave us an affidavit. We just need to hear Shepard's side of the story."

I nodded and began to recount the events in the Bahak System.

* * *

_Three hours of testimony...times like this I'm glad I decided against being an attorney for a living._

I sat back on the couch in my room breathing a sigh of relief. I rubbed my eyes and looked out the window at the sun beginning to set.

"Note to self: Don't be a legal advocate anymore." I grumbled to myself.

It was a tough couple of hours, having to explain and show evidence. I was hoping that it would get through to the committee; its hard to ignore nearly two days of recordings and information about the 'Project'.

The sound of my terminal beeping roused me out of my fatigued state. It was a message and data packet from my contacts on Omega. After the Grayson Incident, I wanted to everything...and I mean everything; even Liara chipped in to help out.

As I was busy reading through everything, Warren walked in.

"'Sup kid. How did it go?" he asked, hopping over the couch to sit next to me.

"Well. It was tiring, though; going through everything that happened in the Bahak system."

Warren frowned as he sat back. "Didn't they get a report beforehand?"

"Yeah. They just wanted to hear our side of it."

"Fucking law, man...I can't stand it. Just retelling the same shit but in a made up language."

I smirked. "Spoken like a rebellious ex-con."

"Bite me."

I shook my head and turned back to my terminal.

"Whatcha reading?"

"A report from a few contacts on Omega. Its about an incident that happened a while ago."

Warren raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"A former Cerberus operative was kidnapped and experimented on using Reaper tech by Cerberus. A guy named Paul Grayson." I explained. "He ended up breaking out of Cerberus' custody, went on a rampage on Omega, and then went to the Ascension Project to do the same thing."

"Shit...that's messed up."

"I know. It gets deeper than that too, which is why I wanted to know everything about the incident." I replied, reading an autopsy report on an asari that was with Grayson at the time he was captured.

"I dunno...sounds pretty simple to me."

I shook my head. "When it involves Cerberus and Aria T'Loak, it never is. From the look of things, the Illusive Man played her."

"Ooh...that ain't good at all. She must be pissed."

"I don't think she knows. Which is why I'm going to tell her." I said, transferring everything to a datapad. "I'll be back in a bit."

"You know, if I'm supposed to be your bodyguard that means I have to go too."

I blinked. "Good point. You can hang out at the door while I talk to Aria."

"Good. 'Cause I just finished working out at the gym and I'm sore as hell."

I shook my head and the two of us walked out of the room. The base was pretty busy this evening. But with all of these high ranking officers here, it probably made the base commander jumpy.

After going down a few halls, we approached the communications room. There was a serviceman stationed outside the door; she looked bored.

"Evening, serviceman." I said with a smirk, snapping her out of her bored trance.

"Oh! Um, please state your business, sir."

"Mark Sears, Commander Shepard's legal advocate. I need to make a call." I answered.

"Of course. Right this way." she gestured to the door.

"My friend is going to wait here at the door. If you don't mind."

"That's fine."

I entered the communications room. There were all sorts of screens and terminals scattered around the room. In back of the room was a quantum entanglement communicator, similar to the one on the Normandy.

_Hope the Alliance didn't rip it out of the ship._

I dismissed the idea remembering that the QEC technology was close to being completed by the Alliance.

I approached the communicator and turned to the serviceman. "I hope you'll understand that this conversation contains classified information."

She nodded. "Yes, I understand. If you need any assistance, I'll be outside, sir."

"Thanks."

I waited for the door to close before turning on the QEC. I input the address and other information, namely to keep the conversation as secure as possible; all I had to do now was wait.

"Sears?" Aria asked, slightly irritated as her image appeared in front of me. "Do you realize what time it is out here?"

"Sorry, Aria. Forgot what time it was over there." I answered with a smirk.

"Its a good thing you're cute...and gotten on my good side. Otherwise, we would have some serious issues."

I let out a small laugh. "I guess the reason I called was because of a serious issue."

She raised a brow, a silent way of letting me continue.

"Its about Paul Grayson."

"He's dead." Aria replied flatly. "Why would I care about a dead traitor?"

I pulled the datapad. "Because he wasn't a traitor, Aria. That wild goose chase on your station, the deal with Cerberus, even the loss of your troops; I know all about it."

The 'Queen of Omega' sighed. "Why am I not surprised? Gonna charge me for it?"

I shook my head. "Never intended on it."

She smiled. "And that's another thing I like about you...so, start from the top. What did Cerberus want?"

"Grayson. They wanted Grayson. I'm sure the Illusive Man, or one of his agents, gave you an excuse."

"Yeah..." she replied in an almost questioning tone.

I glanced down at the pad. "It started the night Grayson disappeared. Five people go into his apartment, claiming to be there for a birthday party. They go into his place, one of them dies, and Grayson gets knocked out. The red sand taken from the raid on the Talon's disappeared too, making it look like a betrayal...along with the body of an asari with Grayson."

I noticed a brief flash in Aria's eyes at the mention of the asari.

"We, uh, learned about her too..." I muttered. "I'm sorry, Aria."

Her eyes shifted to the left. "I don't want sympathy, Mark."

"It doesn't hurt to know that someone's backing you up, Aria. I've lost family too. You take what you can get." I said softly.

"Thanks..." she replied. "So, how did you find out?"

"I have my ways. I even have a video taken from the hallway. The apartment complex Grayson lived in had a lot paranoid tenants. We got some footage and forensic evidence from the apartment. The rest, Outer Heaven found through various means."

"I suppose you plan on sharing this with me."

I nodded and activated my omni-tool, uploading a copy of all of the information to Aria. "I'm sending you everything I have."

Aria gave me a small smirk.

"I know who killed Liselle and kidnapped Grayson. You might have suspected who it was as well..."

"Cerberus, right?"

"Yep. The guy who represented them, the one you met, was Kai Leng. He's the guy who led the operation to snatch Grayson. I also know that he was the one who killed Liselle." I added.

Aria's brow furrowed. "Just how in the hell did you find that out?"

I shrugged. "You know I have contacts on Omega. They're everywhere. As for Leng, well, it was only logical for him to be looking for Grayson in the first place. He's the Illusive Man's go-to guy for all sorts of wetworks. Once he showed his face in Afterlife, we knew something big was going on. The knife wound on Liselle? We traced to a similar wound found on a former Alliance general last year. Plus, its not too hard to miss the Ouroboros tattoo on his neck; camera caught that, including when he met you."

She shook her head and glanced at a datapad in her room, looking over the data I sent. "All of the things you dug up...its almost scary. Like Shadow Broker scary."

I scratched the back of my head. "Well...I did ask the Broker for a little help."

"Funny, I heard the two of you were fighting."

"We cleared it up."

Aria let out a small chuckle as she read the pad.

"Aria." I started in a serious tone. "Do you remember what I told you before I left Omega?"

She glanced at the floor briefly. "You gonna give me the, 'I told you so'?"

"After what happened on your station, I don't intend to; that would be rude. What I am going to tell you, is to be careful. Even with the Collector base destroyed, Cerberus is going to go into the Omega-4 relay to gather as much as they can. That means your station is going to have a few more humans loitering around than usual. The Illusive Man may even go after you."

"Then he would be insane." Aria replied.

"He pulled the wool over your eyes once, Aria. He's probably thinking he can take on the galaxy at this point. Just...be careful, okay?"

She quirked her brow slightly. "Mark, I've been around a long time; met all sorts of people. Usually people who are this generous are looking for something in return. Or they're looking to put a bullet in my back."

"Aria, I don't-"

"I'm not finished." she replied, flatly. "You're different. Idealistic, kind, honest. Those kinds of things are considered dangerous in the galaxy and are very rare."

I smirked.

"And those are the kinds of characteristics that are lacking." Aria finished with her trademark 'evil grin'. "Frankly, I'm glad you fell into my lap. I really should reward you for all the help you've given me."

I chuckled. "I'm flattered, Aria. Really. But I really don't expect a reward, nor do I want one. I'm just in this to help people out. Its who I am. Who I'll always be."

"That Miranda is a lucky girl. I'll be sure to send you a...gift. Good night." she replied in that sweet, but evil tone of hers, cutting her connection.

I sighed. "Damn it..."

* * *

_Poor Mark...so much work to do lol. Next Chapter will be the start of ME3._

_As I said at the top, the other reason its taken me a while to start ME3 (aside from getting the main points down) is because the game has left me completely jaded. And as most of you are aware, it involves the ending. Yeah it seems kind of foolish to take it so hard but when you get emotionally invested in something, it happens; for example, if you're a sports fan and your favorite team just lost a championship. But what sucks the most is that the ending has divided everyone in so many different ways and sprouted up all sorts of theories. Is it a cliche to want 'everyone to get along'? Yeah, but we're all playing the same game. _

_To be honest, I haven't touched ME3 since the beginning of April and I don't really have any intention on doing so any time soon._

_But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning this...far from it. A lot of you have messaged me wondering if I'm going to do the canon ending. _

_My answer: **No. **_

_Since I posted my ending rant in another chapter, there's no need for me to do another one. All you need to know is that I know the direction I'm taking (it is my story after all) and I know what to do. Anyway, that's it for now._


	54. World Painted Blood

_Author's note: Hey all. With this chapter comes the beginning of ME3. I wanted to split up the Earth escape and Mars mission instead of doing one giant chapter. It would have taken too long. Anyway, enjoy!_**  
**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's and other stuff._

* * *

**Naval Pacific Command (SAPACOM), Vancouver**

I walked out of the communications room breathing a worried sigh. Leave it to Aria to make me worried about a reward.

"I'm all done." I said to the serviceman who nodded at me.

"How'd it go?" Warren asked.

"It went well."

He smirked as I started walking down the hall. "Your face says otherwise, kid."

I muttered a curse at my friend.

"Come on, man. What happened?"

"Well, I told Aria what happened and gave her all the info I had."

"Uh huh..."

"She complemented me and whatnot. Even wanted to give me a reward. I told her I didn't want one."

"Uh huh..." Warren replied again, egging me on.

I gave him a small glare. "Stop doing that."

"No. Finish the damn story."

I rolled my eyes. "In the end, she opted to send me a 'gift' anyway."

Warren chuckled. "Can't wait to see it."

"You're not going to see it." I replied.

"Why not?"

"Considering the massive crush she and other asari have on me, I have a good idea as to what it is."

"Spoilsport."

"Would you show me the messages Jack sends you? I know she sends you all sorts of dirty pics."

"Like hell I'd show you those. 'Sides, how the hell did you know what she sends?"

"You always mention it to me..."

I shook my head as we headed back to my room. Once inside, my omni-tool beeped. It was a message from Aria.

Warren smirked. "Aria, I assume?"

I hummed a response.

"Gonna open that?"

"Not in front of you."

The biotic grumbled. "Fine. I guess I'll see ya in the morning."

"Later, man."

Warren left, while I took a seat on the couch and opened the message. The first thing I saw was a rather large sum of credits; half a million to be exact, with a rather 'saucy' message. I transferred the credits to one of my accounts. But what really made my face red was the highly encrypted attachment in a separate email. In it was a folder containing a variety of images of Aria in some rather...exotic poses...with my name scribbled on her chest.

_How in the hell did she write my name so legibly on her...never mind..._

I quickly closed the message. "Okay...better add naked images of Aria T'Loak with my name on her chest to my list of: 'Strange shit that's happened to me'."

I rubbed my forehead and let out a dry laugh. Being here was going to be more stressful than I had imagined.

* * *

**4 Months Later**

I had finished with Shepard's case after several long months. At the end of it all, I got John cleared of his charges. The Council had, of course, condemned what Shepard had done in the Bahak system. I wasn't surprised by this. It was their standard political posturing to try and distance themselves from a potential war. The batarians, despite their rage, knew they couldn't win a full on war with the Alliance. As for the Alliance, they know knew about the Reapers, and what repercussions war with the batarians meant. If they threw away their Navy at the batarians, Earth would be lost.

As for Shepard, he was still under house arrest. It was for his own safety now. Aside from getting John off the hook, I was busy coordinating Outer Heaven for the inevitable Reaper invasion. Our little hideout in the Aether Massif on Elysium was going to come in handy. Anyone that wanted to stay there was welcome to; lord knows there was a ton of space in that bunker. Many of my contacts had decided to head there and use the extranet and Shadow Broker to coordinate our massive information network. Murph had already taken his family there and was currently in charge.

It was a sunny day out and I decided to sit on the balcony past the mess hall and stare out at the bay.

"Hello Mark."

I turned around and saw Semeyon walk over to my table, a small grin on his face; noticing my surprise.

"Hey Z." I replied, standing up to give him a hug. "Been a long time."

"Indeed it has."

"Take a seat. What brings you here?"

He took a seat next to me, letting out a small grunt.

_Leg must be bothering him more than usual._

"Felt like dropping by to see how you were. I heard your case went well."

I let out a small laugh. "Yeah. My only complaint was how damn stressful it all was. Even if I did have all of the evidence in front of me it was a bitch to organize and whatnot."

"Plan on doing it again?"

I grumbled. "Let's hope not."

Semeyon chuckled. "It was a good thing you did."

I hummed a response. "I'm surprised the batarians haven't responded to the decision yet."

"They had their usual propaganda sent out. It is strange..." Semeyon said. "You would think they would be preparing for an attack. Instead, batarian space is quiet."

"Maybe they are planning something."

Semeyon shrugged. "Also possible. News out of their systems has been slow lately."

I nodded. "I'm sure we'll find something out soon. Anyway, how did you get in here? Disguise yourself as an admiral again?"

"No, no. I haven't done that in a long time. My usual credentials."

"Intel Bureau? I thought you're retired."

He gave me a small smirk. "I'm a semi-retired consultant, Mark."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"How are things with you and Miss Lawson?"

"We exchange messages now and then. Miranda's been laying low. Can't say I blame her."

Semeyon pulled out a cigarette. "Take my advice son, don't let a woman like that go. I met a beautiful woman during the First Contact War; blonde hair, great figure, and very kind. We had something special and when the war ended, she disappeared."

I blinked. "What was her name?"

"Eva Core." he replied with a smile. "She was part of a small mercenary unit we found under fire by turians."

"Finding a girl while under fire in a foxhole...not the strangest meeting I've heard."

"Indeed."

I looked out at the bay. "Did you ever find her?"

"I've been trying to since the end of the war. The only place I have yet to search is the AIB central database."

I turned back to Semeyon. "With the years you spent working for the Bureau, I thought that would be the first place you would have searched."

He shook his head. "I did not have access back then. Many of the files regarding the war were well above my clearance level."

My brow furrowed. "That sounds sketchy. Wonder how many black ops were performed then...hell, we could have known about them before the war."

"Well, I did perform some black ops when I served with your father. Those are the ones I'm aware of. The rest are a mystery."

I nodded and changed the subject. "I'll do everything I can to keep her. Thanks, Z."

"You're welcome, Mark." he replied with a smirk.

"What are you going to do next?"

"I'm going to Arcturus Station and search the central database. The director also wanted to speak to me to try and get a threat assessment on the Reapers."

"Good luck with that, old man."

Semeyon snorted. "Thanks, Mark. There's one more thing I almost forgot to mention."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Your C-Sec friend, Captain Bailey? He's been promoted to Commander by Udina."

"I should congratulate him."

Semeyon pulled out a datapad and slid it over to me. I began to read it, eyes widening as I went through it. Udina had informed Bailey that enemies of the Council had compromised C-Sec and that Executor Pallin was named as a prime suspect. According to the report, Bailey had found two dead C-Sec agents outside of Pallin's home, holding information with his picture on the datapads they were holding. In the end, Pallin wound up dead and Bailey got promoted. Bailey's report was also in Semeyon's datapad.

"Holy shit..." I muttered.

"I know. Happened a few days ago."

I bit my lip. "Doesn't make any sense."

"I've contacted a few people inside C-Sec to find out what's going on. The AIB is looking into Udina as well." Semeyon replied, blowing out some smoke.

"You think the ambassador is involved somehow?"

He shrugged. "Would it really surprise you?"

I shook my head. "Udina's always been too ambitious for his own good. I never really liked him to begin with."

Semeyon smirked. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

The two of us sat back and spent the rest of the time making idle chat. He even showed me a holo of Eva; the old man definitely snagged a good girl.

* * *

**2 Months Later, Vancouver**

It appeared that the day I was fearing the most was about to come: the day the Reapers arrived. Within the span of a couple of weeks, the galaxy had been shaken to its core. It started with Omega. Cerberus was busy pulling out the remains of the Collector base and whatever tech they found and started bringing it to Omega. I knew Aria was pissed off at Cerberus and had even told me that they were bringing all sorts of things to 'her' station. Then, there was an outbreak. Creatures called 'Adjutants' began rampaging across the station. Cerberus came swiftly to Omega to control the situation. It was all too suspicious. When it was over, Aria was kicked off of Omega by Cerberus. I had let my contacts know to get off the station as well in case Cerberus decided to conduct 'research' or start cleansing the place. Wherever Aria was, she was probably fuming.

Then last week, all contact with the batarian home world of Khar'shan was lost. The Hegemony claimed it was due to solar flares, but solar flares don't cause an economic blackout of batarian colonies. All eyes and ears soon turned to batarian space.

Various colonial government representatives blamed the Alliance, saying that it was Alliance stealth ships knocking out communications. They had no evidence and the Alliance denied it. Days later, thousands of batarian ships began to flood into the Exodus Cluster. The Navy's Sixth and Seventh Fleets thought it was an invasion force until the airwaves lit up. Virtually every vessel was civilian with a collection of Hegemony Fleet vessels as escorts.

The reports and witness accounts said the ships were massive, unlike anything they had ever seen. We knew what it was instantly.

It was official: The Reapers were here.

I was on the Normandy, bag in hand as I went down the elevator. Next to me was Specialist Samantha Traynor.

"...and that's how the repairs have gone so far." Traynor said to me.

"Sounds good. Except for the excessive amount of hanging wires. Seems standard issue on Alliance ships though." I joked.

"Well, unfortunately our hanging wire technicians are on vacation." she retorted.

I chuckled. "Well played, Sam."

"I haven't been called 'Sam' since Oxford."

Traynor had been helping me out since Warren and I started moving our stuff onto the ship. This had been going on since it was confirmed that the Reapers attacked the batarians. Traynor had been very helpful.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oxford? As in the university?"

"Yes. I went there for school. Why?"

I pointed to myself with my thumb. "I went there too. Class of '69. Well, to be exact, I've never physically been there. Just took classes over the extranet."

"Ah, I see. Too expensive?"

"Yeah. Plus, when you live on a colony that's lightyears away it makes commuting a pain in the ass." I replied.

She smirked. "I'm a colony kid as well. Horizon. You?"

"Mindoir."

The two of us collectively blinked and both said. "Woah."

I shook my head, trying not let out a laugh at our collective thought. "I was there last year with Shepard. The whole Collector thing."

"Yes. I was there visiting my parents when the ship landed."

"Are they okay?" I quietly asked.

"Yes, thankfully."

"You're lucky."

There was a brief pause. I was bracing myself for the inevitable question.

"Were you on Mindoir when the slavers hit?"

I nodded. "I'm one of a handful that made it out of my neighborhood. Friends, parents...all dead."

"I'm sorry. I suppose I can sympathize. I lost a good deal of old neighbors during the Collector attack."

"My sympathies."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened up. I walked off, expecting to see the rec. room door in front of me. My eyes widened.

"What the-? Where's the rec. room?"

"It was...filled in." Traynor replied quietly. "The structural engineers wanted to bolster the area in case of a mishap with the core. I didn't understand it myself. However, they did move most of the furniture and the large vid screen into the port observation deck."

I stared at the large memorial wall in front of me. It contained the names of the SR1 crew. My hands were shaking; mostly due to the fact that I lost my room because of some idiot engineers.

"Sam...you might want to cover your ears..." I muttered.

"What for?"

"Just do it for a sec."

She nodded and covered her ears.

I took a deep breath and shouted at the top of my lungs. "Fu-!"

The loud curse went on for a solid five seconds before I stopped.

The few Alliance crewmen that were busy working stopped and stared, gaping like fish.

"Hey Mark." Joker said over the intercom.

"Yeah, Joker?"

"I'm betting that you just discovered what they did to your room."

"Yep."

"Okay. Just checking because the naval base just radioed and said that you yelling 'fuck' was heard from Titan."

I snorted. "Good to know that I've still got it. I like the memorial wall. I just think they could have put into _my _room. Freakin' number crunchers."

"I hear that."

Traynor smirked. "Well, that was probably the loudest curse I've ever heard."

"Glad you liked it." I replied with a sigh as I walked to the life support room.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" she asked, following me in.

"Don't want to take up space in the crew quarters. Plus, I deal with some highly sensitive information. I wouldn't want anyone to listen in, you know?"

"I understand."

I placed my bags down next to the table and looked around. The window that provided a view to the engine room was welded off, making the room darker than before.

"Even if Thane can't come along, I can't help but feel that I'm taking his room."

Samantha blinked. "Thane?"

I shook my head. "Never mind..."

The door to the men's room opened up and out walked Warren. Since coming back to Earth, Warren spent a lot of time working out; mostly because he was going to be bored out of his mind. In the six months we were on Earth, he put on thirty pounds of muscle; gaining the weight he lost in prison. Warren was back to 250 pounds.

"So you finally decided to drop your shit off eh?" Warren asked as he came over.

"Yeah. Couldn't exactly do it when they were ripping the floorboards off." I replied with a roll of my eyes.

"Smartass." Warren said with a smirk. "You see what they did to the CIC? Never seen so many damn wires."

I nodded. "I hear that."

He glanced over at the memorial wall. "Had a feeling that was you down here when I only heard the loudest damn curse I've ever heard."

"Yeah..."

"Well, might have lost a cool room, but at least it was replaced with something better."

I nodded. Warren, Traynor, and I went back into the lift.

"Been a lot strange shit going on." Warren said as the door closed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You don't know? Every communication system throughout the system is down. Only one still working is with the moon."

My eyes widened. "How long, Warren?"

"Couple hours now."

"Shit!"

Warren blinked. "Wait...you don't think..."

"Yeah...they're coming." I replied.

Traynor swallowed hard as the elevator reached the CIC. I quickly walked out, heading for the bridge.

"Joker, prep the ship." I said.

He turned around a little. "What? Are you kidding?"

I narrowed my gaze at him.

"You're not...you do realize we could be in deep shit for this."

I nodded and took a seat in the co-pilot's seat. "Tell engineering to fire up the engines."

"Mark, hold on. What the hell's going on?" Joker asked, nervously.

"They're coming." I vaguely said before pressing a few buttons on the panel in front of me. "EDI, can you get into the Alliance's Military Comm. Network?"

"Of course, Mark. One moment."

Joker turned and grabbed my wrist. "Seriously, Mark. Who's coming? Is it the Reapers?"

I looked down at this hand. "Yeah...its the Reapers."

EDI chimed in. "I am afraid I cannot connect into the Alliance's MCN. All incoming and outgoing transmissions across the Sol System and beyond the Charon Relay are down. However, all Earth based communications are operational."

Joker and I looked at each other.

"EDI, can you patch into EARTHCOM?"

"Yes." she answered. Almost immediately after she did, the airwaves were flooded with screams, panicked shouts, and explosions.

"Shut it off." I said, quietly, having heard enough. I pressed a button on the panel, activating the PA. "Attention, all personnel: Action stations. Set Condition 1 throughout the ship; this is not a drill."

"Holy shit..." muttered Joker. I glanced up and saw what he saw...five Reapers touching down in the heart of Vancouver.

"EDI, prepare to cast off." I said. Pressing the button again. "Anyone outside the ship, get your asses in here! The Reapers are coming!"

* * *

A battered Commander Shepard and Admiral Anderson were making their way towards the spaceport. John watched as dozens of Reapers began to touch down in the city, cutting through buildings and fighters like a hot knife through butter. The Defense Committee, the ones who had attempted to charge Shepard and later consulted with him about the Reapers, were dead within the first attack. With the situation getting worse by the minute, time was of the essence. They needed to get to the Normandy. Anderson was busy clearing some debris past a broken door. Shepard had heard something moving in a nearby air duct.

"Hey." John softly said, noticing a small boy, at least seven or eight years old looking at him. "Its okay."

He took a knee and held his hand out to the boy.

"Everyone's dying." said the boy.

The building shook as another Reaper landed, causing the boy to gasp.

"Come on. Let's get you some place safe. Take my hand."

The boy began to back away. "You can't help me."

"Shepard! This way." Anderson said from the next room.

When John turned back to the duct, the boy was gone. He followed Anderson.

"This is a goddamn mess."

The admiral lifted up a girder with a grunt. "Every minute these machines are here, thousands of innocent people die. I won't be responsible."

"It's hard enough fighting a war, but its worse knowing that no matter how hard you try...you can't save them all." replied Shepard.

"Exactly." Anderson lifted up another piece of metal, and Shepard held it so that Anderson could go under it. "They hit so fast...I thought we'd have more time."

"We knew they were coming."

"And they still just cut through our defenses." Anderson replied, holding up another small beam to crawl under. "We need to go to the Citadel, talk to the Council."

"The Citadel? The fight's here."

"It'll be everywhere soon enough. You said it yourself...the Reapers will destroy everything if we don't stop them. The Council has to help us."

"You sure about that?" Shepard asked, skeptically.

"No, but you're a Council Spectre. That has to count for something."

A rumble, presumably another Reaper landing caused the building to shake. Shepard almost lost his balance and fell.

"Gotcha!" Anderson said, grabbing Shepard by the back of his BDU.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"More than one." replied Anderson.

After they made it across, they picked up some thermal clips off of the bodies of a few soldiers.

"What were you doing before when I was clearing the path?" Anderson asked.

Shepard ejected the now used up clip before loading a new one. "I saw a boy in the duct...tried to help him but he refused. He disappeared back inside when you called."

The admiral sighed. "Damn it. And now children are stuck in the crossfire."

"This whole thing is gonna get worse before it gets better."

* * *

Back on the Normandy, we were scrambling like crazy to get the hell out of the port.

"What the fuck are we waiting for?" Warren shouted.

"Williams and Vega." Joker replied. "They're not too far away."

"Shit."

"What about Shepard?" I asked, flipping through as many communication channels as I could.

"No word yet."

I looked out the window and saw Williams and Vega rushing towards the ship. I raised an eyebrow.

"Is that Ash?"

"Yeah. You didn't know she was here?" Joker asked me.

I shook my head. "No. Last I heard she was on the Citadel."

"Sounds like your intel's out of date."

I rolled my eyes. "That's what happens when you lose all contact with the rest of the galaxy, dude."

Warren left the bridge with an annoyed grunt, heading for the airlock.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Helping. Back in a few." he answered, stepping off the ship.

"Is he serious? He doesn't have any armor or weapons on him and we're about to take off."

I smirked. "Still has biotics."

Warren briskly walked forward, towards Ash and Vega who were taking heavy fire from some strange looking husks. They looked like lumpy batarians.

All Joker and I could do was watch and listen.

"Hurry your asses up, goddamn it!" Warren yelled as he walked by the two of them, who were ducking behind a few containers, a biotic barrier protecting him.

"What the hell?" Ashley asked, bewildered.

"Shut up and get on board!" he fired back. Warren made a sweeping motion with his right arm, sending a few of those batarian husks slamming into the dock wall with a sickening crunch. The remaining few that were firing and blindly charging him were met with a singularity the size of a beach ball that he shot out of his left hand. Once again with his right, he used his slam attack to bring the airborne husk down to ground with a crunch.

Warren spit at the bodies before running back inside.

The doors shut and Joker piloted us out of the dock.

"How was that?" Warren asked me.

"Not bad. Never would have thought that a t-shirt would make great armor."

"Now you know, kid."

"Oh shit..." Joker stated, interrupting us. We looked out the window and saw a dreadnaught breaking apart, about to blow up a few thousand feet above the city.

"Bug out!" I said, quickly getting back in my seat while Joker made some evasive maneuvers.

"You guys might want to head down to the cargo bay." said Joker. "We'll be coming up to Shepard in a couple of minutes."

I nodded. "Let's go, War Machine."

We jogged through the CIC and went down to the cargo bay to get our weapons and give John and Anderson a warm welcome.

The two of us grabbed our weapons and went towards the bay doors, rifles at the ready. Once the door opened, we provided cover fire for Shepard and Anderson.

John jumped aboard, looking cut up and dirty. Presumably, from going building to building fighting the Reaper forces.

He made a jump and landed in the cargo bay. "Welcome aboard, Shepard." greeted Ashley.

"Thanks."

I gave John a pat on the back as we waited for Anderson.

"Shepard!" said the admiral.

"Come on!"

An Alliance shuttle touched down nearby; Anderson staring at it for a second. "I'm not going."

Ashley and the other marine went back to the armory to re-arm, leaving the three of us there, staring at the man who took us under his wing.

"You saw those men back there. There's a million more like them, and they need a leader."

John shook his head. "We're in this fight together, Anderson."

"It's a fight we can't win, not without help. We need every species, and all their ships to even have a chance at defeating the Reapers. Talk to the Council, convince them to help us."

"What if they won't listen?" Shepard asked.

"Then make them listen!" barked Anderson. "Now go! That's an order!"

John smirked. "But I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?"

The admiral shook his head and dug something out of his pocket; John's dog tags, and threw them to Shepard. "Consider yourself reinstated...Commander."

"You know what you have to do." he said, before looking to Warren and I. "That goes for the both of you as well."

Warren and I nodded.

"We'll be back for you, and we'll bring every fleet we can. Good luck."

Anderson nodded. "Same to you."

The Normandy began to pull away from the harbor. Something caught John's eyes though.

I looked at the shuttles near the landing zone, seeing various marines and civilians packing in. One of them was a small boy, at least seven or eight years old. I watched him, the fear in his eyes. The same fear I felt when my home was attacked sixteen years ago. The little boy managed to get into a shuttle as a Reaper began to approach. Both shuttles began to lift off and once they were in the air, the Reaper shot both of them down.

John's face was a mask of horror. Warren looked away, the disgust on his face was clear. As for me, I just felt numb; staring at the scene before me before the cargo bay door shut and we took off.

"Son of a bitch..." muttered Warren as we walked towards the armory table.

"Yeah..." I added. Walking over to one of the terminals, I accessed the outer cameras and saw the destruction with my own eyes.

Debris from destroyed Navy vessels were burning up and heading into the atmosphere along with intact Reaper ships preparing to land. I couldn't even count the amount of satellites and Lagrange point colonies were on their way down. From up here, the infamous 'Blue Marble' was turning orange; Earth was burning.

I shut off the feed and went into the lift.

"Where are you going, kid?" Warren asked.

"I need to get in touch with Outer Heaven and get a sitrep." I simply replied before turning to go into the elevator.

My thoughts went back to that kid we watched die in front of us. It was heart wrenching to say the least. It wasn't the first time I had seen a child die right in front of me. There all of my neighbors and friends on Mindoir, and then years later when I went to that Cerberus lab on Akuze.

I thought back to that day when we raided the Collector ship and I saw the pile of dead children.

"They're not gonna hold back...they're not gonna show mercy." I muttered to myself. "So, this is war huh?"

* * *

**En Route to Mars, Sol System, Local Cluster**

I stared blankly at my terminal, looking at the flashing icons that said 'No Signal'. I had tried over and over again for nearly ten minutes in the small hope that Murph or someone from Outer Heaven would get my transmissions. I was mostly worried about Semeyon.

Semeyon had been on Arcturus Station for the last two months, searching for all kinds of information in the AIB's Central Database. Some of it he had managed to pass on, the rest he promised at a later date.

Considering the Arcturus Stream's proximity to batarian space, it seemed logical that it would be the next on the list following the fall of Khar'shan.

"Damn it..." I muttered before getting out of my seat. My next stop was the cargo bay. When the lift stopped, I stepped off and saw everyone suiting up.

"So, any word yet?" Warren asked me as I made my way over to the armory.

I shook my head. "Nothing. All comms are down."

James shrugged. "Seems natural considering what's out there."

"Not Outer Heaven's communications network. If it can transmit something, even if its old tech, we'll use it. That's how we're able to duck under everyone." I replied.

"While you were away, Hackett ordered us to go to the Mars Archives." said Shepard. "You ready for that?"

"Yeah. I'll get ready."

I went over to my weapons bag and started taking my gear out. That's when I realized Ashley was right next to me.

"Holy shit! Ash! Long time no see." I greeted with a smirk.

"Took you that long to notice?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Preoccupied with stuff." I replied, staring at her. "Huh...hey John, is it just me or did she get hotter?"

"Mark!" he said with an annoyed shout.

I shrugged. "What? It's an honest question."

Ash folded her arms. "Oh? And was I not 'hot' enough before?"

"Sounds like you dug your own grave, red eyes." James said to me.

_Red eyes?_

I scratched the back of my head. "You know I didn't mean that, Ash."

"Then what did you mean?" she asked, teasingly.

"Well...you look better with your hair down."

She smiled. "Thanks."

I couldn't help but notice how Ashley and John seemed...distant from each other. They weren't ones for publicly showing affection; a few glances here and there. Instead, they didn't seem to be looking at each other.

I shrugged it off and started pulling my armor out. Even with the downtime I had, I didn't need to make any major upgrades to it. The only thing I did was get rid of the gloss finish and add a matte black finish. Regular Terminus Assault armor had too much of a gloss finish for my liking; it was mostly for aesthetics. For the time I had the suit, I never even thought about changing the finish and yet I changed almost every other feature to make it my own.

Warren took a seat next to me as he was already wearing his new set of armor, which he dubbed 'Hellraiser Assault Armor'. The armor itself was taken from a Cerberus R&D lab that was raided months ago by the Alliance. It was Cerberus' Mk.2 Assault Armor, given to their biotic shock troopers because the suit was riddled with 'smart amps' that lessened the strain on the user and could increase their power. He was skeptical about using Cerberus tech, but eventually decided to take the suit for a 'test drive'; especially after they took off the excessive amount of Cerberus logos.

"See my new toy?" Warren asked, pulling out a shotgun. "The old N7 Crusader. Haven't used one of these babies since Torfan."

I smirked as I attached my pistol, shotgun, and the Eliminator to my suit. "Nice."

"You ever think of a name for your modded rifle yet?"

"I was thinking of calling it the 'Saberhawk'." I said as I picked it up.

"A combination of your old Nighthawk and your Saber, obviously."

"Yeah. Of course, now it looks more like of a combination of the Argus and Saber." I replied. "Then again, I always wanted the grip and stock to look like the M55."

James glanced over and raised an eyebrow. "Damn. You guys have some crazy weapons and armor."

"Mines all custom made." I replied.

"Nice."

Shepard waved at us. "You guys ready? If not, finish gearing up in the shuttle."

I nodded and followed James and Warren to the shuttle.

_Here's hoping we find something of value on Mars._

* * *

_And there you have it! One thing to add: Warren's armor is based on the Cerberus Assault Armor from the ME: Infiltrator game (and, no I haven't played it, just found the image on the ME Wiki). _

_Also, The Simpsons reference...I don't own The Simpsons._

_I haven't seen the extended cut endings yet, but I'll let you know in the next chapter or something. I don't expect any sort of 'reinventing the wheel' thing. All I know is that if you have to make a 2gb DLC to explain your ending, it probably wasn't a good ending in the first place...I expect this to just open up another can of worms and continue to divide the fan base...again._

_Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	55. World Painted Blood Pt2

_Author's Note: Hey all. Here's part two of the ME3 intro._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does; I own the OC's and other stuff_

* * *

**Mars Archives, Sol System, Local Cluster**

Vega got into the cockpit and started the shuttle up. I took a seat on the starboard side of the shuttle, Warren taking a seat across from me. Ashley was on the port side, checking her M8 Avenger and Shepard made his way into the cockpit.

"Been a while since I went to Mars." I muttered.

"Never been." replied Warren. "How long since you went there?"

"A few years ago. Visited Lowell City...best part of the trip was getting to climb Olympus Mons."

Ashley looked over at me. "You climbed that monster?"

I nodded. "Wasn't too hard. You'd think it would be tough because its almost 74,000 feet in height. Actually, you could just walk up the thing easily since its shaped like a dome."

I turned my omni-tool on as the shuttle headed towards the red planet and put on the song 'Behind the Sun' by Meshuggah.

Warren gave me a nudge with his foot. "You still listen to music before missions?"

I nodded.

"Patch me in."

I pressed a few buttons to link my omni-tool up with Warren. He immediately started drumming and turned the music up on his end. I could easily tell...because I could hear it. Glancing over at the cockpit, Joker was radioing Shepard.

"I've been trying to reach Mars on secure channels. No one's answering."

"Any sign of Reaper activity?" asked Shepard.

"Negative."

"EDI?"

"The base appears to be online. It is possible that the inhabitants were evacuated."

John turned back and went into the cabin. "We'll know soon enough. Be ready, Joker. Just in case."

"Roger that. Normandy out."

"We're almost there." Vega said.

I pulled my recon hood over my head and gave Warren a pat. He cut the music off and put his helmet on.

Vega landed the shuttle and put his helmet on. "Still no contact from the base, but we've got a massive storm headed our way."

"How long until it hits?" asked Shepard.

"Half an hour, tops. After that, we're going to have a tough time keeping comms up with the Normandy."

"Understood."

Warren pulled out his Crusader while I drew the Saberhawk. The door opened up, showing us the path to the Archives and the rocky Martian landscape. The wind was whipping around at about forty miles an hour.

We stepped out and began moving past a group of solar panels.

"Damn...that's a huge storm. Looks a lot bigger in person." James said, staring at the giant wall of sand and wind heading our way.

"Come on, Lieutenant. It's not that bad."

"That's a small one, actually. The ones to the northwest in Tharsis are brutal." I added. "That little trip I went on to Olympus Mons? I got stuck at the summit for about four hours because of a sandstorm. Damn thing was higher than Mount Everest."

"Glad we're far away from there." James replied as we moved forward. "Still, doesn't mean it can't kill us."

"I'm more worried about the war back on Earth...or the fact that nobody here is reporting in." said Ashley.

"Fair enough."

"I'll check up ahead." I said to John, giving him a pat on the arm.

The situation in the system was going to go from bad to worse in a matter of time. From the look of it, the Reapers made a beeline for Earth, not bothering with the other planets. Mars hadn't been taken...yet. Luna would be next, having the second highest population at just over four million people. I shook my head thinking about it...we couldn't handle it by ourselves.

"John, got bodies down here." I said, the rest of the squad coming down.

"Alliance. Sergeant Reeves. Doesn't look like he put up a fight." Ashley said, scanning the body with her omni-tool.

"Something's not right here." added James.

"No shit. These guys took a couple through the head." Warren replied.

I hummed a response. "Precision shots. Reapers don't strike me as precise killers."

"Keep a low profile until we know what's going on." said John. "Mark, you're on point."

I nodded and crept forward. That's when I heard the sound of gunfire. I quickly made it up to a makeshift roadblock and leaned into it for cover. I switched to sniper mode and scoped in.

Shepard and the rest of the team made it up behind me.

"Holy shit. They're executing them!" James whispered.

"Warren, drop a singularity on our executioner." Shepard said. "James, Ash, take the right flank. Mark, aim up the gut."

"On it." I replied taking aim. "Say the word."

"Go."

Warren launched his singularity while I picked off whatever guys got sucked into said singularity. Shepard and the others mopped up the rest.

I hopped over the roadblock to identify our executioners.

"Those guys were Cerberus, weren't they?" James asked.

I took a knee and inspected the armor of one of the dead troopers.

"Confirmed. They're Cerberus alright. New armor, but I'd recognize the absurd amount of logos any day." I replied.

Shepard nodded. "Yeah...its them."

"What's Cerberus doing on Mars?" Ashley asked, almost directing it at Shepard.

"Good question."

"You don't know?"

"I'm not with them anymore, if that's what you're asking."

"I wasn't, but we've got a shadowy terrorist organization infiltrating one of our top research facilities. I think that warrants suspicion."

I glanced over at Warren who shook his head.

"That would explain why things seem so...tense between them." I muttered.

"What do you mean?" Warren asked.

"They were an item...or still are. I don't know."

The big biotic chuckled. "Didn't think the boy scout had it in him."

I rolled my eyes.

"Still, you'd think getting him off the hook would have made her not be such a passive aggressive bitch."

"She's anything but passive, War Machine. You'll find out soon enough."

We came up to the entrance and finished off the last of the Cerberus troopers. They left three APC's; not enough to take a facility this big by force. It meant that someone on the inside got them in. Of course, even with three APC's they might have gotten some more soldiers in from another part of the Archives.

I shrugged as we made it to the cargo elevator.

"I need a straight answer, Shepard." Ashley said, as he pressed a few buttons to get the lift moving.

"About what?"

"Do you know anything about this? What Cerberus is doing here?"

John tilted his head. "What makes you think I know what they're up to?"

Ashley walked over to a railing and leaned on it. "You worked for them. How am I supposed to believe you've cut all ties?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Warren spat out. "Mark got his ass off the hook and they just used the illusive prick to kill the Collectors."

Shepard held his hand up to Warren as a way of saying, 'I'll handle this'. "I just used their resources. That's it."

Ashley shook her head. "They rebuilt you from scratch; gave you a ship, resources..."

"Let me be perfectly clear: I've had no contact with Cerberus since I destroyed the Collector base. And I have no idea why they're here or what they want."

James nodded. "Commander Shepard has been under constant surveillance since coming back to Earth. No way they would have communicated since."

"Sorry, Shepard. I just..."

A loud hiss went off near the doors as the cargo elevator shaft was pumped with oxygen before reaching the top. Everyone except me took their helmets off.

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, Ash." Shepard said, before turning back and taking out his M8 Avenger.

Once the elevator stopped, Warren and I stepped off to clear the area.

"Please...trust me." I heard Shepard say.

"I do. It's just that..."

They were interrupted by the sound of gunfire from above. We ducked behind a couple of vehicles nearby. I turned my stealth camouflage on and took aim.

"Something's in the duct." I whispered.

"Don't fire." Shepard ordered.

The screen to the duct was kicked out, a familiar asari dove out and scrambled away. Two Cerberus troopers popped out and were hit with a singularity. They were then summarily executed.

"And here I thought Liara would be busy sitting behind a desk." I muttered.

Shepard got out of cover and walked over to her. James, of course, didn't know and kept his rifle up.

"Easy there, Lieutenant. She's with us." Shepard said, putting James' rifle down.

Liara turned to face us. "Shepard! Thank the Goddess you're alive!" She took his hands. "I was so worried when the reports came in. I'm...sorry about Earth."

"Yeah. It was... difficult to leave." Ashley said, walking up to both of them.

"Ashley. I'm sorry." Liara replied before turning to the window. "But...why'd you come here?"

"Hackett ordered us to come. Said you'd know what was going on." answered Shepard.

Liara nodded and walked towards the window. "I do."

"Hallelujah. Some answers, finally." James chimed in.

"Maybe. I've discovered plans for a Prothean device. One that could wipe out the Reapers."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Here? On Mars?"

"In the Prothean Archives, yes."

I raised an eyebrow. "But, we've known about the archives for decades. Why now?"

"Process of elimination, mixed with a little desperation. After the incident in the Bahak system, I knew I had to do something. Hackett knew it too. He contacted me, asking if I would use my resources as the Shadow Broker to find a way to stop the Reapers. My search led me here. Hackett got me access to the Archives and kept me updated on your status." Liara faced Shepard. "I meant to come see you, but..."

John smirked. "I would've liked that, but under the circumstances...I think I can forgive you."

"You're too kind." She turned back to the window and looked out at the rest of the base. "In any case, my work paid off. The Archives are full of data, an overwhelming amount. I think I found what we need."

Warren folded his arms. "Sounds like this weapon might be our best chance to blow the Reapers to hell."

Liara shook her head. "It's not a weapon...not yet. It's plans for a device. A blueprint."

"It's more than we had a minute ago. How do we get it?" asked Shepard.

"The blueprints are in the Archives across the way. Assuming Cerberus hasn't locked it down."

"What are they after?"

"Yeah, they seemed hell bent on catching you." added James.

"They want what I'm here for...what we're all here for."

"Why?"

"The Protheans came close to defeating the Reapers. They had plans to destroy them but ran out of time."

"And anything powerful enough to destroy the Reapers..." Ashley started.

"Just might be something Cerberus would be interested in." finished Shepard.

I snorted. "Might? They'd slit a few infants throats to get it."

Warren gave me a small shove and a smirk. "Fucked up but true."

A small explosion shook the room as we looked up. Cerberus had shown up and started to cut down the middle of the door.

"Party crashers..." I said, taking aim at the door.

"Bring it on!" James added.

"Not this time, James." Shepard said.

"What?"

"Get back to the shuttle. If Cerberus beats us to the Archives, I need you covering the exits."

John jogged over to the cargo elevator's panel and begun to get it ready for descent.

"But..."

"Now, Lieutenant."

Warren jogged over as well. "Might as well join ya. God knows what you'll do by yourself, rugby."

James snorted and put his helmet on, as did Warren while the elevator went down.

The doors above us were forced open and Cerberus troopers poured in. Liara threw a singularity up, instantly pulling the troopers in. The four of us easily took care of them.

"Just like old times." I said.

Shepard let out a short laugh. "Yeah."

"We should find a way up." Liara said.

I looked over at a small elevator leading up to the second floor. "Well, that elevator's probably been sabotaged."

"I'll look around." replied John.

I walked over to one of the vehicle maintenance bays.

"This is a secure facility. How did Cerberus get in?" Ashley asked Liara.

"Not sure. One minute we were getting reports of the Reaper invasion...the next, there was chaos. Didn't even realize it was Cerberus at first."

"Yo John! See if you can raise this thing up." I yelled, pointing to the vehicle on the lift.

"On it."

He activated the lift, raising the vehicle and giving us a way up to the second floor. I leapt across to the vehicle and made it onto the balcony. Shepard and the girls followed.

"Could Cerberus be working with the Reapers?" Ashley asked as she climbed over the railing.

John shrugged. "Doubtful, but I suppose anything is possible."

"Would it really be surprising if the Illusive Man was?" I asked.

Shepard shook his head. "A human supremacy group working with them doesn't make sense unless he was indoctrinated."

I shrugged. "Guess we'll find out eventually."

The four of us stacked up at the door while Ash opened it. Once we did, we saw a scientist dart out of nowhere only to be gunned down by Cerberus troopers.

"Maybe we can ambush them." Liara whispered.

John moved up behind a cluster of pipes and grabbed a trooper from behind, driving his omni-blade into the back of the trooper's neck. Liara and Ashley finished off the remaining two. I made a beeline for the door to clear out the next room.

"Clear." I said as they walked in.

"We'll need access to the pedway. Controls should be nearby." Liara said, making her way towards a security office.

"Shit...a lot of dead Alliance soldiers here." I muttered. I glanced around, finding a datapad laying on a bench.

Shepard and Liara were looking around the office with Ashley.

John looked up as I entered the room. "Find anything?"

"Just a message between an Alliance scientist and some Exogeni rep." I answered. "'For the elevendy billionth time, we don't want your Exogeni shit. Your prices suck, so does your face. Kindly fuck yourself.'"

Ashley snorted. "Does it really say that?"

"Nah. But I imagine that's what this Alliance guy was thinking. Business types never really understood the meaning of the word 'no'."

John sighed. "Mark..."

"Shutting up..." I drawled out. "Did you try that terminal on the right?"

Shepard walked over to the console and typed in a few commands.

Liara was busy typing away. "I can't seem to unlock the live feeds, but..."

I looked up at the monitors, seeing a woman run by on one of them.

"Hey, did you see that? Who's that woman in the vid?" asked Ashley.

"That's Dr. Eva Core. She got here about a week ago." replied Liara.

I blinked. _That name...why does it sound so familiar?_

Liara got out of the chair and went over to Shepard. "Any luck?"

I was focused on the still image of this Eva Core on the monitor. Just hearing that name made something click in the back of my head.

"Mark?" Shepard asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?"

"We're heading out."

"Right." I muttered walking out of the office with him.

"Did you see something else on the monitor?"

I shook my head. "Name sounded familiar is all..."

John nodded and I followed him out.

By the time we went outside, the sandstorm had started to pick up. With the pedway locked out, we had to go through some construction areas to cut through. In the distance we saw some Alliance soldiers trading shots with Cerberus on the monorail. Liara warned us that once Cerberus crosses over, they'll be at the final security checkpoint.

"Shepard, you read me?" radioed James.

"Barely. Storm's causing interference."

"Tell me about it. I've lost contact with the Normandy. What's your-"

And then the radio cut out...

"James? Do you copy?" Shepard replied.

Static.

"Damn it."

I tried to get in touch with Warren.

"Warren, are you getting this?"

Nothing.

"That storm's going to be here very soon." Liara added as we crossed over to the other section of the base.

"I think James wanted to know what our position was." I said, remembering what he was trying to say before the message was cut off.

"A little late for that now." Ashley replied.

The airlock door for the other part of the facility was wide open.

"This shouldn't be open..." Liara stated.

"Doesn't look like it was forced."

"No. You have to override the security protocols."

I went in first. The whole area was pitch black so I turned on my night vision. It wasn't pretty...

"John, got a lot of bodies down here." I said as Shepard and the others caught up, turning on their flashlights.

Liara sighed. "Someone must have vented the air from the room while they were still here."

"Looks like they died trying to claw their way out."

"This is brutal, even by Cerberus standards."

I shook my head. "Seems like SOP (standard operating procedure) for Cerberus. Plus, I don't think they have standards."

"Agreed." replied Liara.

"They vented the room and left the airlock back there open. Even if the scientists did get out of here, they would have suffocated to death from the lack of breathable air on the planet." I said. "And as we all know, its not the worst thing they've done."

As we went down the stairs of what was the mess hall for the facility, the blast shields near the windows started to go down.

"Flashlights!" John whispered, causing him and the others to shut off their lights.

Cerberus troopers were outside the window, looking for us.

"Fire when ready."

I nodded, peeking out from behind a counter and taking aim. Seconds after I pulled the trigger, Shepard and the others finished off the rest of the Cerberus troopers.

I climbed through the broken window to clear the area, first going to the security office. Shepard and Liara walked over to the nearby security office.

"Found the environmental controls." I said, typing a few commands in. "Let's get this place pressurized."

It took a few seconds before the oxygen began flowing through the vents. Liara and the others took their helmets off. She began to type a few commands into one of the consoles. "There we go. We have access to the labs. They'll take us straight to the tram station."

Ashley pointed to one of the consoles. "Hey, looks like there's a record of what happened here."

Shepard glanced over at the console and played the recording while I looked up at the monitors.

"Security station...come in? We're seeing some odd activity down here. Our security protocols just kicked in. Everything's in lockdown."

'Dr. Eva Core' walked into the security office.

"Doctor, I'll get you the report as soon as-"

His words were cut off as she executed the two Alliance soldiers and depressurized the mess hall, killing all of the scientists and researchers. Liara was in shock.

"Now we know how Cerberus got in." Shepard said.

Liara sighed and looked across the room. "I should've realized it when I met her. I was just so focused on finding a way to stop the Reapers."

"Stopping the Reapers is the only thing we should be focused on. Its not your fault."

"But what if we're wrong? What if there's no way to stop them? What if these are our last days and we spend them scurrying around trying to solve a problem we can't fix?" Liara questioned.

"Liara..."

"I know. I shouldn't think that way. I don't know how you do it. You've always stayed focused, even in the worst situations."

John smirked. "When there's so much at stake, I just think about what I'd lose if I failed; friends, family..."

"That's a terrible burden."

He gave Liara a small nod. "We can do this Liara. Together."

"Thanks. I want to believe you." she replied, turning back to another console. "There. The door's open. We can get to the labs and tram station through here."

"Good. Let's move."

As the four of us began to move out, my thoughts went back to this 'Eva Core'. I came to a sudden realization. I knew where I had heard that name before.

"Oh shit..." I blurted out.

"What is it Mark?" Shepard asked.

"I know where I've heard the name Eva Core from."

Ashley turned around. "You know her?"

I shook my head. "That's not Eva Core."

"What are you talking about?"

"Eva Core disappeared during the First Contact war and is still presumed dead. I've seen a picture of her. This woman doesn't fit her description at all." I replied.

"How did you find out about her?" asked John.

"Semeyon told me. Even showed me a picture later."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "So, who could this be?"  
"An imposter, maybe. Or someone who obtained her identification. Either way, I'll worry about it later."

* * *

We were finally outside of the Archives after having to deal with more swarms of troopers and issues with the monorail. By issues, I mean Cerberus leaving an explosive surprise to keep us from making it. And before that, Shepard and Ashley made a rather gruesome discovery while looking for a way to get to the monorail.

The Cerberus soldiers were being implanted with cybernetics; specifically, Reaper tech. The guy practically looked like a god damn husk.

I overheard Shepard and Ashley having a small argument. I have no idea what got her going, but she's been under the impression that John is somehow connected to Cerberus and that the augmentations he got would have turned him into a husk.

Even though he smoothed things over with her before, my guess was that the incident in batarian space was giving her some sort of reasonable doubt. The two of them just needed some time to sort it out. Well, Ashley needed time and in my opinion, needed a reality check.

"Stack up." John said. "Mark, door."

I nodded and started hacking the door.

"All set." I said, hitting the panel before the door opened up. "Wow. Never seen that before."

In front of us were several large, flat, rectangular panels with glowing green accents. It was the famous Prothean Archives on Mars.

"Ash, Mark, clear the area."

Ashley took the left side, I took the right. The right side was fine; no sign of enemies, no bodies...nothing. So I made my way back to John and Liara.

That's when one of the nearby holos of the archives changed...into the Illusive Man.

"Shepard."

Liara spun around, pistol drawn at the holo. "Illusive Man?"

"Fascinating race, the Protheans. They left all this for us to discover, and yet we've squandered it. The Alliance has known about the Archives for over thirty years, and what have they done with it?"

John narrowed his gaze at the Illusive Man. "What do you want?"

"What I've always wanted." he replied, glancing up at the Archives. "The data in these archives holds the key to solving the Reaper threat."

Shepard snorted. "I've seen your solution—your people are turned into monsters."

The Illusive Man took a drag on his cigarette. "Hardly. They're being improved."

"Improved?"

"That's what separates us, Shepard; where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to control—to dominate and harness the Reapers' power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them."

"Earth is under siege and you're hatching a scheme to control Reapers?" John asked, bewildered.

"You've always been shortsighted, hasty—your destruction of the Collector base proved that."

"That base was an abomination. Hundreds of thousands of humans were murdered there."

"This isn't your fight any longer, Shepard. You can't defeat the Reapers, even with the Prothean data."

John scowled. "You brought me back because you knew what I could do. I can beat them."

The Illusive Man shook his head. "Doubtful. The odds aren't in your favor. More importantly, I don't want the Reapers to be destroyed. We can dominate them, use their power, harness their very existence to bring humanity to the apex of evolution."

"You've gone too far. The Reapers will kill us all if we don't stop fighting each other." replied Shepard.

"I don't expect you to understand, Shepard. And I'm certainly not looking for your approval." said the Illusive Man, taking another drag. "You were a tool, an agent with a singular purpose. And despite our differences, you were relatively successful. But like the rest of the relics in this place, your time is over."

Shepard rolled his eyes. "Enough. Liara."

Liara spun on her heel and began to upload the Prothean data.

"Don't interfere with my plans, Shepard. I won't warn you again."

He folded his arms. "If you didn't want me to, you shouldn't have brought me back."

"Shepard!" Liara yelled.

"What?"

"The data...its not here. It's being erased."

"Goodbye, Shepard." said the Illusive Man, ending his transmission.

I snorted. "Sounds like the cheese slid off his cracker."

"Damn it. How's he doing it?" Shepard said to Liara.

"It's local. Someone's uploading the information."

John gestured to Ashley, telling her to search the area.

It didn't take long before she found someone uploading the data. Even with the threat, she got knocked on her ass. The Archives lost their green lights.

"She's got the data!" Ashley shouted. It was none other than 'Eva Core'.

"She's faster than she looks!" said Liara as the good doctor made a break for the exit.

I shook my head as we started after her. "Holy hell, how can she sprint in heels?"

"Mark!" John grumbled.

"What? Its an honest question!"

"Just shut up and run."

I huffed in annoyance. _Just like him to ignore something like that..._

"She's getting away." Liara said, as the doctor made her way up to the roof.

"Are you kidding me? She's just going out there without an enviro suit or helmet?" I asked bewildered.

"That is weird..." Ashley muttered as she climbed up behind me.

'Eva' sprinted across the roof, firing wildly in an attempt to slow us down. Coming from our right, was a Cerberus shuttle with a few troopers providing cover fire. I provided some of my own cover fire with my sniper rifle. I had to hold back to pick them off carefully, but it would give Shepard and the others less of a hard time.

"Warren? Come in?" I radioed. No response.

"Shit."

I sprinted as fast as I could to catch up with Shepard. By the time I made it over to him, the Cerberus shuttle was taking off with 'Eva' in tow.

"Damn it! James? Normandy? Anybody?" John radioed frantically.

As the Cerberus shuttle pulled away, I saw a small flash from above. It had to be James.

"I got this one!" I heard him say over the radio.

"You stupid motherf—!" Warren shouted into the radio.

James sent our shuttle into the Cerberus shuttle, which came crashing down...towards us.

"Jesus titty-fucking..." I muttered before diving away from the Cerberus shuttle.

Shepard got up, holding a hand out to Ashley, who waved him off. Liara slowly got up, shaking her head. John signaled James over to land the shuttle.

I was the furthest from the three of them. "Well, shit..."

James managed to land the Kodiak, but it was virtually un-flyable at this point. He popped the door open.

"Normandy's en route. They'll be here soon." said the Lieutenant as he stepped out.

"God damn it, rugby! You stupid fucking idiot!" Warren shouted as he shakily got out of the Kodiak. "We have fucking guns on this thing and you can't use them?"

"Hey, I told you, I don't know where the controls are!"

"Idiot! They were in front of you! I kept pointing at it!"

Shepard got in between both men to keep things from escalating.

Then, I heard a metallic thud coming from the Cerberus shuttle. I brought my rifle up and walked around our damaged shuttle. Ashley and Liara were focused on the shuttle as well.

The door shot off, landing a few feet from the wreckage and out climbed 'Eva'. Or rather, a mech designed to look like a human.

Ashley let Liara go and drew her pistol, firing on the mech. The mech closed the distance at an incredible rate of speed and not only disarmed Ashley, but grabbed her by the face and lifted her off the ground.

"Ash!" John shouted as he drew his pistol.

"Drop her now, bitch!" Warren yelled, drawing his Crusader.

The mech put its hand to the side of its head. "Orders?"

A pause. Then its visor changed from blue to red and slammed Ashley's head into the shuttle repeatedly.

"No!" shouted John. The mech turned around and charged at us.

We unloaded on the damn thing, dropping it before it could get within three feet of us.

"Grab that thing. Bring it with us." Shepard said to James before sprinting towards Ashley's unconscious form.

"Shepard, we've got Reaper signatures in orbit." Joker radioed.

John was busy tending to Ashley.

"Joker, get down here now. We need an evac." I responded.

Warren helped Liara out as she was still shaky on her feet. I went over to Shepard.

"Ash...Ashley."

I activated my omni-tool. "She's out of it, but alive. We gotta get her out of here."

John nodded and picked her up fireman-style.

The Normandy had opened the bay doors to let us in.

As the doors shut, I took one last look at the Martian landscape. It would be the last time...for a long time.

* * *

**En Route to the Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula**

I followed Shepard into the med bay as he rushed over to a gurney and laid Ashley down. James came in behind us with the mech and tossed onto a bed. Liara stared at Shepard, a concerned look on her face as his eyes seemed to dart around as he looked at Ashley.

I took my hood off. "Shit..."

Liara leaned forward to get John to look at her. "Ashley needs medical attention."

He glanced at her briefly as he carefully took Ashley's helmet off.

"We need to leave the Sol system."

"I know."

"The Citadel is our best chance. We can find help there." she said, trying to reassure John.

"Get us to the Citadel, Joker."

"Roger that."

John placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "Hold on, Ash."

He looked at Liara and then the mech. "See what you and EDI can learn from that thing."

"Commander, I'm receiving a signal over the secondary QEC. I believe it's Admiral Hackett."

Shepard looked up. "Patch me through."

"I'll forward it to the comm room." EDI replied as Shepard jogged out of the med bay.

I looked down at Ashley. "Time to put that first aid training to use."

Liara helped me get Ashley stable before scanning the mech for the data it downloaded.

I sighed as I tried to get her as comfortable as possible. The diagnosis was...well, it wasn't good. She had a nasty concussion; worse than the one I suffered in the Collector base, and I fell twenty feet.

"That mech packs a mean punch..." I muttered. The door behind me opened up as Warren walked in.

"She gonna be okay?"

I bit my lip as I turned around. "Pulse is faint, and she's got a nasty concussion. I've done what I can but she needs a real doctor."

Warren nodded. I made my way out of the med bay, he followed.

"John looked pretty shaken up about her."

"They're together." I replied.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Happened back on the old Normandy."

I made my way to life support to get rid of my armor and look for a message from Semeyon or Murph. "Her name's Ashley Williams."

Warren grunted. "Seems like a tough girl."

I smirked. "Yeah she is. Good thing you two got off to a great start."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Whatever. I'm gonna dump this shit in the armory. Want me to get your stuff?"

"That's fine, thanks."

Warren nodded and made his way out. "Its gonna get worse, huh?"

"It always does."

After the door closed, I kicked off my boots and took the chest plate off. When I finished taking my armor off, my terminal beeped.

"Finally." I said, as I frantically began to type. Windows started popping up by the dozens. All of which were asking for various status reports and so on. It was a panic. I needed to get in touch with someone. Semeyon wasn't responding which left Murph.

"Murph, its Mark. Do you copy?"

There was a small amount of static before I heard his voice. "Kid? Yeah, I got you. Thank god...I've been trying to get in touch with you for hours! What happened?"

"The Reapers...they've got Earth."

"Shit...where are you now?"

"I'm on the Normandy right now with Shepard. We're heading to the Citadel. What's the situation on your end?" I asked.

Murph sighed. "Safe to say that the Reapers haven't come this way yet. Our comms have been lighting up like a damn Christmas tree. Everybody's freaking out."

"Can't say I blame them. Right now, we need to get everyone calmed down and get to work."

"You got it kid."

"But we've got another issue besides the Reapers."

Murph snorted. "Of course there is. What is it?"

"Cerberus. Before we got out of the Sol system, we went to the Prothean Archives on Mars. Liara found something that could help. Of course, Cerberus got there too. We stopped 'em and got the data but the Illusive Man showed his hand." I said. "As of this moment, we're in a state of total war against Cerberus. Activate the Rangers."

"Copy that." Murph replied. "What made the nutjob eager to attack the Archives?"

"He says he wants to control the Reapers, dominate them, and bring humanity to the apex of evolution." I answered. "Something about him seems off."

"Isn't there always something off with the Illusive Man?"

I snorted. "I mean more than usual, Murph. The guy's lost it."

"Indoctrinated?"

"I wouldn't rule it out." I replied before pausing. "Have you heard from Semeyon?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Murph?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, kid...he's dead."

* * *

_Things have gotten messy, eh? _

_Anyway, up next is the Citadel. And for those wondering, yes, Javik's coming along for the ride. _

_On a side note, don't expect anymore of my personal views on ME3. I feel like those are getting more attention than the story. I know you're tired of seeing them as I'm tired of writing them and seeing that most reviews are centered around my rants. They're bad, I know; no need to leave a review saying that since I'm aware of it. End of discussion._

_Here's a little bio on the 'Rangers' I mentioned:_

_Outer Heaven Rangers: Elite soldiers with backgrounds ranging from private security firms, C-Sec, and virtually every official Special Forces unit in the galaxy._

_Until next time_


	56. Fighting Through The Pain

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I was debating whether to make this an interlude or a full mission. In the end, mission won out. Next few chapters may take some time since I'm working again._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's and other stuff._

* * *

"Kid?" Murph quietly asked.

I swallowed hard. "How? What...what happened?"

"Semeyon was still on Arcturus Station, digging through the AIB database...he never stopped digging for information."

I put my hand up to face. I couldn't hold the grief back any longer. "I'll...I'll talk to you later Murph."

"Sure thing, kid." he quietly replied before I shut off the terminal.

I rushed over to the door to lock it before I broke down and wept. It was the first time in years that I had lost someone close to me.

"No!" I painfully shouted at the top of my lungs.

Semeyon wasn't just a friend...the man was virtually my family.

* * *

_**Boston, Massachusetts, 2170**_

_Beantown, The Hub, Boston. My father and his ancestors lived here. He had hoped to bring me and Mom there one day. That day would never come. And here I was, living with a friend of Dad's in his place in the city. He was an interesting guy._

_Semeyon Zengin was his name. His father was Turkish, his mother was Russian. The man's accent was noticeable but tough to nail down, but much like my Dad, he grew up in this city._

_I followed Semeyon into his apartment, located in the Back Bay. It had a modern style to it, but had a long brick wall covering the left side of the apartment._

"_Please, take a seat. You must be very tired." he said, gesturing to a nearby couch._

_I nodded and placed my bag behind the couch before taking a seat._

_Semeyon walked over and took a seat next to me. _

_We sat silently for some time._

"_How did you make it out to Arcturus Station?" he asked._

"_SSV Einstein picked me up on Mindoir and took me out to the station." I answered._

_The older man nodded. _

"_They found out in transit that I have no relatives and were gonna drop me off at an orphanage or something."_

"_And you decided against that." _

"_I figured that maybe my dad knew someone that could help."_

_Semeyon smirked as he scratched his beard. "Then it was a good thing you called. Murph and I can help you."_

"_Lucky me."_

_He gave me a pat on the arm. "We'll take good care of you."_

"_I appreciate it."_

"_Now...are you sure you want to join the Alliance military?"_

_I turned to Semeyon. "Yeah, I do."_

_Semeyon sighed. "How old are you?"_

"_Thirteen."_

_He shook his head. "You do realize how...unusual it is, don't you?"_

_I rolled my eyes and dryly replied. "No, I don't."_

"_Just as sarcastic as your father." _

_I huffed a response. I just wanted this guy to get me some credentials so I could go on my way._

"_And just as impulsive." Semeyon finished. "Do you honestly think that I could get you in with just simple paperwork?"_

_I frowned but remained silent._

"_What you're asking me to do...it would be irresponsible of me to grant this to you. Your parents would forgive me for such a thing." Semeyon said as he stood up and walked to the window. "And I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."_

_I stared blankly at the coffee table, tears slowly forming in my eyes._

"_What am I supposed to do?" I quietly asked. "I don't have a home or a family anymore, I'm too young to get a job, and I've already finished school..."_

_Semeyon turned around and sighed._

"_I have to do this. I want those bastards to feel as bad as I do."_

"_So you're going to join the Marines to exact revenge on slavers?" Semeyon asked. "Do you even know what group attacked?"_

_I clenched my hands into fists. "No."_

_He shook his head. "Your father wouldn't have been so vengeful. We were in situations where we found ourselves being attacked by the same group of soldiers in the war. We watched our friends and comrades fall but we didn't go after our enemies to act out some action vid."_

"_I know..."_

_Semeyon nodded. He knew I was just acting on emotions. "Take a few days to think about it."_

"_Okay."_

* * *

_I eventually convinced myself, with Semeyon's help, that revenge was a terrible reason to join the military. On the other hand, I still wanted to join the Marines. Semeyon was reluctant, especially considering that I had no real training with weapons and hacking; I only knew the basics of how to handle weapons thanks to my Dad; including some basic electronics skills which I learned in school. He told me a lot of great stories about my parents, ones that I hadn't heard. Many of them involved my Dad's days in the Alliance military. I had known that he was a marine but he never liked to talk about it much. I suppose the horrors of being in a war can do that to a person. I learned that he was an amazing marksman, probably the best in the Alliance's short history; its what got him the spot on Task Force 1. Not just that, he was a great leader; one that understood his troops and did his best to keep them in good spirits._

_I wanted to be like that. It might help cope with his loss, make me feel as though he never left._

_With Semeyon's help, he trained me how to hack and disable enemies with just an omni-tool. Semeyon was a combat engineer, one of the best, and had the credentials from MIT to back it up, but his most notable skill was that he was an expert cryptologist. During the First Contact War, Semeyon cracked turian military transmissions, giving Alliance special forces and regular forces an edge in anticipating attacks and performing surprise attacks. On the opposite front, Semeyon developed his own ciphers and algorithms that are so highly advanced, that not even the STG can come close to breaking it, even with an advanced VI system. Semeyon decided to teach me how to read his ciphers, including a new one, one he had never shown to anyone. The new cipher was dubbed the 'Rosetta Stone', an algorithm consisting of every ancient language on Earth. Deciphering it wasn't easy at all but Semeyon had faith in me, telling me to look for the right pattern._

_After several months of training, he said I was ready to join the Alliance if I wanted to; and I still wanted to enlist. He was less reluctant as he was before, telling me at times that my learning abilities were almost machine like. I guess that means that I had a chance. Semeyon wrote up the paper work for me and my bags were packed._

"_Here is your modified ID. Just remember to stick to the cover story, okay?"_

_I nodded. "Sure thing."_

"_One more thing." he said, pulling a strange looking syringe-like device._

_I blinked as he held out the stainless steel object. "What's that?"_

_Semeyon smirked. "Something to make your fake ID more believable."_

_I rubbed my forehead. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"_

"_Oh this is nothing. I've known many AIB agents that have used this. Very good for disguises."_

"_Just...what is it?"_

"_Well, this one is a little different than what the AIB has. They use we call the 'rearrangers'; it changes the bones in your face around to make you not look like you."_

_My eyes went wide. "You want me to rearrange my face?"_

"_Oh, no. As I said, this one is different. It will temporarily make you look older."_

"_Uh, how long is that?" I asked, nervously._

"_A few months."_

"_No side effects?"_

"_None."_

_I looked down at the syringe and took it from his hand. "When should I take this?"_

"_Now. It should take some time before it kicks in."_

"_Hope it doesn't hurt." I muttered as I put it up to my chin._

"_Um...yeah. No pain at all." Semeyon tried to mutter under his breath._

_I gave him the stink eye as I pushed the plunger. _

"_Ow! Ow, ow, ow!" I yelled as an indescribable pain rushed through my face. _

_I could feel things moving around that shouldn't be able to move around. Almost as soon as the pain arrived, it stopped. I gingerly started poking my face._

_Semeyon was grinning like an idiot. "And now your disguise is complete."_

"_Thanks for the heads up..." I darkly replied._

_The older man scratched the back of his head. "If I told you, you wouldn't have done it, right?"_

_I grumbled._

_He shook his head. "You're the spitting image of your father, you know. Or rather, you will be in a few years."_

_I looked around for a mirror and found a microwave door. "Huh. Cool."_

"_Come on. I'll take you to the recruiting station." Semeyon said, gesturing to the door. _

"_Thanks Z, for everything."_

"_Don't forget to thank Murph too."_

"_I won't. I'll send him a message."_

_He put his hand on my shoulder and we walked out of his apartment. In the months after Mindoir, I believed that I had lost everything. In a way, I did. On the other hand, I gained the only link I had left to my family: my father's best friends._

* * *

I was sitting on my cot, blankly staring at what used to be the window to the engine room and was now an insulation panel welded to the frame. My eyes were dry and sore. I had run out of tears to shed.

My best asset, mentor, friend, and a man I considered to be part my family was taken away from me by the Reapers.

The anguish and sorrow evaporated, leaving me feeling emotionally numb. For the second time in my life, I had gone from an elite soldier who could take on the galaxy to that boy who had lost everything he loved...again.

I looked at the my terminal on the table and got up to sit in the chair and check it again. The news reports coming in were just horrific.

The Batarian Hegemony was annihilated and all of their former territory was now heavily occupied by the Reapers. The Reapers hit every angle of the galaxy with incredible speed and power. It was like the Mongol Horde, sweeping through all of Asia and Europe during the 13th and 14th Centuries. Every cluster from the Local Cluster to the edge of Alliance space, Attican Beta, was occupied. Oddly enough the Petra Nebula and Horse Head Nebula were left untouched.

_Could be that the Reapers wanted to take highly populated worlds of value instead of Elysium and Noveria..._

On the other side of the galaxy, the Reapers were encroaching on Asari and Elcor space. Turian and Volus space was now occupied. Even with the Turian military's sheer numbers, they were stretched between their home system and assisting the Volus.

And Garrus was in the middle of it.

I sighed. "I hope you're safe out there Garrus."

* * *

**Human Embassy, Citadel**

Shepard stood on the balcony of Councilor Udina's office wearing his battered and bloodied BDU and looked out at the Presidium. It was peaceful, quiet, tranquil; something that was the exact opposite of what he had just been through. He visited Ashley in the hospital, but she was still unconscious. The good news was that she was going to pull through, thanks to Dr. Chloe Michel. It was a bit of a blast from the past for Shepard; he hadn't seen her in three years. And then he ran into Dr. Chakwas who was visiting Huerta Memorial. Turns out that she was working in a laboratory under Admiral Hackett's command. Even more surprising was that she had taken a leave of absence from her post to help Shepard beat the Collectors, something the good doctor never mentioned. She was never charged with anything and the Alliance didn't know what to do with her.

_It's a good thing that I know. It'll be good to have her back._

And so the doc was brought back on the Normandy, something that she was more than pleased about.

_I'm glad I found her when I did. We didn't even have a doctor when we left Earth...hell, we barely had a crew._

After he left the hospital, things went downhill. The meeting with the Council was just as unproductive as ever.

_At least they recognize the Reapers now...and that they're a threat._

Shepard shook his head. Councilor Tevos and Valern had doubts about the Prothean device. On top of that, all three councilors had decided to let Earth play the role of sacrificial lamb while they rearmed and regrouped. It seemed as though the hits would keep on coming.

"They're a bunch of self concerned jackasses, Shepard!" Udina shouted as he walked into his office. "We may have a spot on the Council but humanity will always be considered second rate."

"I can't believe how blind they are." Shepard muttered as he walked back into the office.

"They're scared. And they're looking out for themselves."

The door opened behind them, revealing the turian councilor Sparatus. "Our people are scared, and we've been looking out for them the best we know how."

Udina narrowed his gaze at the man. "Councilor."

Sparatus seemed to ignore it, focusing on Shepard. "Commander, I can't give you what you need, but I can tell you how to get it."

"I'm listening."

"Primarch Fedorian called the war summit, but...we lost contact with him when the Reapers hit Palaven. Those meetings won't proceed without him. The Normandy is one of the few ships that can extract Primarch Fedorian undetected."

Shepard folded his arms. "So far you've only explained how I can help you."

The turian shrugged. "It might seem that way. But the leaders of this summit will be the ones deciding our future. The fate of our fleets, where they fight and with whom. A grateful Primarch would be a tremendous ally in the bid to unite us."

"We're at war and you want me to play politician?" asked an incredulous Shepard.

"If it gets you what you need, what does it matter?"

Sparatus turned and made his way to the door, stopping at the small steps in the office. "Our latest intelligence says that the Primarch was moved to Palaven's largest moon. I've done all I can to help. The rest is up to you."

The councilor made his way to the exit. "There is one other thing..."

Shepard turned back to the man.

"The Council wanted me to tell you." he activated his omni-tool. "We've decided to uphold your Spectre status. And various resources will be made to you. Good day."

Shepard just blinked at the spot where the councilor stood as he left.

"Huh...that went...well."

"Its a start. I'll talk to the others in the meantime. See if we can support this summit. Move things along." Udina said as he took a seat at his desk. He huffed loudly. "The Council...you save their lives, and for what? Apologies that boil down to 'maybe later'. If we don't figure out something, 'maybe later' will be an epitaph on a mass grave of eleven billion."

Udina pinched the bridge of his nose.

Shepard stared at him sympathetically. "I know what I'm gonna do. What are you going to do?"

"Humanity has created some goodwill in the galaxy. Now we cash in our chips. I'll get what funding I can, what materials I can, and spread the message: Help the humans, help yourselves. I'll also institute a draft in all of our colonies and order all civilian ships armed. Work on the Prothean device will be around the clock."

Shepard nodded. "I should go."

"I'll be here."

The Commander walked out of the office to go speak to Bailey.

* * *

**En Route to Menae, Trebia System, Apien Crest**

I was still holed up in my room when I felt the Normandy cast off. That was hours ago. I was still focused on my terminal, sending messages and orders to the various Outer Heaven operatives that were available. Casualties were surprisingly low but considering how quickly everyone reacted to the news that Khar'shan had fallen, Outer Heaven was prepared for the worst.

I wasn't expecting our fortunes to take an upturn, though. We're facing off against the Reapers _and _Cerberus. However, instead of fighting a two front war, Outer Heaven is going to focus on Cerberus. We don't have the firepower or manpower to fight the Reapers conventionally...not yet anyway. In terms of fighting them in a battle of logistics, we might have a very slight advantage.

As for firepower, well...my ace in the hole still needs time to be completed. Its far from being able to take on one of their capital ships in a straight up fight, but it would prove to be more than enough to take on their ground attack and processing ships.

I brought up one of the windows on my terminal to look at the blueprint and recent status update from Andy.

"Coming along nicely." I muttered.

As I looked at the image, it reminded me of Semeyon. He's the one who found the blueprints in the first place. I exited out of the window and shut off the terminal.

_Don't start crying again. We still have work to do._

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"Mark, you okay in there?" asked Warren over the intercom.

"Fine." I replied flatly. "What's up?"

"Trying to figure out why you've been locked up in there for the last six hours. Can you at least open the door?"

I blinked. "That long, eh? One sec."

I unlocked the door and Warren opened it. The surprised and confused look on his face was evident.

"Shit...you look terrible."

"Thanks."

He sighed. "I mean...what happened? Did you get in touch with the rest of Outer Heaven?"

I walked out of my room, past Warren. He followed.

I grunted a response.

"Hey." he said, grabbing my arm to stop me. "Would you wait a damn minute and answer me? What happened?"

I furrowed my brow and looked him in the eyes. "Semeyon's dead."

"Shit, man...I'm sorry."

I shrugged out of his grip. "I'll worry about it later. Where are we going? I felt the ship move earlier."

Warren folded his arms, giving me a stern look. "Menae. We're picking up a turian Primarch for some war summit."

I nodded and made my way over to the mess hall. "How long until we get there?"

"Couple hours. Relay traffic sucks." Warren replied as I poured myself a glass of water. "How about you cut the 'detached hard ass' persona?"

I sighed. "What are you talking about."

"I'm talking about you acting like Semeyon's death isn't affecting you. I know he was your mentor and your dad's friend, you told me that, but god damn it don't pull this bullshit on me like you did during the academy." he replied in a scolding tone.

I glanced over at Warren. "What do you expect me to do, Warren? Bawl my eyes out in front of everyone?" I whispered in a harsh tone.

"I expected you to be more humble and upset about the situation. For fuck sake, the man was practically your family."

I looked down at my glass and took a long sip. "He was...but I can't go around with a cloud over my head. God knows how many of the people on board are dealing with the same thing. Dropping to the deck and crying won't solve any of my problems right now."

Warren gave me a pat on the back. "I didn't expect you to do it anyway."

I turned to him and shook my head. "I do that on my own time and in private."

He grunted a response. "Well, that's one problem I managed to solve today."

I snorted. "Oh? And what was the second?"

"Finding out how Jack's doing."

I smirked. Warren and Jack had been keeping in touch since we went to Earth. The Alliance knew what she had done with us on our mission to stop the Collectors and ended up getting her record expunged and landed a job working as a teacher on the Ascension Project. Apparently, she liked it a lot.

"Well, I'll have you know that Murph told me that all's clear in the system at the moment."

"Good. One less thing to worry about." he replied with a smirk. "Keeping an eye on your ass is tough."

I snorted. "Stalker."

"Hermit."

"Thanks, Warren for straightening me out."

"Anytime, kid."

* * *

A scorched sky, barren trees, dead leaves, dry grass, and slow falling ash was what Shepard was introduced to. It reminded him of an old music album Mark showed him called 'Blackwater Park'. He looked around, trying to get his bearings when he heard the sound of a child laughing. Shepard caught a glimpse of a small boy wearing a white hoodie.

_Oh no..._

It was the same boy he had tried to save on Earth. Shepard chased after him as fast as he could. However, he felt as though he was running in slow motion. The child ran faster, laughing with such joy in his voice.

Shepard lost sight of him and stopped until he heard the laughter again and saw the boy crouched down near a park bench.

He ran towards the boy again.

As Shepard got closer and closer the boy looked around nervously. Now Shepard could hear the sounds of the Reapers. A bright light followed by the sound of an explosion caused the boy to run off again.

"Wait!" John yelled, only to find that the boy had disappeared again. He started to run to the last location he saw the child when he heard him begin to weep.

Shepard ran towards the boy who was crouched again, still weeping.

"Wait!" Shepard yelled again as he got closer, holding his hand out.

The boy turned around and stood up with a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. The sound of the Reapers was heard again...this time the boy screamed and slowly became engulfed in flames.

Shepard's eyes went wide as he saw this horrific scene unfold, his hand still outstretched. The boy still screamed out in pain as his flesh began to boil.

And then Shepard shot up, finding out that he was in his cabin on the Normandy. That the horror he had witnessed was only a nightmare.

His breathing was shaky as he swung his legs onto the floor, and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Oh god..." he stammered out, holding his hand to his mouth.

A small beep came from the door to his cabin. As he stood up, John felt the shock start to wear off and was soon replaced by fatigue. He opened the door and found Liara standing near the entrance.

"Liara, can I help you?" he asked groggily.

"I've been forwarding data to the turian councilor about the Prothean device. It can't be built without Council support, but he's not budging until their Primarch is safe."

Shepard nodded as he approached one of railings near the elevator doors and leaned on it. "I know."

Liara walked over to him. "Are you all right?"

"I didn't get what you'd call a good night's sleep."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there. What's really bothering you?"

Shepard turned around and leaned on the rail, sighing. "Where do I start? First Ashley gets hurt on Mars and suddenly has doubts about my loyalties. Then the Council decides to say no to me again..." He trailed off before remembering the little boy. "And...that little boy back on Earth. I could have saved him but he ran off..."

Liara's eyes softened.

John shook his head. "He couldn't have been more than seven or eight. I watched the Reapers gun down his shuttle as the Normandy left. I could have saved him..."

"You couldn't have anticipated what that child would have done."

"I was so close..."

Liara put her hand on Shepard's arm. "That's a terrible burden, Commander. You shouldn't blame yourself."

The elevator door opened up as a young, dark skinned woman walked out. "Commander Shepard? I'm Specialist—oh."

He smirked. She seemed unusually nervous.

"I beg your pardon. I thought you were alone."

Liara turned around and went towards the lift. "I was just leaving."

As the door shut. Shepard folded his arms. "Specialist Oh, I presume?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "Commander, I'm Specialist Samantha Traynor, with Alliance R&D. I was part of the team retrofitting the Normandy after you turned it over to the Alliance. There weren't many of us aboard when the Reapers hit..."

Shepard put a hand up. "Slow down, Specialist Traynor. You're doing fine."

"Thank you. I worked in a lab. I never thought I'd be serving on a ship."

He gestured to the cabin. "Why don't you tell me about the retrofits?"

The two walked in and Traynor spoke. "The ship's in line with Alliance regs now, and it has new, top of the line quantum entanglement communicators. In fact, Admiral Anderson had intended to use the Normandy as his mobile command center."

"That's no longer an option..."

"Yes, I heard he chose to stay and fight...In any event, I'm honored to serve under you, Commander. For as long as you need me, that is. They only sent me here to oversee the retrofits..."

"Shepard, some of our systems require further testing and Specialist Traynor has been extremely effective during installation. I would prefer that she remain."

"Sure thing, EDI."

Traynor looked at Shepard, puzzled. "Wait...since when does a virtual intelligence make requests?"

"EDI's an AI. Fully self aware."

"Oh, I knew it! I knew Joker was lying!"

"Jeff requested that I pretend to be a simple VI to protect myself. I apologize for the deception."

Traynor smiled. "Thanks, EDI. And I apologize for all those times I talked about how...attractive your voice was."

Shepard let out a small laugh.

"Anyway, shall I give you the tour? I think you'll be impressed with the new upgrades."

He nodded as Traynor pulled out a datapad and began to go over the new additions to the ship.

"...and there you have it. Its the same ship, just flies Alliance colors now."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Shepard replied with a smirk.

"Speaking of which, I believe Admiral Hackett would like to speak to you at the vid comm."

"Thanks, Traynor."

* * *

**Menae, Trebia System, Apien Crest**

Warren and I suited up with James and Liara down on the hangar deck.

"I gotta say." I started. "Just feels right having our stuff down here."

"What do you mean?" asked James.

"Before the retrofit, Cerberus had the armory up on the second deck near the CIC." I answered.

"That's strange."

"One of the downsides of having civvies build a warship."

Warren nodded. "Feels like we were barely at the Citadel."

"The situation on Palaven must be worse than we thought." Liara said. "Or else the turian councilor wouldn't have asked us to do this."

I smirked. "Whaddya know...it only took the end of the galaxy for him to be nice."

I felt something smack me in the arm and turned around, seeing John.

"Nice armor." I said, pointing at his N7 Defender armor. It had been put into the field about a year ago and received an overwhelmingly positive response by Alliance special forces. Unfortunately, only the special forces and a few select soldiers had access to the Defender armor since it was developed by Hahne-Kedar's Shadow Works, H-K's advanced development branch.

John put his hands in the collar to adjust it. "I heard a lot about it. I'm glad Hackett sent it over."

"Looks bulky."

He shrugged. "It's pretty comfortable actually."

"I'll take your word for it." I replied, putting my grenades in a pouch.

"Do we still have our heavy weapons or did the Alliance take those away?"

I shook my head. "I took care of them. They're in an Alliance marked crate over near the second shuttle. Might take some time to get them though since I buried them under a bunch of other crates."

"We'll get 'em later."

"For now, the heavy weapons role gets to fall to me." I replied with a smirk.

Shepard rolled his eyes. "You all set, Mark?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"All right, everyone in the shuttle." he said, leading the way.

Once inside, I took a seat opposite Liara while Warren sat opposite Shepard; James opted to stand up and grip the overhead bar. I shook my head.

_One small jolt and his ass'll drop to the floor. Doesn't matter how big you are._

It wasn't long before we sped off from the Normandy, Menae in sight.

"So, what do we know about Menae?" Shepard asked.

"Its so classified that even if you look up from Palaven and see it, the Hierarchy will tell you it doesn't exist." I replied.

James chuckled.

John shook his head. "Mark..."

"He isn't far off, Shepard. The only unclassified piece of information about Menae is its orbital period." added Liara. "Intel about the moon is difficult to come by, I'm afraid."

Shepard nodded as the shuttle pitched suddenly and the sound of explosions became louder.

"Oh no...no...Palaven." Liara said, looking at one of the monitors in the cabin.

I sighed as I looked out the window and saw the turian homeworld on fire.

James looked at Shepard, confused.

"We have an old friend down there."

"Holy hell...they're getting decimated."

Shepard nodded. "Strongest military in the galaxy and the Reapers are obliterating it."

Liara turned to John. "Was it like this on Earth?"

"Yeah."

"Shepard...I'm so sorry."

He nodded a response.

"Commander! The LZ's getting swarmed!" Cortez shouted from the cockpit.

John took a deep breath and stood up. "James, open the hatch."

Warren glanced at me, putting his helmet on. "You owe me five creds, Mark."

"Shit."

"What were you guys betting on?" James asked.

"On you falling on your ass before we touched down." I replied. "Most people who grab the overhead bars eat shit on descent."

"Lucky me."

I grumbled as I pulled out my sniper rifle and took aim at the husks that were crawling up a rock face. "I'll get the one on the far left before he makes it up the wall."

With a single shot, the husk's head exploded.

"Nice shot, Tex." James said.

I shook my head. "Could have been better...oh well, thing's dead."

Shepard on the other hand was busy mowing down the other husks with his N7 Valkyrie.

Once the LZ was clear, the shuttle landed. "All right—get in, get out. Let's move!"

Several more husks appeared not far from our position and were charging towards a turian barricade. They managed to hold them off, killing a few until we punched through.

"You guys okay?" Shepard asked one of the turians.

"Yes, sir. May I ask what you're doing here?"

"Long story. Which way to your commanding officer?"

The turian pointed to the right. "Around the corner, past the first barricade."

"Thanks." Shepard replied, nodding to us.

I looked over at the soldiers. "You guys did good. Keep it up."

One of them gave me a short nod and I jogged to catch up to the team.

Luckily they recognized us as friendlies and let us in. Inside the camp was a sense of nervous tension. Various soldiers were behind barricades around the camp just waiting for something to pop up. Medics were either attempting to save their comrades, or were covering their corpses...and there were a lot of covered bodies. Off in the distance was an intense naval battle between the Reapers and turian fleets. Taking up most of the view was Palaven which was dotted with raging fires and other signs of battle. The largest looked like a giant orange crater half the size of Brazil.

"I guess that's the guy in charge." Warren said, pointing to a command center.

We walked over.

"Tobestik, get your men up on that north barricade."

"Yes, sir!"

"Sergeant Bartus, find a way to get that comm tower operational."

"Sir!"

John walked up to the man, noticing the rank on his collar. "General."

"Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming, but didn't believe it. General Corinthus."

"I've come to get Primarch Fedorian."

The general paused for a moment, eyes fixed on the map in front of him.

"Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as it tried to leave the moon."

Shepard sighed. "I see...how bad are things here, General?"

"We just lost about four hundred men in half an hour. We set up camps on this moon as an advance position, to flank the enemy. A sound strategy. Just..."

"Irrelevant." finished Shepard.

"Exactly. The sheer force of the Reapers seems to make them immune to that sort of tactic. The primarch and his men found out the hard way."

"I'm sorry. I hear he was a good man." replied Shepard.

"And a friend. He would have been an outstanding diplomat."

Shepard leaned on the table. "So what happens now?"

"The turian hierarchy provides very clear lines of succession." said Liara.

"Right. General?"

Corinthus shook his head. "With such heavy casualties, it's hard for me to know who the next primarch is. Palaven Command would know. However, at the moment, contacting them is impossible. The comm tower is out. Husks are swarming the area—we can't get close enough to repair it."

"We'll get it operational, General." Shepard said.

"Thank you, Commander. I'll take care of things on this end."

"Let's move out." Shepard said to us.

"Damn..." Warren muttered. "As if things couldn't get more fucked up. The guy we're looking for is dead and now we're on the front line."

"FUBAR." I added.

Warren grunted as we approached the side exit.

The barricade door opened up and we ran on through. One of the turians we saw talking to the Corinthus, Sergeant Bartus was laying down suppressing fire with one of his men. Two of them were down; one was dead.

"Lay down fire on those husks!" Shepard ordered as he went to the Sergeant.

As a wave was making its way toward us, Warren and Liara threw some singularity's at them.

"What's the situation, Sergeant?" Shepard yelled.

"Husks at the tower overwhelmed us. We've got one dead and another injured."

"It's like they came out of nowhere!" added the other soldier.

Shepard nodded. "Get your men back to the barricade. We're going to make a run on the tower."

"Good luck. Okay, lets move out."

We covered the turians exit as the husks slowed their charge as we fired round after round into them.

I took a peek through my scope. "Looks like there's a bunch of 'em huddled around the tower."

"Are they doing anything?" asked Vega.

"No. Unless you consider squatting down on a moon as 'something'."

Warren snorted. "Let's just take 'em out."

Shepard vaulted over a small rock face and slowly moved forward. The rest of us followed behind slowly.

"I'm itching to try out my new grenades." I said as we came within twenty meters of the husks.

"Can they take all of them out?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah." I answered pulling one out. "Fire in the hole!"

I lobbed the thing into the crowd of husks and watched the shrapnel tear through all of them as their bodies shook before collapsing.

"What was that?" Liara asked. "I've never seen any sort of explosive like that."

"It's not your typical grenade." I said as we approached the tower. "One of my newest creations: Stinger Grenades."

"I was expecting a big boom. You usually make some pretty destructive things." Warren added.

"Might not look like it but they're nasty. A nickname for 'em would be 'junk' grenades. I loaded them up with electrified caltrops. Once they stick in, the shock is enough to shut down your central nervous system."

"Damn..." muttered James as he looked down at the husk corpses. "How does it work on these things."

I shrugged. "I had to make adjustments to make it effective for organics and synthetics. Glad to see my field test proved that."

"Field test?" James asked dumbfounded.

John shook his head and got us back on track. "We can't repair the tower from here."

I looked up. "I'll take care of it."

"And we'll cover you."

"Good. It's already cramped up here." I grumbled as I started fixing the tower.

"Everyone ready?" Shepard asked.

"Hell yeah!" answered James.

As I was busy trying to get the tower functioning, I could hear the sounds of husks landing. I don't know how groups of them could be transported down, but the brief glance I took made me think of a meteor strike.

"Strange things, the Reapers..." I muttered.

"You almost done, Mark?" Warren shouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your skirt on." I shouted back. "This isn't like hooking up a vid screen, you know?"

"You can do it when we get back to the ship!"

I rolled my eyes as I finished reconnecting everything.

"They keep coming!" James shouted.

"I'll give ya some space." Warren said as he charged up for his most devastating attack. He spread his arms and was enveloped in a biotic field and then released that energy, burning whatever husks were charging at him. Liara took the opportunity to throw some of the husks that were blown back.

"Damn..." James muttered.

"Been waiting to do that."

I leaned on the tower railing. "Well that's something I haven't seen in a while."

"What was that?" James asked.

"Its called the Annihilation Field. And as you can see, it annihilates everything nearby." Warren answered.

I climbed down the ladder. "All set. If the turians want some SATCOM sports package, its gonna cost them extra."

Shepard smirked but shook his head. "General, do you read? The comm tower is operational."

"Much appreciated, Commander. I'll contact Palaven Command."

"Copy that. Let me know when you've got something. Shepard out."

More husks began landing in front of us.

"Damn it, I can't see where that second group landed." Shepard cursed.

"On it." I replied, activating my omni-tool. In an instant all pertinent combat data was transferred to my sunglasses; I could see every husk in the area.

"Shepard, we've got five on the right trying to come up behind us."

He nodded. "James, Liara, watch our backs."

Shepard, Warren, and I focused on the husks in front of us using any and all means to wipe them out.

Warren darted in and out using his biotic charge to an amazing effect, even letting us go for an 'assist' for husks that were still hanging in the air.

Behind us, James seemed satisfied as he was able to cut loose. He was like a human boulder.

_As long as he's not piloting any time soon._

Liara had come a long way from the cute, naïve scientist we picked up on Therum years ago. In battle she was almost as calm and collected as Samara was. Her biotics had gotten better too...more efficient, I'd say.

I got the last kill in, putting a round through a husk's head.

"Commander Shepard, come in." radioed Corinthus.

"I'm here, General."

"I have information from Palaven Command. Please return ASAP."

"On our way."

I took a deep breath. "Glad that was the last of them. I was running low on clips."

"You still got that big ass cannon strapped to your back." Warren said, pointing to the Eliminator.

"Yes...yes I do."

As we walked back to the barricade, James poked me in the arm. "Hey, what kind of rounds are you using?"

"Sledgehammer rounds that I modded. Why?"

"Just curious." he replied pointing to a husk corpse. "Seems odd for rounds like that to just burst through."

"As I said, I modded them. These aren't coated in polonium like the older ones so there's no excess heat. Never understood why radioactive coatings were popular; they'd just deform the barrels and all sorts of internal workings. Anyway, these are primarily made out of tungsten carbide so with its hardness it can punch into anything and its got a phasic jacket to bypass shields."

"Sounds cool."

"Yeah...I was debating adding some thermite to them but it kinda scares the hell out of me."

"Perhaps it's a good thing you didn't." Liara chimed in. "Thermite is too unpredictable to use for ammunition mods."

I shrugged. "I'll figure it out someday."

"Hopefully when the galaxy isn't in danger." she joked.

I shook my head, grinning under my hood. It was a strange day when being on the battlefield made me feel good; taking away the pain of losing my mentor and friend. Once inside the barricade, I took my hood off to get a breath of fresh air. It had been a while since I had been to the turian home system, namely Palaven. I tended to avoid it because of the planet's weak magnetic field which allowed more radiation into the atmosphere which meant that if you were visiting, you had to have some sort of protection from it.

Looking up at the planet, I imagine the turians knew just what we were experiencing.

We walked back over to the command area where Corinthus was still at the map.

"What have you got, General?" Shepard asked.

"As your partner said, succession is usually simple. But right now, the Hierarchy's in chaos—so many dead or MIA."

John shook his head. "I need someone—I don't care who, as long as they can get us the turian resources we need."

The two soldiers at the foot of the ramp stepped aside.

"I'm on it, Shepard. We'll find you the Primarch."

I chuckled. "Well bend me over a chair and call me Lucy..."

Warren smacked me in the back of the head. "That's gross man..."

Shepard smiled. "Garrus!"

"Vakarian, sir—I didn't see you arrive..." said Corinthus.

"At ease, General." replied Garrus.

I was trying hard not to burst out laughing at the sheer oddness of the situation.

"Good to see you again. I thought you'd be on Palaven." Shepard said, giving Garrus a slap on the arm.

"If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven. I'm the closest damn thing we have to an expert on Reaper forces...so, I'm advising."

Shepard introduced Vega to Garrus. "James, this is Garrus Vakarian. He helped me stop the Collectors. He's a hell of a soldier. Garrus is this Lieutenant James Vega."

Both men shook hands.

"Lieutenant. Good to see you too, Liara."

Liara smiled. "Good to see you in one piece, Garrus."

I folded my arms. "Aw, no greeting for me Garrus?"

The turian shook his head. "No. You'll get nothing and like it."

"Asswipe." I replied with a smirk.

"Been awhile, Garrus." Warren said.

Garrus gave him a nod. "General Corinthus filled me in. We know who we're after."

Corinthus turned around. "Palaven Command tells me that the next primarch is General Adrien Victus."

"Victus? His name's crossed my desk a few times." Liara muttered.

"You know him, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"I was fighting alongside him this morning. Lifelong military, gets results, popular with his troops. Not so popular with military command—has a reputation for playing loose with accepted strategy."

I put my hood back on as Warren asked Garrus a question. "What do you mean by that?"

Liara answered. "On Taetrus, during the uprisings, his squad discovered a salarian spy ring about the same time the turian separatists did. Rather than neutralize the ring, he fell back. He even gave up valuable fortifications which the rebels took."

"Then the rebels attacked the salarians. And when both groups wore each other down, Victus moved back in. Didn't lose a man." finished Garrus.

"Bold strategy, but wild behavior doesn't get you advanced up the meritocracy." added Corinthus.

"Primarch Victus...that should be something to see."

Warren nodded. "Smart plan..."

"You think he can get the job done?" asked Shepard.

"We both know conventional strategy won't beat the Reapers. Right now he could be our best shot. And I trust him."

"Okay. Let's get him on the shuttle and get out of here."

Joker radioed in. "Commander! Shepard, come in."

"Can this wait, Joker? We're in the middle of a war zone."

"We've got a situation on the Normandy, Commander. It's like she's possessed—shutting down systems, powering up weapons. I can't find the source."

Shepard sighed and looked at Liara. "I need the Normandy standing by. We may have to bug out."

"Should I go back and take a look?"

He nodded. "Do it."

Liara sped off towards the shuttle.

"Garrus, you said you were with Victus this morning?"

"Yeah but we got separated. He went to bolster a flank that was breaking. Could be anywhere out there."

"We're trying to raise him, Commander." added Corinthus.

I looked up at the sky hearing a loud shriek and saw a harvester, mutated by the Reapers.

"Incoming harvester, heading for the air field!" James yelled.

"General, tell Primarch Victus we'll rendezvous here." said Shepard. "In the meantime, lets take care of whatever that thing dropped off."

Garrus pulled out a sniper rifle, an Armax Arsenal Krysae, and loaded a clip into it. "Are you kidding? I'm right behind you."

We ran over to the airfield and oddly enough the loudest thing any of us heard was James breathing.

"James, is that you breathing so hard?" Shepard asked.

"Atmosphere's a little thinner than I'm used to is all. Adrenaline's better than oxygen any day."

"Until you die from asphyxiation." I added.

The gate behind us closed and we were swarmed by husks, and turian husks. We immediately took cover.

"Just me, or do those Reapers look like turians?"

"You're right...they do."

"Then they'll go down like the rest." Warren said, opening fire on them.

* * *

"Yeah! Like fish in a barrel!" shouted James, as he fired away at the husks down below.

After securing the airfield, we rushed to the main barricade where husks began to rain down and were threatening to overrun the outpost. John got on the turret while the rest of us added our own suppressing fire.

"What?" Garrus shouted back.

"Old human saying. Like fish in a barrel." replied James.

"That thing's friggin' loud." I said pointing to the turret. "At least it took care of our husk problem."

I had to open my big mouth...

A giant husk landed just below us. Calling it ugly would have been an understatement. It had half of a turian head but the body looked almost krogan and there was various armor plating strapped to the thing.

"Holy hell! What is that thing?" James shouted.

"It ain't nice that's for damn sure." muttered Warren.

The large husk charged at the barricade.

"Brace yourselves!" yelled Shepard before it hit the wall.

And yet once it made contact, Shepard fell over.

"Shouldn't one of us get on the turret?" asked James.

I shook my head. "We go into the bear pit." and with that I jumped down.

"This is fucked..." grumbled Warren who jumped down after me.

The giant husk began beating its chest.

"Hey John, you all right?" I yelled out as he was behind a rock.

"Fine. We're all gonna need to take this thing down."

I switched over to the Hyperion and all of us began to open up on the giant mass of husk. I was amazed at how many rounds this damn thing took. I may as well have used low powered incendiary rounds. It was burning the husk's flesh to the bone but it didn't seem remotely affected.

Warren got the finishing blow in with a combination of his annihilation field and a slam.

"Shepard. Corinthus here."

"What's the word on the Primarch?" he asked in-between breaths.

"Still can't get a stable comm link."

"Okay. We're going in on foot. Shepard out. Garrus, take us to the last place you saw Victus."

"You got it, Shepard."

Garrus took the lead and we fell in behind him.

"Hey, John. What was that about bracing ourselves?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I was at the turret."

"Which had grips, man."

Shepard just sighed. "Can it wait until later?"

"Fine..."

Shepard jogged up to Garrus. "How far?"

"Should be quick unless we run into trouble."

Warren grunted. "Hopefully we don't."

"You all right, War Machine?"

"Been a while since I've cut loose like this."

"Well, don't forget to pace yourself."

"Uh huh..." he replied in an annoyed tone.

"Damn it. Look at Palaven." said Garrus.

All of us looked up at the turian homeworld.

"That blaze of orange—the big one—that's where I was born."

"That's rough. Still have family there?" asked James.

"My dad, a sister."

Garrus nodded towards the path ahead and we followed.

"How bad is it?" Warren asked.

"Three million lost the first day, five the second."

"The military?"

"Look around. That should give you some idea."

I hummed a response. "Can't imagine there's any fighting on Earth's moon, Luna. They burst through Arcturus and wiped out Naval Command and Parliament before hitting Earth. The whole thing's fucked up."

* * *

The explosions got louder and louder as we closed in on Victus' location.

"Double time it! No Reaper's taking this primarch from us!" Shepard yelled as we sprinted towards the turian camp.

"Oorah!" added James.

I took aim with my assault rifle. "Batarian husks in front!"

"Move into the compound!"

Warren launched a singularity, sucking in multiple husks before he tossed his cluster grenades.

"Nice!" Garrus said.

"Somebody has to be on crowd control."

"Entrance is secure." I said.

"Move up!"

It got pretty bad once we took a right, only to see three of those giant turian husk things again.

"Cover now!" Shepard yelled as we scattered to get behind something. Warren had other ideas.

"Be right back!" he said, using a charge to move up to a barricade with a several crates of ammunition laying around. He picked up a strange looking weapon and made his way back.

"What the hell is that?" I asked.

"I dunno. Let's find out, eh?"

He took aim at the big husks that were lumbering towards us. That's when I got a good look at it.

"That gun looks like a fucking Reaper!"

Once it was charged, it fired a small red ball which then detonated in a spectacular fashion, killing the three husks.

Warren and I looked at each other, mouths wide open.

"Oh my god...I'm keeping this! Its mine!" he said.

"God damn..."

"What the hell was that?" Garrus asked.

"That was me pushing the win button, baby!"

"We're not done. There's still a few more coming in!" Shepard shouted back. The good news was that they were just the regular turian husks and other husks. With help from the turian soldiers, we made quick work of the husks.

Victus was in a barricade on the far side, discussing something with his troops when we made our way over.

John looked at Warren. "Why does that gun look like a Reaper?"

He shrugged. "Maybe because they made it? How the fuck should I know? It killed the big ones."

"Yeah. That was probably the scariest thing I've ever seen." James added. "You know, in terms of explosions..."

"'Sides, I'm keeping this thing. If you won't let me use your crazy nuke gun, then I get this."

Shepard shook his head. "Fine, but if that thing ends up indoctrinating all of us, I'm gonna kick your ass."

Warren held his arms out. "Its a fucking gun!"

I sighed. "Let it go you two...we've still gotta get the Primarch."

As we approached his barricade, Victus made his way down the ramp.

"General Victus?" asked Shepard.

"Yes."

"I'm Commander John Shepard of the Normandy."

"Ah Commander, I know who you are. I can't wait to find out what brings you here." he replied, holstering his rifle before looking at Garrus. "Vakarian—where did you go?"

"Heavy Reaper unit on the right flank. I believe your exact words were, 'Get that thing the hell off my men'."

The general nodded. "Appreciate it."

Shepard took a step forward. "General, you're needed off planet. I've come to get you."

"It will take something beyond important for me to abandon my men, or my turian brothers and sisters, in their fight."

Garrus spoke up. "Fedorian's dead. You're the new primarch."

Victus' eyes went wide and he stared blankly at the ground.

"You're needed immediately to chair a war summit and represent your people in the fight against the Reapers." finished Shepard.

Victus walked by us and looked up at Palaven. "I'm Primarch of Palaven? Negotiating for the Turian Hierarchy?"

"Yes."

"I've spent my whole life in the military. I'm no diplomat...I hate diplomats."

I snorted. This seemed all too familiar. Like when Anderson was offered the position as first human councilor.

"What makes you think you're not qualified?" asked John.

"I'm not really a 'by the book' kind of guy...and I piss people off. My family's been military since the Unification War. War is my life. It's in my bones. But that kind of passion is...deceptive. Can make you seem reckless when you're anything but."

"War is your resume. At a time like this, we need leaders who have been through that hell."

Victus let out a small laugh. "I like that. You're right."

"And honestly, uniting these races may take as much strength as fighting the Reapers." added Shepard. He turned around and pointed to the wreckage of a turian cruiser and countless bodies on both sides. "You see this devastation, Primarch? Double that for Earth. I need an alliance. I need the turian fleet."

"Give me a moment to say goodbye to my men."

Shepard nodded as Victus walked off. Garrus approached him next.

"Without him down here, there's a good chance we lose this moon."

Shepard looked up at the dueling fleets. "Without him up there, there's a good chance we lose everything."

Garrus looked over at a Reaper several miles away as it was walking on the moon. "Look at that! And they want my opinion on how to stop it? Failed C-Sec officer, vigilante...and I'm their expert advisor?"

"Could've been worse." I muttered. "Sparatus could have been the advisor and he denied they existed until we came back from the Collector base."

Garrus snorted. "Think you can win this thing, Shepard?"

"I dunno Garrus. But I'm sure as hell gonna give it my best shot."

"I'm damn sure nobody else could do it. For what its worth, I'm with you."

Shepard smirked and shook his hand. "Welcome aboard."

"Again." I added.

Garrus shook his head but smirked.

"Primarch Victus, are you ready?" Shepard asked as said man approached us.

"One thing." he answered before pausing. "Commander, I appreciate your need for our fleets but I can't spare them. Not while my world is burning. But if the pressure is taken off Palaven..."

"That's a pretty tall order."

And then he said something that got my attention. "We need the krogan. I can't see us winning this thing without them. Get them to help us, and then we can help you."

Shepard blinked. "The krogan..."

"Well, looks like this summit of yours just got interesting, Shepard." Garrus said.

"No shit." muttered Warren.

Shepard held his hand up to his helmet's earpiece. "Cortez, we're ready for pickup."

"Aye, aye, Commander. I'll be there momentarily."

* * *

_And so Garrus returns! A few things to address about some minor details:_

_The 'Re-arranger' is based on the syringe like instrument Tom Cruise used in Minority Report._

_Stinger Grenades- Similar to fragmentation grenades with a heavy emphasis on fragmentation. Upon detonation, highly electrified caltrops are released and upon being embedded into a target send a shock powerful enough to shut down the central nervous system. A similar effect works on synthetic targets._

_Mark Sears powers:_

_Tactical Cloak, Damping, Sledgehammer Rounds (if you want to count ammo as a power), Tactical Scan, Stinger Grenade, Veteran Infiltrator_

_Warren Rogers powers: _

_Warp, Singularity, Pull, Throw, Shockwave, Annihilation Field, Charge, Slam, Cluster Grenade, N7 Nemesis_

_Until next time._


	57. Interlude 15

_Author's Note: Holy fuck boys and girls its been a while. I've been so busy at my new job for the last month that I've had virtually no time to write (downside to working 40 hours a week)! But on the plus side, it gives me a chance to plan things out properly. Also, if you haven't noticed, the new image is the new logo for Mark's group 'Outer Heaven'. Well, lets continue on shall we?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's and whatever changes I make._

* * *

**War Room, Normandy SR2**

"The asari have been down this road before, Commander." said the Asari Councilor Tevos.

"But Madame Councilor, let me explain—"

"I tried to smooth things over with the salarian dalatrass. To say she's upset would be a monumental understatement."

Shepard scowled. "Some of these issues are hundreds of years old. It's time to let go!"

"Sad to say, but any attempts to ally these disparate groups seems doomed to failure. And I'm sure you understand that we cannot afford to waste time with the Reapers knocking at our door. This must be my final word. The asari will not be at your war summit."

"Our alliance would be stronger with the krogan. You need them—we all do!" Shepard snapped back.

"I wish you luck, Commander. Goodbye." Tevos said, ending the transmission.

Shepard shook his head. "Idiots..."

"Commander, Admiral Hackett is available on vid comm." Traynor said over the intercom.

He pushed the button in front of him and Hackett appeared in front of him. "Commander, did you secure the Primarch for the war summit?"

"Yes. Fedorian was killed trying to leave Menae but General Adrien Victus was named as his successor. Also, the asari will be staying on the sidelines, sir."

Hackett shook his head. "They'll regret that. The time for unity is now."

"The salarians will be there, though."

"You don't sound very optimistic."

Shepard cleared his throat. "We expect the krogan will be joining us, too."

Hackett paused, bringing his hand to his chin. "I see. Well, then you've got your hands full, Commander. Is there anything else?"

"How did the Reapers hit Earth?"

"It wasn't all that complicated, really. They surged through the relays and hit Arcturus Station before we knew what was happening. From there, it was a short jump to the Sol system. Earth didn't stand a chance."

"It was a good idea to send us to the Mars Archive, then."

Hackett shook his head. "Still doesn't make up for the fact that the Reapers nailed us to the wall. I sacrificed the entire Second Fleet to provide cover so that the Third and Fifth could retreat. Hell, I've presided over the most devastating military defeat in human history."

Shepard slowly nodded his head. "So, how do we plan on winning this thing?"

"By making you the tip of the spear."

Shepard snorted. "I'm flattered but the Normandy's just one ship."

"And a fast one. You can move quickly, hit a target, and leave before the enemy has time to react."

"It's an advantage, but can it win a war?"

"It's the larger principle that matters. We'll never defeat the Reapers in a full frontal assault, Shepard." Hackett stated. "The battle against Sovereign three years ago took everything we had, and that was just one Reaper."  
"I haven't forgotten."

"I'll find their soft spots, avoid them when their strong, and hit 'em when they're not. And when I find gaps in their armor, I'll hammer them with every soldier, ship, and bullet we've got."

"How long can we keep that up?"

"As long as it takes. The reality is, Shepard, everything I'm doing is a delaying action for you. I'm buying us time, keeping us in the game while you gather what we need for the Prothean device. So keep at it."

"I understand, sir. Has your analysis of it turned up anything?" asked Shepard.

"Liara appears to be right. It's a weapon of some sort. A big one. Beyond that, we really can't say—other than its going to be a hell of a thing to try and build."

"Do you think its risky, building something like this that we don't even know what it does?"

Hackett sighed. "To be honest, the thing scares the hell out of me. But the Reapers have forced our hand. Two centuries ago, scientists faced a similar problem during the Second World War. They weren't sure what the atomic bomb would do. Some thought it could even ignite Earth's atmosphere, but they did it anyway."

"Nothing more, sir."

"Keep me posted. Hackett out."

* * *

I let out a big yawn as I trudged out of the elevator. I hadn't slept since we left Earth and that was days ago. I could already feel that 'ants behind the eyes' feeling I got when I didn't sleep for a long period of time.

Before I made my way to the door of the Life Support room, the lights flickered.

I lazily glanced up. "Somebody call the electrician..."

There were various murmurs coming from some of the crew who for some reason, were armed and other were sporting firefighting gear.

I walked over and tapped one of the Servicemen on the arm. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Something's wrong with EDI. We don't know what's in that room but Engineer Adams is waiting for the Commander. All of us are on standby for fire suppression and security."

I nodded and made my way over to sickbay. Doctor Chakwas was standing near the door, watching Adams and another crewmen scan the door, both of them in firefighting gear.

"Mark..." the doctor said with a small smile. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise. I hear there's something wrong in the AI core."

"Yes. Are you here to fix the problem?"

I gave her a tired shrug. "I was about to go to my room when the lights flickered. Thought I'd investigate."

"You look exhausted."

"Been busy."

Shepard walked in, cutting off whatever the doctor was about to say. He had an M5 Phalanx in his hand as he approached the AI core door.

"John...what are you doing with a gun in space?" I asked.

Everyone in the room looked at me like I was crazy. John shook his head and turned back to the AI Core room to talk to Adams before entering.

"Mark, when's the last time you slept?" asked Chakwas.

I paused. "Before Earth was invaded."

"That was almost three days ago. Go get some sleep. Doctor's orders."

"Hm..." I grunted as I looked into the AI core.

"EDI, talk to me." Shepard said, as the fire suppression chemicals were being vented. The large servers in which EDI was stored began to turn back on.

I heard the sound of footsteps clacking on the floor. Then I saw an orange visor.

"Is there a particular topic you wish to discuss, Shepard?"

I blinked. EDI had commandeered the 'Dr. Eva' mech.

"EDI?" John asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"You're in Dr. Eva's body."

"Not all of me, but I have control of it. It was not a seamless transition."

John folded his arms as I walked in. "A transition? You blacked out on us for a while."

"Correct. When we brought this unit on board, I began a background process to search for its information on the Prothean device. This eventually triggered a trap—a backup power source and CPU activated, and the unit attempted physical confrontation. Fortunately, I was able to gain root access and repurpose as I saw fit. During this process, it...struggled. Thus, the fire."

Shepard sighed. "While I would have liked to have known what you were going to do, I'm glad you did it, EDI. Now we'll have full access to the Prothean data in its head."

"I reasoned along similar lines."

Adams ran a systems check, making sure everything was fine and that the fire suppression systems were off.

"So if you're in there, are you still in the ship?" asked Shepard.

"I exist primarily within the ship. For optimal control, this unit should remain within Normandy's broadcast or tightbeam range."

"Are you planning to take that body somewhere?"

"Normandy's weaponry is not suited to every combat situation. This platform could provide limited-fire ground support."

"You mean, you could come with us?" he asked again, surprised.

"Correct. This body could accompany you to areas the Normandy cannot reach."

Shepard smirked. "Before we do that, I need you to guarantee this mech doesn't have anymore surprises in it. Run whatever tests you can, then we can talk about using it in combat situations."

"One moment—I am running trials. Complete. I can send you a full report if you wish."

"The joys of quantum computing." I muttered.

"However, my first step should be restoring functionality to the Normandy to reassure the crew that all is normal." EDI said.

"Just...don't be surprised if the crew is a little wary of your new body. It was shooting at them a little while ago..."

"An excellent point. I will take it to the bridge. Joker will also want to see it." she finished walking out of the room.

"On that we can agree." John said shaking his head.

"Joker's gonna shit out of his dick when she walks in."

He chuckled as we walked out.

Chakwas was smiling. "Was that EDI who just walked by?"

"Yes, it was." replied Shepard.

The doctor laughed. "Joker is going to have a field day with this."

"I should see his reaction." I added.

"No, you go to sleep." she said, pointing at me.

"Yeah, Mark." added Shepard

I grumbled and walked out. As much as I wanted to stay up, my body was screaming at me to go to sleep. It sucked because I still had to get status reports and issue orders for Outer Heaven. Being without Semeyon and Watson left us short handed. Murph was probably feeling the heat too.

I opened the door to my room and walked in.

* * *

**En route to War Summit orbiting Sur'Kesh, Pranas System, Annos Basin**

Waking up the next morning was probably the best feeling in the world. All of the fatigue from the past few days just seemed to fade away. I got out of the cot and sat at the table to check my terminal. The news reports were seemingly more of the same. The raloi, the galactic 'newbies', retreated back into their space. They were unable and unwilling to help us fight the Reapers and as a result, destroyed their satellites and observation equipment to give the appearance of a pre-spaceflight species.

I wasn't totally surprised that they would back out. Hell, they had only shown up last year on the galactic stage because they launched a telescope and didn't even know about mass effect technology.

_Sounds like overkill to me. They haven't even built spaceships yet...what a waste._

There's only two races I knew of that would be on the galactic stage, should we fail: the raloi and the yahg. Intel suggests that the yahg are close to building their first ship. With their mentality, they might end up running the show. As for the raloi, the various races across the galaxy have been giving them a variety of gifts, so they could end up keeping the yahg in check.

I shook my head. _Too many theoreticals. Just focus on what's going on now._

As for what was going on, the situation on Palaven was getting worse by the day. The reports I saw indicated that the turians might not be able to hold their home planet. The Reapers were now closing in on asari space in the Silean Nebula and Nimbus Cluster.

I decided to contact Murph for a status update. "Murph, you got me on this one?"

"Hey kid. You doing okay?"

"Better than the past few days. Actually got some sleep after a few days."

He chuckled. "That's good. I hope you're not pushing yourself too hard."

I leaned back into my chair. "I was debating it. We're short handed, now."

"Not anymore. Andy's been helping out as well."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, the old man insisted on it. Kept goin' on about putting 'boots to asses' and helping his kid's old CO."

"I'll have to thank him when I talk to him."

"Good thing I've also got him online." he replied.

Another window popped up next to Murph's. "You're welcome, sweetheart." replied the old man.

I laughed. "Andy, good to hear ya. How are you?"

"Eh, I'm up my ass out here." he replied. Andy was out in the Nemean Abyss working on our special project.

"Problems with construction? I thought we were fine on labor." I asked.

"Nah. Building this big prick is the easy part with all the damn robots and people we got. The hard part is coming up and that's gonna be logistics." Andy answered. "Only direct line of communication I have is with Murph. I need to get in touch with my guys."

"What's wrong? I thought you liked talking to me all the time." Murph joked.

Andy chuckled. "Only when we're talkin' dirty."

I shook my head and laughed. "Dirty old man."

"Ah, but seriously we've got enough issues with the damn calamari army out there. Even with this thing we're building it ain't gonna be enough. Doing logistics and keeping the supply lines up is more important than anything, I say. Think you can let me take charge of that?" Andy asked.

"Sure, but what did you have in mind?" I replied.

"My guys, the Midnight Runners. I organized 'em awhile back. Some of the best black market merchants and smugglers in the galaxy and I brought 'em together."

"Yeah, I can get you in touch with them. Since the invasion started, we've had everyone on standby and had them keep in contact." Murph said. "It'll be one less thing for the kid and I to worry about."

"Nice. Once we're set up, I'll issue them to make some supply runs."

"How about things on your end kid?" asked Murph.

"Eh, they're going. The turians, salarians, and asari are organizing a war summit. Its not being organized by the Council but by their own governments."

EDI's voice piped in. "Actually Mark, Shepard wanted you to know that the asari have backed out but the krogan will be there."

"Ooh...who's that kid?" Andy asked almost perversely.

"That's the Normandy's AI."

Murph cut in. "Well shit. That summit is going to sound like a damn bloodbath. The krogan, turians, and salarians meeting together...guess the galaxy really is ending."

"Why are the blue beauties dropping out?" asked Andy.

I shrugged. "Probably reluctant that the summit will go well, or they're busy dealing with their own problems. Seems strange since you'd expect them to be the first ones to the negotiating table to broker a deal."

"Mark, Commander Shepard wishes to speak to you in the War Room." EDI said.

"Okay. Tell him I'm on my way."

"Of course."

"Sorry to cut this short guys, but duty calls." I said. "I'll be in touch."

"Sure thing kid. Stay safe." Murph replied.

"Yeah, later kid." added Andy.

I shut off my terminal and left my room. "Hm. Maybe he could have waited until I had some decent clothes on."

I was still wearing some black sweatpants and a Stone Cold 'What?' shirt. "Ah well. Probably would have worn this anyway."

I grabbed my pair of red and black Jordan XXI's and put them on before leaving. As I went into the elevator, a random thought popped into my head: Where the hell was Liara staying? There were only a few places on the ship I could think of, one of them being Miranda's room. I shrugged.

_I'll get to it later. Right now, I should see this 'war room'._

Once the elevator got to deck two, I stepped off and walked over to the tech lab door. Or rather, what used to be the tech lab. I walked inside and saw a large body scanner with two Privates guarding the door; both women.

"Primarch seems like a good guy. He'll get his people moving in the right direction." said the woman closest to the entrance.

"He's a good guy with his homeworld on fire. All he committed to is this war summit. A war summit that we have to host, since the salarians won't even let a krogan onto one of their ships."

"You mad?" I asked with a smirk.

Both women looked at me wide eyed before standing at attention.

"Sorry, sir. I didn't hear the door open." said the woman standing next to me.

"Don't worry about it. And, uh, what's with the sir stuff? I'm not in the service anymore."

"You're still a marine. 'Once a Marine, Always a Marine'. Remember?" said the woman on the other side of the scanner.

I chuckled. "Yes I do...now. Its just been a while since anyone's called me sir."

"That's odd. Next to Shepard and Rogers, you're one of N7's most famous operatives." added the woman next to me.

I smirked. "You two know your stuff. What are your names?"

The woman next to me saluted. "Private Sarah Campbell."

"Private Bethany Westmoreland."

"Nice to meet both of you." I replied, walking into the scanner. "I wish I could stay and chit-chat but I've gotta meet with Shepard."

"Of course, sir." said Westmoreland.

Once the scan was done, I walked through and the door leading to the war room opened. "Later, 'Lady Privates'." I said, as the door shut.

Before the war room was the former tech lab. I shook my head. "Mordin's gonna be pissed. If we ever run into him again..."

In its place appeared to be a conference room with glass walls, presumably sound proof. The floor was mess with various steel panels laying about; including several exposed cables.

_Again with the god damn cables..._

Passing by the room, I walked into the brand new war room. The entire room was designed to look like a giant circle with the centerpiece being a massive holographic terminal in the center of the room. There were various stations and terminals, all keeping track of tactical information across every theater of war in the galaxy. Shepard was wrapping up a conversation with the Primarch.

"Ah, Mark. I see you're going formal." he said.

"Damn right I am. So, what's the good word?"

"Depends on your definition of good. It's going to take some time before the summit gets set up."

I sighed. "Figures..."

"However, we just got a message from the Fifth Fleet. There are reports that Cerberus has attacked and captured Eden Prime."

I scowled. "Really? The whole colony?!"

Shepard grimly nodded. "Alliance forces across the sector are spread too thin. Even though the Reapers bypassed most of Alliance territory sparing some colonies and fleets, its left them cut off from any support. The only fleets in the Exodus Cluster are the Sixth and Seventh."

"Sixth Fleet isn't there anymore." I replied. "They went to Elysium from what I've been hearing. The entire Seventh Fleet is near Terra Nova."

"Cerberus must have blocked comms then...in any case, we're going to Eden Prime. According to the Fifth Fleet, Cerberus has found a major Prothean artifact. While we don't know what it is, we know its the reason they attacked the colony. That's where we're going."

"Hm...back to where it all began for ya, huh?"

John sighed. "Yeah...hopefully it won't end up a total disaster."

I shrugged. "True."

He turned back to the large circular display. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm not tired, if that's what you mean."

"Mark, you've been more quiet than usual." John pointed out. "Something must have happened. You were like this when you found out about the situation on Mindoir."

"Yeah..." I replied quietly, leaning on the console. "Did I ever tell you about Semeyon?"

"You've told me a little bit about him."

I blinked. "He was on Arcturus Station. Killed when the Reapers arrived."

Shepard put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

I looked at the floor in silence.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"In a little bit. Its still raw right now. Since finding out what happened, I've been working my ass off trying to get Outer Heaven out of its shocked stupor. Even if we did prepare, it hasn't worn off."

John nodded. "I can imagine that. You haven't told me what your group's been up to. Still playing the information warfare card?"

"We've expanded that." I replied with a smirk. "Outer Heaven now has its own small military force comprised of former special forces members from across the galaxy; including some private security personnel. Andy's chipping in with some of his smuggling buddies that will be able to supply the allied forces across every theater. He calls 'em the 'Midnight Runners'."

I walked over to a terminal on the large console and uploaded our information onto it. "There. That's all of our forces at the moment."

"Wow. Thanks for showing me this."

I nodded. "Any time. I should let you know that most of them are focused on fighting Cerberus. We declared war on them after our trip to Mars. If they find anything useful, I'll have them forward it to you."

"Thanks."

"Is there anything else?"

Shepard shook his head. "Not at the moment. I'll let you know."

"Cool. I'm gonna drop in on Joker and EDI."

"Have fun. You know, I really wish I had an XO on this ship." he said, following me out of the war room. "Of all the things they put on the ship, the didn't give me an XO."

I smirked. "Want me to find Miranda?"

"That's fine. I get the feeling she would be upset at losing her room."

"Really? Who's in there now?"

"Liara."

I chuckled. "Gonna have to drop in later."

"See you later, Mark."

"Shepard."

* * *

I walked into the cockpit and saw Joker staring at EDI.

"You know its not nice to stare. Even worse when you're not watching the road." I said.

Joker let out a small laugh. "Hey Mark, check out my new co-pilot!"

"I've seen her, Joker. She's quite nice. So, did you help her out with the whole body acquisition thing?"

"Are you kidding? If I knew EDI was going to install herself into a sexy robot body, do you think I'd be able to keep quiet?" he replied holding his hands up to make a photo frame. "Look at that! I would have baked a cake!"

EDI glanced over slightly and awkwardly muttered. "I'm right here...Jeff."

"Yes...you are, EDI. Yes you are." he replied in a perverted tone.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "EDI, how are you adjusting?"

"Quite well. I am trying to get the crew used to seeing me on the bridge."

I smiled. "Well, I can't think of a better co-pilot than an on-board AI."

"The view's not bad either." Joker muttered.

EDI turned to me. "May we speak in private for a moment?"

"Sure."

EDI got up and walked out of the cockpit and I followed.

"I'll just be here...flying the ship." Joker said as the door shut.

I scratched my cheek as the two of us stopped outside of the door connecting the CIC and cockpit. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

She put her arms behind her back. "I have asked Shepard if he would be able to help me with various questions regarding organic life and thought processes. I would appreciate it if you could help me as well. The same also counts for certain cultural aspects of humans."

I nodded. "But wouldn't cultural aspects be easy to find seeing as how you're an AI?"

"Yes, but you are able to interpret said aspects. The extranet typically contains static and neutral interpretations."

"I see. Well, if you've got questions, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you. If you wish to speak to me, this body will be here on the bridge."

"Speaking of your body..." I started. "Not to sound strange, but, everything from the neck down kinda looks like Miranda."

EDI blinked. "According to some files I found, the exact dimensions are also similar to Ms. Lawson."

I paused. "Hm..."

"What?"

"Just proves that the Illusive Man really is creepy."

"It would appear to be the truth." replied EDI.

"Yeah. Oh, and one other thing."

"Yes?"

I pointed at her body. "Even if that is a cybernetic body, you're still naked. An outfit might help out if you go into public places. Less questions unless you or Joker thinks of something hilarious."

"An excellent point. I will see if I can acquire some clothing later. Thank you."

I nodded and made my way to the elevator.

* * *

I pressed the button to the door to what used to be Miranda's room, waiting for a response.

"Come in."

The door opened and I walked in. It was...different. The left side of the room had two massive servers and a terminal on the far side. On the right, there were dozens of screens showing a picture of the galaxy map, along with two more terminals with a screensaver of the Shadow Broker's ship. Liara was busy reading a datapad when I noticed a familiar looking drone pop up.

"Greetings Mark Sears! It is a pleasure to see you again." said the drone.

"Aw, hey little man. Its been a while."

"It has. Dr. T'soni now refers to me as Glyph instead of 'info drone' 95 percent of the time."

I chuckled. "Glad you've got a name now."

"Yes. Dr. T'soni would like to speak to you. Have a pleasant day."

I nodded and looked over as Liara walked over to her 'video wall'.

"You sure have changed, Liara. Three years ago you showed up on the Normandy with only the clothes on your back. Doesn't seem like you want to pack light anymore."

"A few items from the old Broker's ship were necessary. I would be a very silent Shadow Broker otherwise." she replied with a small smile.

"You even brought the little drone buddy along."

Liara nodded. "Yes. Glyph has been very helpful with organizing the various information I receive."

"So what happened to the ship? Feron using it?" I asked.

She shook her head. "After Shepard turned himself in, I began to search for a way to stop the Reapers. Cerberus and my agents began to cross paths and it didn't take long before they tracked down the ship; they sent a cruiser after it."

"Damn. So, what happened?" I asked, folding my arms.

"The ship was never meant to be space-worthy. Feron and I loaded as much equipment as we could into a shuttle and sent the ship into the Cerberus cruiser. I don't think the Illusive Man expected me to give up the ship in such a spectacular fashion."

"Wow. I don't think I would either until you factor in the time you spent with John. Eventually using giant explosions becomes as natural as breathing."

Liara let out a small laugh. "True. However, the most vital part of my operation was saved. That being the spy network."

"Yeah..." I replied looking around. "You know this used to be Miranda's room."

"Ah..."

I walked over to the foot of the bed and smelled it. "Whew. New mattress. Thank god."

Liara raised an eyebrow.

I stood up and turned around. "Oh, right. Well, Miranda and I tended to...well, you know. Just had to make sure that when they did the refit they didn't leave the old bed in here covered in our love stank, ya know?"

Liara just sighed and shook her head. "And you haven't changed at all."

"Um, thanks?"

She smirked before biting her lip. "I'm sorry about Semeyon. He was a good man."

"Yeah...he was."

I turned away from Liara and went to the window near the door. "He gave me a home and trained me to be the best soldier I could be. After Akuze, he got me back on my feet again and got me a job. We co-founded Outer Heaven and he was my ace in the hole. And now, like most of the people I've ever cared about, he's gone, and everything he tried to get on Arcturus Station is gone with him."

She put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You still have people that care about you, Mark. They wouldn't want you to be like this."

"I know...its still just fresh now."

"I understand." she replied before changing the subject. "Why was he on Arcturus? He never mentioned anything to me about it."

"Looking for answers to deal with the Reapers...along with some of his personal business that goes back to the First Contact War." I said, turning around to face Liara.

"Knowing Semeyon, he might have found a way to save the data." she replied.

I nodded. "Possibly. For now, there's other things to deal with. Shepard said we're going to Eden Prime."

"What about the war summit?"

"Its still going to happen. The delegates are still getting ready. Except the asari, but you probably knew that already."

Liara sighed. "Yes. It seems foolish considering that my people would be the first ones to the table to preach unity at a time like this. Unfortunately, they're preaching it to themselves. But, why are we going to Eden Prime?"

"Orders from Hackett. Apparently, Cerberus took most of the planet and have managed to excavate a major Prothean artifact." I answered, noticing the glint in Liara's eyes when I mentioned a Prothean artifact.

"Must be something big for them to send such a large force down there."

"Yes. I'll have to go with Shepard then. The chance to see what they found..."

I chuckled. "Try not to drool, Liara."

She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I suppose I should get ready for when we arrive. Shall we?"

"Yes. I'll be right there."

* * *

_Coming up next: Eden Prime_

_For those of you wondering, I do plan on adding in the Leviathan DLC. And yeah, it'll have an impact on the story in a significant way. Oddly enough, parts of it bear some similarities to one of my ending drafts. Not specifically, of course, but the main gist of it. _

_Hope everyone will bear with the wait for the next chapter. Patience is a virtue, good things come to those who wait, and so on. Also, I threw in a reference to 'Armageddon', my favorite line in the whole movie._

_**Andrew Ferguson**: Father of Scott Ferguson, who served in Mark Sears' Task Force. Ferguson is a veteran of the Alliance Intelligence Bureau and specialized in Logistical and Unconventional Warfare. Despite his age and being wheelchair bound, he's one of the galaxy's best black market merchants. (a/n: based him off of kris kristofferson's character in Blade)  
_

_**Midnight Runners**: A collection of the finest merchants, smugglers, and couriers in the galaxy, the Midnight Runners are a group formed by Andrew Ferguson. They've modified their freighters for speed, stealth, and weight, giving them some of the fastest cargo ships in the galaxy. Their reputation among law enforcement agencies is well known as the members have rarely been seen, and amazingly, never been arrested and tracked as they also know how to manipulate standard mass relay protocols. With all of this, and their ability to adapt well to any situation, the Runners can get vital supplies to any of the allied forces in short order.  
_


	58. Ancient Alien

_Author's Note: Before you say anything, yes I know its been a long time since I posted. I'll explain why at the bottom. For now, bask in the return and enjoy my gift to you on this Christmas day, lol._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own the OC's and other stuff._

* * *

**Eden Prime, Utopia System, Exodus Cluster**

The shuttle had just departed from the Normandy and everything was quiet. Shepard only brought me and Garrus along for the trip, and of course, Liara. John was still iffy on bringing EDI along but opted to bring her on the next operation. Warren was resting after pushing his biotics to the limit on Menae and Vega was dealing with a small bout of exhaustion. Apparently, he had never fought on a world with a thin atmosphere or had any mountain survival training.

As for me, I decided to leave the Eliminator on the ship; didn't see the need to bring it along for this mission. I turned on my omni-tool to send a call to Murph. If Cerberus thought they were going to hold this colony, they were dead wrong.

"Murph, its me."

"Hey kid, what's going on?"

"We've got a problem on Eden Prime. Cerberus has taken control of the colony, searching for Prothean artifacts."

Murph snorted. "Shit. Whaddya need?"

"How many Ranger teams do we have available at the moment?" I asked.

"Three: Sigma, Omega, and Nova."

"Good. Have them deploy to Eden Prime ASAP. I'm going down with Shepard to see what they've uncovered. If I find any intel, I'll send it to you."

"Copy that. Good luck, kiddo."

I turned off my omni-tool and sat back in my seat as Liara looked at some old footage of the planet with Garrus.

"Eden Prime...this is where it all began. Where the Prothean Beacon gave you the vision that warned us of the Reapers." she stated.

"And where Saren launched his first major attack with the geth." added Garrus.

"Yes. And now with Cerberus here, Eden Prime's colonists are under attack again."

"Not for long." I said.

Shepard sighed. "Seems like more than just three years ago."

"I remember the reports. I was busting my ass trying to find evidence against Saren." replied Garrus. "Hearing that he attacked a colony while I sat mired in bureaucracy...that was a bad day."

"You always did prefer a straight up fight." Shepard said.

"And you're always good at helping me find them."

"Cerberus hit Eden Prime hard. Whatever they found here was worth a major offensive." said Liara, getting them back on track. "There are survivors elsewhere on the colony but everyone near the dig site is dead."

"They deserve better."

"No shit." I said, dryly. "Most of the Seventh Fleet is near Terra Nova. You'd think they would have the numbers to spare but..."

"Well, that's where you come in, right? When are your teams arriving?" asked John.

"Should be here after we extract. If we can find anything useful to use against Cerberus to help the resistance out, then we help. The Rangers will take care of the rest."

"The Alliance did what they could to evacuate the colonists, but Cerberus came so quickly." added Liara.

"If we find survivors, we'll do what we can. What about this artifact? Is it part of that Prothean device we found on Mars?" asked Shepard.

Liara shook her head. "The Alliance didn't get any specifics about what Cerberus uncovered. But whatever it is, its better off in our hands than with Cerberus."

Cortez spoke up from the cockpit. "I'm bringing you in as close to the dig site as I can. No way we'll avoid detection, but it should give you a few minutes."

"Understood."

Shepard pulled out his Revenant. "Okay, everyone. Let's move out."

The door opened up and we hopped out. "No sign of survivors. Come on, we need to get to the dig site." said Liara.

I sighed as we walked down the dirt path. It was quiet here, just like Mindoir. And for the second time in its history, Eden Prime was under siege again.

"This was a beautiful colony once." said Shepard.

"It survived Saren. It can survive this." added Garrus.

John nodded. "I grew up on ships. You lose one, you can always go to another."

"But you'd still remember." replied Liara.

"Yeah, like Mindoir. Sure, they rebuilt it and made it nice but, it just feels different." I added.

"Yeah...I understand." said Shepard. As we got close to the dig site, we various obelisk-like objects sticking out of the ground. "Look at that, bits of Prothean tech sticking out of the ground like an old bone."

The four of us walked up to one of the trucks to get a better view of the site. The initial site was at least several feet into the ground; I could spot at least four layers of dirt and rock in the walls of the site, which was an indicator of how long these ruins had been buried.

"So, Liara...ever dig up, what do humans call it? A dinosaur?" asked Garrus, jokingly.

"No, dinosaurs and other fossils would be paleontology. I'm an archaeologist. I study artifacts left by other sapient species. The two fields are completely different and...you were joking." she replied with a laugh.

"A bit. But at least you're catching on these days."

I chuckled. "Its too bad. I miss the days when she'd get all flustered and blushy after realizing something was a joke."

Liara sighed and shook her head. "I did not get 'blushy'."

"Only when I made a dirty joke."

John let out a small laugh. "Come on, lets check this building."

I switched over to the Hyperion and jogged to the building; then I leaned up against the door frame. "Looks clean."

"Go."

I went in, weapon drawn with the others behind me. "Huh. Looks more like home than a small office."

"All clear." Garrus said. "Found something on this desk though."

We walked over to Garrus who handed a datapad to Shepard. My brow furrowed as I read it.

_Processing Update:_

_We've taken more able-bodied men and women from the pacified neighborhoods. The colonists generally have accepted the story that they have gone to perform tedious but safe manual labor at a Cerberus research camp on the other side of the planet, and when we increased food rations as 'payment for work', most of the complaints died out. Maintain the story as long as possible. We don't have the manpower to fight the entire colony, and if these families knew they would never see their sons and daughters again, there's no way they'd cooperate._

"Bastards..." I muttered.

Shepard shook his head. "Even for Cerberus this doesn't make sense."

"Hm...even I have to agree with that. They don't strike me as the type to have the ability to occupy a colony." I replied. Pulling out my omni-tool, I downloaded the information on the pad to send to Murph.

"Perhaps we can find more Cerberus intel to send to Eden Prime's resistance." added Liara. "It could help them retake the colony."

"Yeah. It'll help my Rangers out too."

We left the office and walked to the elevator that went down into the dig site. Once there, Liara operated the controls.

I looked down the edge, watching the lift come up.

"Goddess...that doesn't seem possible. It's not a Prothean artifact. Its...a Prothean."

I stepped back as the elevator came to a stop in front of us. A sleek, black tube-like 'coffin' sat on the lift.

"Like the Collectors or the bodies we found on Ilos?" asked Garrus.

"Like the ones we found on Ilos...but this Prothean is alive."

Shepard folded his arms. "You're right. That doesn't sound possible."

"We've seen the Prothean stasis chambers in the archives on Ilos. The only reason they failed was because of a lack of power." Liara said. "Cerberus found this in an underground bunker. It still has power."

The four of us walked closer to it, inspecting the pod. I ran a hand along the thing. It had the same smooth, metallic feel as other Prothean constructs I've seen. It was like they took obsidian and stainless steel and combined them into some kind of strong and impressive looking material. Surrounding the pod were various rocks and dirt from the site, including some unique ones...

Liara activated her omni-tool and scanned the pod. "He's been in stasis for the past 50,000 years. Waiting for us. Think of what we could learn."

"What can you tell me about the Protheans? The people, not the technology." John asked.

"Given your experience with the Prothean cipher, you probably know as much about them as I do." Liara said with a smirk.

"Hm, a lot of my knowledge on them is spotty and I encountered a damn network hub." I muttered.

Liara continued. "The Prothean Empire spanned the known galaxy. They uplifted countless species to help them join the galactic community."

"Galactic community. You think they had something like the Council?" Garrus asked.

"Yes, exactly. Their cultural and artistic expression are actually quite close to that of the ancient asari. And given their similar interest in helping other species, it's clear they believed in inter-species cooperation."

"You know, the way you described them, they sound a lot like the asari." Shepard replied.

"I'm certain I'm coloring their culture with my own perceptions. Whatever the Protheans were, finding one alive represents an incredible opportunity."

"Good thing we brought along our Prothean expert."

"I hope I can help." she replied before turning back to the pod. "If this single Prothean was sent into stasis, he could be the foremost scientist of his time...or the wisest councilor."

I put my ear to the pod. "Or he could be a frozen caveman lawyer."

The three of them gave me a strange look.

I sighed. "Never mind."

Liara groaned. "Hmm. Cerberus damaged the lifepod when they excavated it. The life signs are unstable."

"Then lets get him out." Shepard said.

"No, breaking open the pod would kill him. We have to find the command signal that ends the stasis mode. We also need to figure out how to physically open the pod without causing more damage. Cerberus took over the labs nearby to research what they found at the dig site. That's likely to be our best bet."

I took my ear off the pod and scanned it. "Looks like this thing was designed to have a deactivation signal at a set time...automated too. Judging by how fried it is, and the signs of this..." I picked up a rock that looked like quartz and glass. "Radioactive glass. There must have been some nuclear strike to try and take out the Reapers. It would explain why the pod's 'locked out' and why we've got this."

Shepard nodded. "Okay. Let's get to the labs."

Overhead, a Cerberus shuttle came speeding in from our six o'clock, and hovered over a nearby building to drop in troops.

"Get to cover now!" John shouted.

Garrus pulled out his sniper rifle, as did I. By the time we did, Cerberus was putting rounds over our heads. I even heard the sound of sniper fire.

I looked around the corner and briefly saw a few laser dots going across our cover. "Snipers!"

"I can't get a shot!" Garrus shouted.

"John, Liara! Think you can give us a distraction?" I yelled.

"On it!"

Shepard poked out of cover, laying down a stream of bullets while Liara threw up a singularity to ensnare the regular troopers. Garrus and I took aim on the snipers and engaged. The one on the roof was easy, the one on the ground was far trickier.

"Quick bastards." I said, moving towards the position of the dead sniper.

"Powerful rifles too." Garrus replied. "Look at this impact."

I turned around and saw the bullet hole that was right where I was hiding. It was a lot bigger than I expected.

"Anti-armor rounds, eh?" I asked, turning back to the body of the sniper. I walked over and scanned it.

"Cerberus using lady snipers, eh?"

Shepard sighed. "What have you found other than the gender?"

I looked down at my omni-tool and raised an eyebrow. "Okay...this is interesting. She's got all sorts of cybernetic implants...most of which are already decaying or have destroyed themselves."

John shook his head in disgust. "God damn it..."

"The ones that aren't lost are pretty intense. Stabilization implants that can withstand the kickback of a Widow, high tech scanners to check the area without even leaving cover...all custom, all cutting edge."

"The rifles are custom too." Garrus said, picking one up. "Semi-automatic, armor piercing rounds..."

"These ladies are gonna be a pain." I added.

John nodded. "Let's keep moving...get to the first lab."

On our way we encountered more Cerberus resistance and went up against another new Cerberus soldier: a combat engineer.

They were fairly easy to deal with, if not, more annoying than the regulars. They had lighter armor and could set up turrets at various choke points. The engineers weren't alone of course, they had back up. Either way, after we took them out, we went to the lab.

Liara looked at her omni-tool. "There, that lab has footage of the Protheans."

Shepard opened the door and the four of us went in. He walked up to the terminal and typed in a few commands. Soon, I could see footage of the Reapers among some static, systematically wiping out everything on the planet.

"You see that?" I asked.

John nodded.

And then the footage switched to some kind of bunker, a few Protheans walking around on guard.

"I never thought our empire would fall."

"It won't. We will sleep here until the Reapers return to dark space. Then, we will rise a million strong."

The other Prothean nodded. "For the empire."

"For the empire. Get to your stasis pod."

The video stayed with this Prothean, who was probably a military officer or something. "Victory, broadcast the stasis readiness signal to all life pods."

A holographic projection appeared next to the Prothean. "And the refugees who have yet to reach the bunker?"

He paused. "Their sacrifice will be honored in the coming empire."

An explosion rocked the facility, followed by a rush of indoctrinated Protheans. The footage ended.

John and I looked at each other. I noticed that his eyes had this odd bright green tint to them before they changed back to their normal blue.

"Huh..." I muttered.

"I've got the signal." said Shepard.

Liara tilted her head a little to the right. "You understood that?"

"You didn't?"

"No. All I saw was static. Cerberus was trying to make sense of it...without success. The Prothean Cipher you received on Feros...it lets you see the images as a Prothean would, and understand their language." replied Liara.

"Yeah, I remember...well, I saw the video and the signal they used."

"Perfect. Then we just need to figure out how to physically open the pod."

Shepard nodded. "Lets get to the next lab."

"We can cut through some prefabs to get to the second lab. Its not too far from here." I said, picking my rifle back up. "And judging by my radar, we've got company waiting at the second lab."

The four of us walked out of the lab and towards one of the prefab houses.

"So, did you see that signal too, Mark?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah. It was...interesting."

"What was it?"

Shepard joined in the conversation. "This place used to be a Prothean bunker. There were cities here...all being attacked by the Reapers."

"Yeah. This bunker was like the archives on Ilos...rows upon rows of stasis pods." I said. "Enough here to hold a million Protheans."

I unlocked the prefab door and opened it, seeing a massacre. Five dead Alliance soldiers gunned down in a living room.

"They were gunned down while having drinks and watching the game." I said, as the vid screen across the room was showing highlights of an EUCC match.

"This isn't a military stronghold, its someone's home." Shepard added, shaking his head.

"We didn't kill them, but we're going after the bastards that did." said Garrus.

"If its the guys outside, then we won't have to go far." I added, checking my scanner.

* * *

There was a larger force of Cerberus troopers than the ones that dropped in earlier. The good news was that they didn't have any of their snipers around and the engineers went down a lot easier when you shot the turrets on their backs.

_I guess Cerberus really likes using self destruct mechanisms on everything..._

We checked some of the other labs, mostly the geological labs that examined the soil and rocks around the site. Cerberus had set up shop in two of the geo labs and left some key pieces of intel behind.

The first was in a makeshift conference hall; a troop deployment update. With this, we knew exactly where they were. The resistance was heavy in the south and west and Cerberus sent troops in the north as reinforcements and were covering their movements with standard patrols. Taking the north neighborhoods would be a cinch for the Rangers with resistance backup.

The last bit of intel was in a communications room. Cerberus had an insider with the resistance. Tomorrow between 2200 and 2300, the resistance would launch an attack on a Cerberus security center, bringing a large contingent of forces from across the colony and possibly some resistance leaders; a huge risk. The insider, a Dr. William Cambiata, would escape once the attack was contained; Cerberus would make it seem convincing with near-miss shots. They're banking on him being seen as a hero by the locals and with luck, end up as the resistance leader.

I had something of a plan in mind for when the Rangers would arrive, which would be after our team left the planet.

Liara looked down at her omni-tool as we walked out of the communications room. "The last lab is this way. Come on."

"Yes, ma'am." I jokingly replied.

We made our way up the small staircase and through a small prefab, turning the corner to enter the lab.

Shepard activated the terminal, and we stood there, waiting for it to load.

When it booted up, I saw more images of Protheans fighting the Reapers; ground forces firing particle beams up at the 'small' Reapers with limited to no effect.

Then the images returned to the Prothean Shepard and I had seen earlier, firing on the Prothean husks.

"Huh...the Collectors again." I said.

"Prothean husks, Mark." John replied.

"Yeah I know. Easier to call them Collectors, though."

The Prothean was mowing down the husks when one of his comrades was killed by a sharpshooter. This caused him to scowl, and he used his biotics to slam two of them into a wall and drove the rest back with a throw.

"Victory, seal the bulkheads!"

"Acknowledged."

The Prothean dragged the body of his fallen comrade into the bunker as the doors closed.

Once shut, he exhaled and leaned against the doors. He got off the doors and walked towards some fallen pods and dead bodies; fires raged throughout the bunker.

The Prothean scowled. "How many have we lost?"

Victory, the VI, answered. "Reaper forces have destroyed approximately 300,000 lifepods."

He opened up one of the damaged pods, seeing a charred corpse inside. The Prothean shook his head. "A third of our people..."

The Prothean bowed his head before Victory spoke up.

"Alert! North side bulkhead cannot be sealed. Hostiles detected."

"Then all forces to the north!"

The video ended.

"Did you understand that one too?" Liara asked.

"Yeah, I've got the signal the Protheans used to activate the stasis mode."

"Excellent. Then we have everything we need to open the pod."

I let out a small laugh. "Doesn't seem like it. Gotta say, these videos are pretty fascinating."

"What did you see?" asked Garrus.

"This Prothean that John and I saw in the other lab. There was a lot of fighting...hell he even used some cool biotics. After the battle, they said how many there were in the bunker...about a million Protheans."

"One million?" asked Liara, taken aback.

"In the attack, they had just lost a third of their lifepods. The situation was deteriorating fast." added John.

"And out of all of those, we get an intact one." said Garrus.

"Million to one shot." I muttered, picking my rifle back up. I could hear shuttles coming in quickly.

"Sounds like reinforcements." said Shepard. "Let's finish this up."

* * *

Cerberus troops were waiting for us outside; two shuttles worth of troops, hunkered down in several prefab housing structures.

"Scanning." I said, performing a tactical scan of the area. "Engineers, regulars, the shield guys, and the...I dunno, the commander guys?"

"Centurions." Shepard replied.

"Yeah them."

We were on the roof of a prefab just across from the last lab we were in. Some of the engineers below us had set up turrets. They knew where we were coming from.

"I'll lob a few stingers down there to clear some of them out..." I started to say.

"And we'll mop up the rest. Good idea." John finished.

I pulled out two of my Stinger grenades and tossed them at the engineers. They went down almost immediately and the turrets were overloaded and destroyed. Shepard and the others took care of the rest of the troopers.

After climbing off the roof, we made our way back to the bridge and were greeted with more Cerberus soldiers.

"Damn shield guys again." I muttered.

"I will take care of them." replied Liara who sent a singularity behind the Guardians, causing them to be thrown off balance.

It was just enough of a distraction for me to line up a shot on one of them, giving Shepard the chance to blow the head off of the other with his sniper rifle, an N7 Valiant.

The rest of the Cerberus troopers were taken care of with little resistance.

"Wow, you actually dusted off the sniper rifle." I said to John. "Haven't seen you use that in a long time. Did you forget how to use it? Or that you even had it?"

John shook his head. "I still know how to use it. I'd rather have someone with a better handle on sniper rifles to use it instead of me."

"What changed?"

"Felt like it."

I shrugged. "Well, it looks like they pulled the bridge back..."

"We'll have to find another way around." replied Liara.

"Oh no, a minor setback." I flatly added. "Guess we'll have to take the rocky path."

Garrus chuckled as we climbed down. "Cerberus must have been short on time to think that would stop us."

"That and their lack of manpower. You saw their reports; their here in force but not in numbers." replied Shepard.

We managed to take the long way around without a problem and got to the pod.

"Signal's transmitted." Shepard said, closing his omni-tool.

"Perfect. It'll take a few moments for the lifepod to process it." replied Liara.

"And so we wait." Garrus added.

I looked off into the horizon. "We'll be doing more than that. Cerberus shuttles are inbound."

And with our position near the pod, we were virtually in the open, even with the limited cover of the elevator. They had the terrain advantage and could hit us from anywhere. We needed to move up and away from the pod to prevent any stray shots from hitting it and the best place to go was the prefab nearby.

The four of us rushed inside, letting a few soldiers that rounded the corner to spot us. They would know where we were. Sure, the prefab had a few openings; namely windows and doors. However, we now had the advantage with both cover and the ability to check our angles. They weren't crazy enough to land near the pod since they wanted it as much as us. Cerberus wouldn't dare move it either since they could damage it again.

* * *

Three shuttles...at least thirty troopers at best and they all went down. I shook my head. There was no way that this was the best they could do. Mars was tougher than this. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if the Illusive Man sent them here knowing full well that it was a one way trip; that these 'soldiers', if you could call them that, were nothing more than raw recruits implanted with Reaper tech.

_Or maybe the bastard thinks a living Prothean isn't worth it._

After checking the area, I was about to give the all clear when an object fell out of the sky and landed in front of the lift.

"Holy shit! What was that?" I shouted.

As the dust slowly settled, I caught a glimpse of what it was...as did the others.

"Atlas!" John yelled. "Get to cover!"

The Atlas...there's something that hasn't been seen on the front lines in decades. Thirty years ago, before we realized that there was other sentient life in the galaxy, the various military superpowers on Earth began to reduce infantry sizes in an attempt to cull the number of casualties seen in previous conflicts. One of the solutions was the Atlas Mech and its various counterparts. With a combination element zero/turbine engine, it could be air dropped and sustain minimal to no impact damage; useful for rapid deployment. Armor and weaponry wasn't much of a problem, but they were slow and lumbering. The First Contact war showed that even with its offensive and defensive capabilities, it was still outmatched by rapidly moving infantry...and a giant windshield for snipers to easily pick off the pilots. Many were cycled out and turned into utility mechs. The Triton ADS, the Navy's Atlas variant was used for deep sea diving missions and exploration on planets in the Skyllian Verge and Attican Traverse.

I suppose the Battle at the Citadel three years ago caused military strategists to bring back a mechanized force to deal with the losses. As for Cerberus, they seem to be dusting off old toys and modifying them: first the automatic Mattocks and now the Atlas.

The large mech began to open fire on our position; missiles and mass accelerator rounds slamming into the prefab.

We would pop out of cover to open fire periodically in an attempt to take care of its shields. Tech attacks were a little more effective, but they were still up.

"Shit, this thing is a fucking bullet magnet!" I yelled out.

"We need to get out of here. This prefab is going to collapse!" Liara added.

"All right, outside everyone!" Shepard motioned to the exit on the left. The Atlas launched two more rockets into the house, causing it to collapse.

I grumbled. "Of all the days I had to leave the Eliminator..."

"Mark, tactical analysis." Shepard said as we got behind a truck.

I paused briefly. "Well, its kinda crazy-"

"If it'll get rid of that thing, we'll take it."

"I'm gonna need a frag grenade."

John pulled one out of his belt. "That's it?"

"Just give me some covering fire. I'll do the rest." I said, dispensing some omni-gel to cover the grenade.

_Fingers crossed..._

Shepard, Liara, and Garrus unloaded on the Atlas while I activated my stealth camouflage.

I sprinted at the Atlas as it fired off some smoke grenades to throw off the squad. Ignoring the smoke was the only option. I was out in the open with limited back up. Once I made it through, I was only a few feet away from the mech. The pilot seemed surprised to see someone rush through and was trying to move the claw on the left arm...too late.

I went into a baseball slide, going right between the mech's legs. I got my left foot grounded so that I could pivot around. Once I did, I spun around and whipped that grenade right at the turbine. The grenade made contact, sticking to the engine and subsequently exploded. I didn't expect the whole thing to explode, just the engine.

_Who am I kidding, this is Cerberus._

"Mark? Are you okay?" Garrus asked as he and the team walked over.

"Safe." I replied.

John's omni-tool beeped, indicating that the pod was ready to be opened.

"There. It should be ready now." Liara said as we jogged over.

"Good thing no stray shots hit it." I muttered.

John opened up a panel on the pod, pressing a few commands on the keypad, and waited for it to open.

The entire thing seemed to decompress as steam came out of the pod. Then we got to see for our own eyes...a living Prothean.

"Still frosty." I said.

"Goddess..." Liara breathlessly added.

The small amounts of frost began to quickly melt away thanks to the mild temperature.

"It may take him some time to regain consciousness." Liara said, turning to Shepard.

Seconds later, the Prothean slowly opened his eyes, looking around nervously.

"Huh..." I blurted out.

As he slowly got out of the pod, we were launched backwards by a biotic attack.

"Son of a bitch..." I grumbled.

Meanwhile, the Prothean attempted to stand up and succeeded in falling out of the pod. After looking around again, he stood up and began to quickly walk away as we got up.

"Be careful, he's confused." said Liara.

"You don't say." Garrus dryly replied.

The Prothean tripped up a few feet away, before getting to his feet and staring in awe at the ruins before him.

John walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember, its been fifty thousand years for us but for him its only been a few minutes." Liara said.

John must have not heard it as the two were frozen in place.

"Uh, Liara...I think something happening." I said.

"What do you mean?"

I pointed at them.

She blinked in confusion. "Shepard?"

Seconds later, Shepard let go, shaking his head as if something hit him; the Prothean fell to his knees.

"How many others?" he asked.

"Just you." replied Shepard.

A grumble came from the Prothean.

"You can understand me?"

"Yes. Now that I have read your physiology, your nervous system. Enough to understand your language."

"So, you were reading me while I was seeing..."

"Our last moments. Our failure."

"Your people did everything they could. They never gave up. And I could use some of that commitment now."

Cortez came over the radio. "Shepard, whatever you did got Cerberus interested."

We walked over to Shepard, and were watched by the Prothean.

"Asari. Human. Turian. I am surrounded by primitives."

"Yeah, welcome to the world of tomorrow to you too." I replied, rolling my eyes.

Shepard finished talking to Cortez. "Its not safe here. Will you join us?"

"You fight the Reapers?"

"Yes."

"Then we will see."

John stuck his hand out, waiting for the Prothean to shake it. He merely looked at it before walking back to the pod.

Shepard looked at his hand.

"Dude, he doesn't know what a handshake is."

He shrugged. "Thought I'd give it a shot."

We walked over to the pod, as the Prothean took out two objects out of a storage compartment.

"Looks like a rifle." I said.

"It is." replied the Prothean, who holstered it and put a small card like object into a pocket.

"Extraction point isn't far from here. We'll take you to our ship." Shepard said, leading the way.

The Prothean nodded. He took a look back at the dig site before falling in behind Shepard.

* * *

_There you have it!_

_As for this delay of mine, the hard drive on my old laptop died right when I was about 80% complete with this chapter. So I got a new one not long after that...and I had to do this from memory (except for the mission, just the stuff I put in). After that, well, its mostly because of my job. When you work from 4 to midnight, sleep sounds awesome and the weekends don't give me much time to crank stuff out like I used to. Anyway, its good to be back. Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it), and Happy New Year._

_One more thing, before I get a ton of PM's about it: Yes, I'm going to do the DLC stuff. No, I don't have it. Reason being...well, being a PS3 owner, I can now finally get ME1 which I haven't played since I last had a functioning Xbox (long ass time). ME1 on PSN is $15. ME3's Omega DLC is also $15. Which sounds like the better experience to me? ME1 by miles and miles. After finally beating the game again, all I can say is that its like a breath of fresh air all over again. Makes 2 and 3 seem forgettable. And I'm not talking about it from a nostalgic point of view. The story is just great, its cohesive. Anyway, that's it. See ya next chapter._


	59. Interlude 16

_Author's Note: Wow. I'm so sorry it's taken this long to get the next chapter up. There's been so much going on for me that I haven't had a lot of time to work on this. Since my last posting, this story has been up for 2 years and passed the 500k word mark. And despite the time passed since my last chapter, I still get notifications and reviews and it makes me smile. Thank you._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect, Bioware does. I own all the other stuff._

* * *

**Orbit of Eden Prime, Utopia System, Exodus Cluster**

The ride back to the Normandy was silent, if not awkward. Of course, with a Prothean on board what could possibly be said? 'Oh hey, welcome to the future you're the only Prothean left.'

Great ice breaker...

"...Yeah. I suppose it is standard protocol. Okay, have them ready but don't have them pointed at him." Shepard radioed back to the Normandy.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

John shook his head. "SOP for encountering a new race. We need to have an escort."

"But the Protheans aren't new. I've studied them my entire life." said Liara.

"I know. But we don't know him. In the meantime, we should set up a room for our guest. Port cargo bay." Shepard replied.

Liara nodded. "I will take care of that."

The Prothean, on the other hand, was busy staring out the window.

We finally docked with the Normandy and were preparing to get out. An armed escort greeted us to bring the Prothean to the port cargo bay.

"Sorry about this. Standard procedure for dealing with an unfamiliar race." Shepard said.

The Prothean just grunted a response and followed the guards to the elevator.

"He's gonna be a ton of fun." I said to John.

He shook his head. "I have to report to Hackett."

"And I've got an attack to prepare."

* * *

I took a seat at the table in my room and opened up my terminal to begin the video conference.

"Murph, its me. Our mission was a success. We can begin operations."

"Nice job. So, what kind of artifact did you find down there?" he asked.

I chuckled. "More than just an artifact. We found a living Prothean."

"Seriously? You're not just messing with me again are you?"

"Nope. He's on board right now."

Murph shook his head. "Well, I guess you were right when you said strange things happened on the Normandy. Anyway, what's Cerberus' status on the colony?"

I sent him the files we found. "That's what they've been up to. Cerberus started rounding people up to work in forced labor camps. Those that they didn't are being held in their own neighborhoods."

"Sons of bitches. None of this makes any sense." Murph replied, before a beep went off. "Hold on, the Rangers are in orbit of Eden Prime. I'll patch them in."

Three more windows opened up showing each team leader. The leader of Nova team was Octavius Quentius, a turian and former member of the 26th Armiger Legion; he was a Havoc trooper. The leader of Omega team was a batarian sentinel by the name Eluam Doum'ah. He was the founder of a batarian private military company on Adek. Lastly, was the leader of what was probably the most elite team I had, Sigma team. The leader was an asari justicar by the name of Selene Irissa. I had met her years ago when I visited Illium, and like most asari I had encountered, she had a thing for me.

"Hello teams. As you've no doubt heard, we've encountered Cerberus on Eden Prime. This is our first major operation against them and we're going to use it to send a message." I said.

"What are their numbers?" asked Doum'ah.

"A few platoons at least. Less now that Shepard and our team have taken care of the dig site." I replied.

"Is it true that they found a Prothean artifact?" asked Selene.

"Yes. And said artifact is an actual living Prothean that we woke up. This is, of course, top secret."

The three of them blinked in bewilderment.

"I understand, sir." replied Quentius.

I brought up a map of the occupied areas. "These are the neighborhoods under Cerberus control. Intel that we've gathered suggests that the northern neighborhoods are incredibly short staffed. Clearing them out first will provide a foothold for you and the resistance forces on the planet. We've also discovered that Cerberus is taking able-bodied men and women and putting them into forced labor camps. Liberating them is a priority, including telling the colonists. Right now, the colonists believe they are being put into safe manual labor at a research facility...that they'll go home again."

"The bastards..." said Doum'ah. "We need to crush them."

"You'll get your chance, Eluam." I replied with a smirk. "There's one more thing. We have the name of a Cerberus insider by the name of Dr. William Cambiata." I brought up a picture of him on the holo. "He's with the resistance, and told Cerberus of an impending attack on a security center. The resistance plans to go tomorrow between 2200 and 2300 hours. Their plan is to wipe out the ambush, let the doctor escape, and hope that he becomes the leader."

I messed around with the holographic screen, entering a map mode.

"Nova team: Your objective is to establish a foothold in the northern neighborhoods and make contact with the resistance. If you find Cambiata among them there, kill him. Cerberus thinks their attack will occur tomorrow. That's where Sigma comes in. Sigma team: Your objective is to infiltrate and wipe out Cerberus forces in the security center. If you find any intel, report back ASAP."

Selene smiled. "Can do, Mark."

"What about my team?" asked Doum'ah.

"Omega team: You're to liberate the colonists in the labor camps. Since you've got the most heavy hitters, it'll be well suited for you and your team."

"Heh. I like it."

I nodded. "Good. Are there any questions?"

"How tough are their main forces?" asked Quentius.

"They're tricky bastards. I've forwarded the troop types we've gone up against in the mission plans. At the moment, I'd say their snipers are high priority targets so if you see them, drop them first. The mission name is Operation Clean Sweep. Any other questions?"

Silence.

"All right, then. Good hunting everyone."

"Sir." they replied before cutting transmission.

Murph let out a small laugh. "Takes you back doesn't it?"

I sighed. "Yeah...I just hope everything goes according to plan."

"It will. You've covered all the bases and the plan is solid. Its up to the Rangers now."

I nodded. "Our first major offensive against Cerberus. I can't help but be nervous. Until now, I was the one doing it all and we had our information network."

Murph shrugged. "Situation changed. We knew it was going to come down to this eventually. Cloak and dagger warfare was only making small splashes. We'll do fine."

"I'll take your word for it. Have you heard from Andy?"

"You know him...he'll only call back if its something important. Besides, its only been a few hours. I doubt anything has changed with the construction." Murph replied, scratching his cheek.

"Still, the Reapers are just plowing through every system. If they even make it into the Nemean Abyss then we're fucked."

"You don't need to tell me twice. I'll drop him a line in a bit and let him know."

"Good. It doesn't have to be a full progress report. I just need to know if they're fine. We're building something so damn big that even the Alliance would have thought it was impossible."

Murph chuckled at that. "Well, it was their plans that Semeyon got after all. God, I can't believe we were so paranoid 30 years ago that we were considering building it to fight the turians."

"Yeah. Only thing bigger will be the Prothean device Hackett's working on."

Murph leaned back in his chair. "You know the Council's going to have a problem with this. They'll come after you."

I smirked. "Of course they'd have a problem with it. An organization like ours building something that makes the Destiny Ascension look like a frigate? Wouldn't surprise me if the salarians were keeping tabs on our project already. Speaking of weapons, how's production on that?"

"Andy's crew has taken care of the missile and torpedo situation. Construction and acquisition is almost non stop. Same goes for nukes; but those might take awhile."

"Excellent."

"Mm...anyway, are we all set for now?"

"Yep. I'll contact you in a few days."

"Stay safe, kid."

"You too, Murph."

* * *

I closed the terminal and left my room. Since the Mars mission, Cerberus had been awfully silent. I deployed almost every team to do recon missions to look for any signs of Cerberus activity. I couldn't help but be nervous about Outer Heaven's first strike against Cerberus.

_You went over everything, you planned for every scenario. Just trust them to come out successful._

I shouldn't doubt Andy, either. Construction has been going on in a region of the Nemean Abyss known as the Krakatau Nebula. It was a region of the Abyss that intrigued Alliance cosmologists for years. They discovered that the origin of the nebula came from a hypernova, the death of a hypergiant star, two billion years ago. Estimates from the various cosmologists in Citadel space state that this star, dubbed 'Krakatau' by Alliance scientists, would have made it three times the size of VY Canis Majoris, one of the largest stars on record. The resulting explosion caused a chain reaction throughout the system, both creating the nebula, and destroying other nearby star systems; a common theme considering the Nemean Abyss' distance to the galactic core. There were three systems in the nebula: Perboewatan, Danan, and Rakata. Rakata is a fairly young system with an energetic B-type main star and three planets in orbit; featuring a mass relay. Like most planets in the system, all of the planets in Rakata are small, barren rocky worlds. Danan is a neutron star with a large asteroid belt surrounding it; the only feature being a small dwarf planet that formed within the belt. It was believed that Danan had more planets orbiting it before the star went nova; hence the asteroid belt. Lastly, there was Perboewatan; one of the rare systems that had a pulsar with planets orbiting it. Like the other planets in the system, none of these had any official names. Perboewatan's orbiting planets were dubbed: 2160 Helios, a dwarf planet that was unique in that a quarter of it appeared to have been destroyed, leaving a massive hole through the northern hemisphere. And the second planet: 2158 Astraeus, a planet slightly larger than Earth that was tidally locked to Perboewatan. Evidence suggests that it was a terrestrial world before Perboewatan went nova; the gas and radiation released managed to destroy all life.

2158 Astraeus was where Andy and his team was, working in orbit on the planet's dark side.

I shook my head and chuckled. Andy never was too pleased with the location. It was mostly him grumbling about being in the 'radioactive colon of the galaxy'. I made my way to the elevator to go down and check on our new guest. John and Liara were probably down there too.

_Hope this Prothean fella isn't a dick._

I was surprised when I didn't see any guards near the port cargo hold since the Prothean was being escorted by several of them when we got off the shuttle. Sure enough, when I walked in, Shepard and Liara were talking to him.

The room looked a lot different than when I had last seen it. It was darker, had a terminal and a few tables with water contained inside, and had a strange fog.

"Didn't know we had a fog machine on board." I said out loud, glancing around the room.

Shepard turned around and shook his head. "What brings you down here?"

I shrugged. "Finished up with the attack plans. Should be underway as we speak."

"Good. You know, you could have just used the intercom."

"Felt like coming down." I replied. "Besides, I wanted to see if Liara was being uncontrollably giddy."

"I am not."

"Not yet."

The Prothean spoke up. "Commander. Are we finished?"

"Well, Liara would never forgive me if I didn't ask you...what was prothean civilization like?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, I've always wondered. What sort of government did you have? And can you tell me about your religious beliefs? Or perhaps-"

"We are dead now. What does it matter?"

"I'm...sorry. Studying your history has been a lifelong passion of mine."

The Prothean grunted. "When I was born, our empire was already at war with the Reapers. The first thing I remember was seeing my planet on fire."

"What was your civilization like before the Reaper attack?" asked Shepard.

"We were the dominant race of our cycle. We ruled the galaxy."

"My studies indicated you were the only race engaged in space travel at the time. I always found it curious." added Liara.

"We were one empire composed of many subjects. All eventually called themselves 'Prothean'."

I scratched my cheek. "What if they didn't want to?"

He looked at me. "They weren't given a choice."

"Are you saying you enslaved the other species?" Shepard asked.

"Any could oppose us if they wished. And if they had won, they would have ruled. Many tried. None succeeded."

Liara blinked. "I had no idea Protheans were so...severe."

"It was by necessity. Very early we encountered the dangers posed by machine intelligence. They rebelled against us."

"We've had the same problem. They're called 'geth'." replied Shepard.

He nodded. "We could allow the machines to surpass us. It was decided the only way to win was to unite all organic life within our empire."

"Did it work?" Liara asked.

"For a time. The 'Metacon War'. We were turning the tide. Until the Reapers arrived. Then we understood that machines had surpassed us long ago in ways we could not imagine."

Shepard nodded. "Hopefully we can change that. Thank you for speaking with me. I never thought I'd actually meet a Prothean."

He nodded. "This has been...amusing."

"Oh?"

"To discover the most primitive races of my time now rule the galaxy. The asari, the humans, the turians..."

"There's also the salarians." added Liara.

He blinked in surprise. "The lizard people evolved?"

Liara folded her arms, amused. "I believe they're amphibian."

The Prothean smirked. "They used to eat flies."

Liara turned and left the room as the Prothean turned to Shepard.

"Commander, you may count on me. I am known as Javik."

"Then welcome aboard the Normandy, Javik."

I smirked. "Glad you've got a name. Calling you 'the Prothean' was going to get old fast."

Javik glanced at me. "Your eyes are unnatural."

"Long story." I replied. I looked over at John. "So did you mention the whole beacon thing and Ilos?"

"Yeah."

I looked at Javik. "You know, I encountered some prothean technology a long time ago."

He walked over and grabbed me by the arms. It was the strangest feeling...similar to when I was exposed to that prothean network hub as a child but not as painful. The only description I could think of was being in a daze but feeling something crawling around in the back of your head.

Javik took his hands off my arms and stared at me blankly.

"That was interesting. What was that?" I asked.

"We can communicate through touch. It was common among my people."

"Psychometry, eh? Neat."

Javik grunted. "It seems as though the species in this cycle are too primitive to use it."

"Except maybe the asari...Anyway, it was some kind of network hub I got..." I muttered.

"Yes...but it was for a school for young children." he replied.

I blinked a few times. "What the hell? All this time I had a damn elementary school computer in my head?"

"Yes. Despite being corrupted to some degree, you know some of our history and can speak Prothean. Your human mind is still unable to process it all. I saw everything clearly."

"Probably because you're a Prothean." I dryly replied. I glanced over at John who just smirked. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just seems like an unusual prothean artifact to find."

I rolled my eyes. "Says the man who's artifact encounters revolve around a distress call. Besides, its not like I try to think about it...wasn't exactly the best day of my life."

"Sorry." he replied.

"Don't worry about it." I looked at Javik. "Anyway, if you need help looking around, wondering how much things have changed, or letting me test out that cool ass rifle you have; just gimme a call. Later."

As the door shut, I swear I heard Javik say. "He is a strange human."

* * *

**Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula**

"So, instead of some artifact its a prothean." Warren said, leaning against a wall as I made my way down the hall. "How much more crazy bullshit are we gonna run into?"

"Hell if I know. Just expect the unexpected on this boat." I replied. "Maybe we'll find the Holy Grail and discover the exact location of the big bang."

Warren snorted. "I'll take your word for it."

I shrugged and made my way to the elevator. "When you've been on the Normandy for a while, you sort of get used to it. Both the first Normandy and this one."

"Really...you get used to finding out about a race of sentient machines hell bent on destroying everything, finding living Protheans, and going to the center of the galaxy to kill Collectors?"

I blinked as I hit the button to go up to deck three. "Yeah, I guess so."

Warren shook his head. "Anyway, what about the rest of Cerberus? They just gonna vacation on Eden Prime or what?"

"It's being taken care of. I've got strike teams inbound to liberate the colony. We'll find out how they did in time."

The elevator stopped and we got out. "John just doesn't have the time to take on their entire garrison and we don't have the resources."

"Hm. Suppose you're right. Never thought I'd see you turn into some sort of field general."

I let out a small laugh. "Its not that different than my days in the Alliance. Only, I'm not in the field and I have no superior officers to worry about."

"Operational freedom...nice."

"Meh. I still have Murph to keep me in line."

Warren shrugged. "Wish I could have gone with you guys...friggin' doctors man..."

I shook my head. "I'm pretty sure overexerting your biotics is a good reason to stay home."

"Chakwas is being overprotective. I know my limits."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure...Its not because she knows what she's doing."

Warren just folded his arms. "Whatever..."

"Mark, your presence is requested in the war room." EDI chimed in over the intercom.

"On my way."

"Meh, I'll go with you."

The two of us made it up to the war room and approached the central console. Shepard was already there.

"What's going on John?" I asked.

He held his hand under his chin. "Seventh Fleet is under attack near Terra Nova. We've got a lot of military assets in the area."

"The entire Seventh Fleet is in the Asgard system?" Warren asked, puzzled. "Weren't they always based out of Eden Prime?"

"Yeah. They've got some flotillas in the Utopia system." answered Shepard.

"And they didn't get Cerberus..."

"Cerberus must have used some frigates." I added. "Probably with the Normandy's IES system installed so they wouldn't be picked up."  
Warren shrugged. "What about Sixth Fleet? Aren't they supposed to be near Terra Nova?"

"Sent to Elysium." I replied.

"I have detected several vessels assigned to the Sixth Fleet in orbit around Terra Nova." said EDI. "They are currently conducting evacuation operations with the Alliance's Naval Exploration Flotilla."

"What's the lead ship?" Shepard asked.

"The SSV Shanghai of the Sixth Fleet."

"Send a message to the Shanghai's captain that the Normandy is in the area. Admiral Hackett requests that they proceed to the Fifth Fleet's coordinates."

"Of course. I have also received a distress call from the Alliance Marines Special Operations Team Delta."

"Location?"

"The planet Loki."

I grimaced a little. Loki was a frigid world; -211 degrees Fahrenheit was the average surface temperature. On top of that, the atmosphere was equally inhospitable as it was made up of krypton and xenon. Any ground forces that stuck around there wouldn't last long. Especially when the Reapers would show up.

"Send an additional message to the Shanghai, EDI. Tell them to get Delta Team off of Loki."

"Of course, Shepard."

"So, Cerberus hit Terra Nova too?" asked Warren.

Shepard shook his head. "The Reapers. They've been going after Terra Nova for some time from the reports I've seen. Command pulled the Sixth Fleet...now they don't know whether to take the planet back or not judging by the size of the Reaper forces here."

"Seems odd to leave Eden Prime alone." I said.

"Terra Nova has more military and economic assets than Eden Prime; hence the Reapers focus on the planet." Shepard replied.

"Shepard, the captain of the Shanghai has acknowledged our transmission. They will proceed with evacuating Delta Team from Loki."

"Thanks, EDI. Joker, set a course for the Citadel. We need to re-arm before heading to the summit."

"Roger that."

Shepard began to leave the war room and we followed.

"Re-arm eh? Getting anything new?" I asked.

"Hackett's sending a few things our way... Some weapons and armor."

"Ooh. Sounds neat. Wonder if he could get us an XO while he's at it."

Warren gave me a shove. "Man's an admiral not a store."

"Since when did you care?"

He shrugged. "Hackett's not a horses ass like other admirals."

"I don't think we'll be getting an XO, Mark." replied John.

I snorted. "Well, that's a bunch of bullshit. Every other officer on the ship is a Lieutenant. Ashley's the only other ranking officer on the ship and she's in the hospital."

John nodded. "She's not out indefinitely."

"But she's out. And there's no XO." added Warren.

Shepard just sighed. "Enough... We're going to the Citadel and then we're going to this war summit."

My omni-tool beeped. "Oh, must have gotten a new email."

I opened it up and read it. I didn't recognize the sender but read on. It was...surprising.

"Did Miranda send you a dirty picture?" Warren asked. "You've got that wide eyed look again."

"No! Its Thane. He heard that the Normandy was at the Citadel and wanted to know if we're okay. He's at Huerta Memorial undergoing treatment for his illness...and is using an alias." I answered.

"Yeah, he sent me something similar. I forgot what his alias was, though."

I rolled my eyes. John always did skim over his emails. "Tannor Nuara."

"Ah that's what it was..."

"Anyway, I'm gonna drop in and say hi." I said.

"I'll do the same. I just have to sign off on the care package Hackett's sending us." Shepard replied. "Hopefully Ash will be awake."

I nodded. "I'll drop in too."

* * *

**Huerta Memorial Hospital, Citadel**

"Newly named turian Primarch Adrien Victus has requested a war summit of Council races. Reports suggest that he has also sent an invitation to the krogan."

I sighed as I heard the news report from a nearby vid screen in the hospital lobby.

_If they only knew that the asari weren't coming. If word of that went public, who knows how many people it would piss off._

The asari might not have had as many dreadnaughts as the turians but they did possess one of the best and most powerful navies in the galaxy.

As I looked around the small lobby, I noticed how quiet it was. Normally hospitals are always loud and buzzing with activity.

_Must be a slow day. Strange considering what's going on._

Near one of the large windows, I saw Thane doing a few stretches. I walked over to him.

"Keeping busy, I see."

Thane turned around, surprised. "Mark! I heard Earth was attacked and I tried to call. I couldn't get through to you or Shepard."

I nodded. "Reapers knocked out almost every comm network in the Sol system. John and I got your message. He'll be on his way...just taking care of some Alliance business."

"I see."

"Do you usually exercise in the lobby?" I asked curiously.

"Not always. When I heard the Normandy was here on the Citadel, I decided to wait. As for the exercise...my disease kills slowly. With a healthy lifestyle and care it can be delayed for years. Of course, that time has come and gone. Now I do exercise because it pleases me."

I smirked as we sat down in some chairs pointing toward the large window.

"So what brings you here?" Thane asked.

I snorted. "What? I can't visit a friend?"

He smiled. "Considering the current events, it is surprising."

I shrugged. "Well, that and there's another friend here. Her name's Ashley Williams. She helped Shepard stop Saren a few years ago and she's back on the Normandy."

"Ah yes. The dark-haired woman in intensive care...she will be starting physical therapy in my class soon."

"Yeah that's her. Her and John..." I whispered, wagging my pinky finger at Thane.

Thane just blinked. "I am afraid I don't know what that means."

"They're together...sort of."

"Ah..." he drawled out. "Then I will help how I can. As long as she is here, consider her under my protection."

"Thanks man. I appreciate that...and I'm sure John will too."

Thane smirked. "I am near the end of my life. It is good to be generous. Kepral's Syndrome has kept most of my other plans on hold."

I sat back in the chair. "Guess that means you won't be able to come along for one last mission."

He nodded. "Indeed. I am not as I was before. I need daily medical attention." Thane paused. "And knowing Shepard, he'll want to fight the Reapers somehow. He needs the best...and I am not at mine anymore."

I sighed. "Mm...how long do you have left? I remember you said it was close to a year."

"I've been to several doctors. My favorite gave me three months...nine months ago. It's freeing to find no requirements placed on me. No responsibilities, no fears. It is a good end to a life."

"I know what you mean." I answered with a small laugh. "Seems like ages since I was on my last legs."

"Indeed."

"It was very painful." I added quietly. "What about you? Does it hurt?"

"At times. If you recall, the oxygen transfer proteins don't form correctly. Your equivalent would be hemoglobin."

I nodded.

"As a result my blood is low in oxygen. No matter how much I breathe in, I get tingling, numbness; and that is the best of it. As for my brain, I cannot track the damage. I just experience dizziness from time to time."

I frowned a little. It wasn't a very nice way to go...like drowning slowly.

"Well, if its causing brain damage you might be able to tell if you can't remember something." I said. "I mean, if drell have perfect memories..."

Thane nodded in understanding. "My doctor's have said something similar. And as unusual as it sounds for my race, I believe I have lost some short term memory."

I nodded again and we sat in silence.

"Well, it was nice to see you again Thane. If you ever want to talk or something, let me know. I get the feeling we'll be in and out of the Citadel with all that's going on. I wish the best for you." I said.

"Likewise Mark. Do not grieve for me. I have good doctors. My son visits regularly." Thane said with a small smile. "Perhaps we can keep up over the extranet."

The two of us stood up and shook each others hands.

"Telling me not to grieve over a friend...that's a tough thing." I said.

Thane let out a small laugh. "Good luck to you Mark."

I gave him a small wave and made my way to Ashley's room. Before I did, I stopped off at the hospital gift shop to pick up a few things...and then went to the food court. All I would need to do is wait for Shepard...and have a little fun with both of them. I reached Ashley's room and took a peek through the window.

_Still asleep. Time to play the waiting game._

I glanced around the hall and found a doctor's coat. I grabbed it and went inside the room.

Walking over to a nearby table, I placed down a get well card and a couple of flowers.

I put the bag of food down on table in the corner of the room and put on the doctor's coat.

Within a few seconds, I could hear Ashley's breathing change. She was waking up.

"Someone there?" I heard her mumble. "Smells like burgers..."

I cleared my throat, preparing to use a different voice and picked up a chart. "Um, yes...sorry Lieutenant Commander. Just looking over your charts."

_Here's hoping she won't tell._

"How do you feel?" I asked, trying to sound like some doctor I saw on a soap opera; the suave, smooth kind that the ladies like.

"Ugh. Not as sore as I was."

"Good, good." I replied, holding the chart close to my face in order to hide it.

And then Udina came into the room.

_Great..._

* * *

Shepard was on his way to Ashley's room after talking to Thane who seemed to be doing well. He felt a little disappointed that he couldn't come along for one last time. John understood that Thane was coming to the end of the road but part of him wanted to bring the assassin along; a way to finish what they had started. Unfortunately, that was not to be. He was able to bond with his son again and got the treatment he needed. There was no 'light work' for taking on giant machines hell bent on killing everything in the galaxy.

There was also a part of Shepard that felt saddened that his friend was dying and that there was no way to help him. It ate away at the back of his mind.

He shook the thought out of his head. _Come on, you're going to see Ash. Be happy. Hopefully, she'll like this collection of Tennyson._

As he approached the room, he saw Udina in the room, talking to Ashley...along with a doctor sitting in the corner of the room who seemed to be having lunch, paying no attention to either of them.

"I'll need an answer Lieutenant Commander. The galaxy has need of exceptional soldiers like you—now more than ever."

"I still need time. You'll have my answer soon, I promise." replied Ashley.

"I look forward to it."

Udina turned and headed for the door as Shepard opened it.

"Shepard." Udina shortly greeted.

"Udina."

John walked in as the door closed behind him. He smiled a little as he saw Ashley. "I got your email. Made your decision yet?"

"On becoming a Spectre? Not yet. Its an honor and all but...I don't know. I need to think about it some more."

Shepard nodded. "It's a big decision. Smart to give it some thought." he smirked. "Here, I picked this up for you. Figured you had some down time."

Ashley smiled. "Thanks, that's sweet. I've been climbing the walls." she glanced over at the table near the bed, staring at the flowers and card. "Guess Mark must have visited. I was asleep though."

John looked at the flowers and card Mark left. It seemed oddly simple considering how Mark would leave something...unique behind.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Good...considering. The nurse said you stopped by too. Still out cold, I guess."

John nodded. "We didn't get a chance to talk. I thought maybe if you were up for it..."

She sat up in her bed. "Yeah, I wasn't sure you wanted to. You were pretty clear on Mars about where things stood."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not a part of Cerberus anymore. Case closed. Full stop."

"It's the truth."

Ashley nodded. "Okay. You cut all ties. I accept that. But...where do we stand, Shepard. Did we cut all ties?"

John gave her a warm smile. "Ash, its always been you. I'm not doing this without you. I need you."

"I...Shepard...damn it. You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet."

The doctor in the back of the room, made a loud sniffing sound. Shepard turned, only to see him inspecting a datapad with what looked like a soap opera. He rolled his eyes.

"You're already lying down." he replied.

"Romantic moment...destroyed." Ash said.

"Sorry."

"Thanks. I needed something...good. It's been rough."

He put a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "Glad to help out. Get some rest; if you need anything just let me know."

The doctor in the back made another loud sniff.

Shepard sighed.

"Is there someone else in here?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah...Mark's in here." John answered flatly.

"Damn it! How did you know?" yelled the 'doctor', who turned around in his chair.

"Because its you."

He got up and walked over to Shepard and Ashley. "So much for that surprise."

Ashley smiled. "Thanks for the card, Mark."

"You're welcome. Brought something else too." he replied, pulling out a fast food bag. "Wasn't sure if you were tired of hospital food so I got some burgers and stuff."

"You got anything in there for me?" asked Shepard.

"Duh."

He handed John the bag.

"There is something..." Ashley started. "I wasn't sure if I should mention it."

"What is it?" asked Shepard.

"I have family back on Earth. I...I haven't heard from them. It's making me crazy. But I know you're busy. We can talk later."

Mark snorted. "You think we came all this way just to go: 'Oh hey, here's some get well stuff...okay bye?'."

John turned to Ashley. "What he said. Anyway, what's with all of this Lieutenant Commander business?"

She smirked. "I guess the old Williams curse is losing its grip. I was sure I'd top out at Gunnery Chief."

"You worked hard. You deserve it."

"I thought so too...until Eden Prime. Losing 212 was...well, you know."

"It was the Reapers, Ash. You did the best you could and survived to help us."

Ashley nodded before laying back in bed. "Just losing everyone under my command...its tough to face. I'll never forget any of them."

"Right now we need you back and on your feet." Shepard responded, going back into 'CO mode'.

"I'll be back. And first order of business is to shove the Reapers metal tentacles up their...Uh, I mean: I'll fight with honor and courage, sir."

John smirked. "Roger that, LC."

Mark simply waved a hand. "Ah to hell with that. We need some boots to asses, John and mine are prepped and ready."

"I'm trying to keep it professional, Mark." Shepard said with a hushed sigh.

He simply rolled his eyes in response. "Oh and congrats on the promotion, Ash! If I was still in the service, we'd have the same rank."

"Thanks. And yeah, I forgot you were an LC."

"Been too long." A beeping sound distracted him as he looked down. "Looks like I got a call. I'll leave you two alone."

"Okay. Thanks for dropping by, Mark." Ashley said.

He responded with a small salute.

"Don't forget to leave the doctor's coat behind." Shepard added.

"Oh yeah." he replied, tossing it back on the chair before leaving.

* * *

**Presidium, Citadel**

I sat down on a park bench and stared out at the lake on the Presidium. I was still preoccupied with the operation on Eden Prime. However, I wouldn't know the result of the mission for some time.

"You're here early." said a raspy, yet feminine voice.

I shrugged. "Not a lot of traffic, I guess."

"Seems odd considering the state of the galaxy." she slipped around the side of the bench and sat down next to me; one of my best and newest informants, Mila. She was a drell, came highly recommended from one of my drell contacts Sinan. Much of her background was a mystery but all I knew was that she was very effective. Her skin was a dark orange color, alternating with some green 'tiger stripe' patterns on her face. Out of all of my contacts, Mila was one of only a handful that was in a top government position; she worked in the Citadel Archives.

"Give it time. Won't be long before you start seeing massive lines and security checks every ten feet. Only three homeworlds have been attacked so far...that number's gonna jump soon." I replied.

Mila nodded. "I hear the Reapers are heading to Kahje."

"Do you think hanar and drell forces can hold them off?"

She shook her head. "We're not the Alliance or the turians. All we have is a defense network and VI operated ships."

"I'll see what I can do."

"You mean your project out in the Abyss? I didn't think it was done yet."

"It's not. Still, I'll try to find something."

"You always do." Mila replied with a small smile. "I hear that there's going to be a war summit soon."

"That's right. Shepard's holding it on the Normandy with Primarch Victus, Urdnot Wrex, and Dalatrass Linron."

"It's foolish for the asari to have backed out. They'll regret it."

I hummed a response. "They don't think that the salarians, turians, and krogan will work together; that chaos will ensue."

"Understandable, but these are desperate times."

"I can think of so many 'You know the galaxy's going to end when...' jokes."

Mila laughed a little. "I'm sure you'd be a hit on the Silversun Strip." she pulled out an OSD. "As for why I called you here, I'm sure this could be of use."

I reached out and took the OSD. "What is it?"

"Perhaps the most dangerous piece of information I've ever found in the Archives."

I raised an eyebrow. "How dangerous?"

"The kind that could start a major war."

"Doesn't sound like it could be of much use if it causes a war."

Mila smirked. "That depends. It might help you for the war summit. I know the krogan would find it interesting, as well as the turians and salarians."

I stared at the OSD. "I dunno..."

"Watch it when you get the chance. You might change your mind. Still, I would recommend caution. Whether you choose to use it or not is up to you." Mila stood up. "I'll be in touch. I wish you luck, Mark."

"You too, Mila."

I looked back down at the OSD. Dealing with sensitive information shouldn't have been a problem for me; I'd been dealing with it for most of my adult life. However, I had never been given information that could start a major war.

_This file is timestamped in the year 710CE...when krogan numbers began to decline in the Rebellions. No...this couldn't be about the genophage. Could it?_

Standing up, I sighed as I pocketed the OSD. "Couldn't get any worse."

* * *

**Normandy SR2, En Route to Annos Basin, Pranas System**

"I knew we were getting resupplied but I wasn't expecting this." said Vega, looking over the crates of weapons dropped off by the Alliance.

"At least this gives me something to do." added Cortez, who was cataloging the new weapons. "I've inspected every single spot on the shuttles at least twice now."

Warren was going through the crates, checking out all of the weapons.

"Find anything you like yet, big guy?" Vega asked.

"Not really. Never even seen most of these weapons before." he replied, pulling out the STG made Venom shotgun. "All I know is that this looks like a shotgun, but it probably isn't."

"Salarian Venom shotgun." said Cortez. "It fires small anti-personnel grenades. Two modes: charged and uncharged. Uncharged fires one shot, charged fires one shot that splits into five grenades."

Warren nodded. "Sounds useful, but it sounds like a grenade launcher to me."

"Salarians always did like to finish a fight early." added James.

"Oh baby..." Warren muttered as he pulled out a large machine gun out of the crate. It was marked with the N7 badge. "Now this...this I like."

"Ah, that's the N7 Typhoon. It's been in service for the last three years. Tough to handle though." said Cortez.

Warren held up the Typhoon with relative ease. "Doesn't feel like it."

"Just wait until you fire it. I remember when it was introduced. There were about twenty cases of separated shoulders, tendonitis, and nerve damage due to the recoil and kick back." added James. "The good news is that they installed some high tech stabilizers and kinetic reducers to limit recoil and muzzle climb. Still tough to fire though."

"You ever use one?"

James shook his head. "I'm not N7. They did have a less high tech version called the Monsoon. Wasn't too bad, but I'm not a fan of heavy machine gun's."

"Well, I just found my new favorite." Warren said.

That's when I walked in. "What's your new favorite?"

"This." replied the tall biotic. "One of our newest additions."

"Ah the Typhoon. Seems like a perfect fit. Just try not to launch any biotic attacks while firing that with your other hand."

Warren snorted. "Yeah, no shit."

I looked inside some of the other crates. "Blood Pack weapons..."

"I didn't think they made their own weapons." said James.

I pulled out two of them; dubbed the Punisher and Executioner. One was a submachine gun, the latter was a pistol.

"Just like something they would use; bulky and powerful." I muttered.

"And they look like someone just taped it together using some old duct tape and scrap metal." added Warren. "You'd think with fabricators they'd be seamless, not something that would blow up in your hand."

I shrugged. "Guess we'll wait and find out."

"This is surprisingly comfortable."

The two of us turned and saw Garrus walk out of the elevator wearing new armor.

I blinked. _Oh you've got to be kidding me..._

"What do you think?" he asked, looking to Vega and Cortez.

"Not bad, Garrus." answered Vega. Cortez simply gave him the thumbs up.

Warren snorted. "Oh this is too good."

Garrus turned to me. "What?"

I blankly stared at him. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Because we just picked it up during the resupply."

"That's not a reason why!" I shouted. "You're wearing the same armor as me!"

Warren laughed out loud.

"Oh, I am?" the turian dryly replied. "I had no idea. It just seemed striking to me."

I grumbled. "You can't wear that when we go into a fight."

"And why not?"

"That's just weird."

"No it isn't. All military personnel wear the same gear into battle."

"We're not normal! Go back to wearing blue or something!"

Garrus chuckled. "I dunno...I think I look good in this."

I shook my head. "Yeah, yeah...so do I."

"Where are you going?" he asked me as I made my way to the elevator.

"My room. Got some business to take care of."

"You mean brood." Warren said with a laugh as the doors shut.

"God damnit..." I muttered.

* * *

I went straight to the Life Support room. Or rather, my quarters. I still couldn't get used to calling it that.

I sat down at the desk and popped the OSD into my terminal.

"This file contains classified information reserved for those bearing Alpha class security clearance." said the recorded message at the beginning.

"Alpha, huh..." I muttered. Alpha class was reserved for only a handful of diplomats; namely the Council, a few people that work in the Archives, and Spectres.

"Year 710CE: Krogan genophage, deployment. Vault T-101."

I blinked.

"We have our orders. Release of the genophage against the krogan has been authorized." said a turian general standing at a control panel.

The salarian to the general's left spoke up. "Not by my government."

"You're government invented it. What good is a weapon if you don't use it? Sergeant Tavis, restrain him."

Tavis spoke up. "General Corvus, are we sure about our orders? This is genocide..."

"Sergeant Gowe, restrain them both. I'll push the button myself. One day, salarian, you will thank us."

"Dispersal commencing." said a VI voice. It then showed a large tower, spraying the genophage into the air.

I sat back in my chair in silence; all sorts of thoughts circling in my head. It was probably the most dangerous piece of information that I had ever seen.

I rubbed my forehead. For me, this added context. Most people had assumed the Citadel Council secretly authorized the use of the genophage when that decision fell to the Asari Republics, Turian Hierarchy, and Salarian Union. The asari were undecided. The salarians were still debating its use, but had leaned towards a deterrence policy. The turians were near unanimous in using it for a massive retaliation. The genophage was just as hotly debated now as it was over 1300 years ago.

"Wow..." I quietly said.

Bringing up another window, I did a search for this General Corvus. It didn't take long to find him. General Illo Corvus, commander of the turian 73rd Legion, a legion dedicated to Special Operations; similar to the old Green Berets. His strategic genius on the battlefield during the Rebellions led to numerous victories, eventually leading the turians to push the krogan out of their space. These victories caused him to receive several commendations and a promotion, although records state he went to Central Command in Cipritine, he never once showed his face in the capital during the war. After some digging, I eventually found some old records that said he was transferred to a unit called the Order of Palaven, a precursor to Blackwatch. OP was a classified unit that took care of direct threats to the turian homeworld. According to the record, he was sent here when the genophage was still undergoing development, so he may have known about it and its development for some time. After the war, he was awarded with the military's highest honor and quietly retired. His actions were kept under wraps, never revealed to the public. It was easy to understand why.

"Mila, you shrewd girl..."

My terminal started to beep; an incoming call from Selene. I answered it.

"What's the word, Selene?"

"Mission accomplished. We put the dogs down." she replied.

"Good, good. Any problems down there?"

"No, it was all by the book. Unfortunately, we had a few casualties. Omega team lost four people." she answered sadly. "We brought them back with us."

I sighed. "I see...I trust you put their names down in the mission report."

"I did. However, I wanted to inform you of how it went myself."

"I understand." I said, scratching my cheek. "Are the civilians at the labor camp safe and sound?"

"A little shaken up and several cases of malnutrition. Aside from that, we haven't found anything serious." Selene answered. "We did find some intel regarding a few bases across the Verge. With your permission, I would like to take my team and investigate."

I nodded. "You got it. I'll go over the findings now. You did good, Selene. Tell everyone that I'm proud of them."

She smirked. "Can do. If I get some down time soon, maybe you and I can—"

"Selene, I already told you like ten times that I have a girlfriend." I said with a sigh.

"And I don't mind the extra company."

"Bye, Selene." I finished, cutting the transmission. "What is it with asari?"

* * *

_Apologies if this chapter seems stale (it is an interlude, after all). I've been so out of focus with ME, mainly due to moving on and playing other games. Don't worry, though I'll try to get my focus back for CH. 60._

_Thanks again for reading and reviewing_


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